COMMENTARY: Reason to Celebrate Amid a Hunger Crisis?

c. 2003 Religion News Service (The Rev. David Beckmann is president of Bread for the World Institute, and the Rev. Robert Edgar is general secretary of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.) (UNDATED) Hunger is on the rise in our country and around the world. In the United States there […]

c. 2003 Religion News Service

(The Rev. David Beckmann is president of Bread for the World Institute, and the Rev. Robert Edgar is general secretary of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.)

(UNDATED) Hunger is on the rise in our country and around the world.


In the United States there are more than 33 million people, including almost 13 million children, who often don’t have enough to eat. Worldwide, 840 million people are undernourished.

The outlook for hungry people is gloomy as we mark June 5 as National Hunger Awareness Day. Yet in the midst of struggle, Christians find a reason to celebrate.

This Sunday (June 8), Christians will celebrate Pentecost _ considered the birth of the church. It is the day when people from all corners of the world heard and understood the Christian message of forgiveness and God’s call to service of others.

Christians today continue to celebrate Pentecost through service. In our struggle to overcome hunger, we are not surprised to find that in the United States about two-thirds of soup kitchens and food pantries are organized by churches and other faith-based organizations.

Although hunger is on the rise, we are encouraged by a new poll of American voters commissioned by the Alliance to End Hunger. The study shows that Americans care deeply about hungry people and act out of moral conviction. Furthermore, American voters expect political leaders to do the same.

The Alliance to End Hunger is a coalition that includes Bread for the World Institute, the National Council of Churches and other groups, both religious and secular, that are concerned about hunger. The Alliance survey was underwritten by Alliance member Sodexho USA and was conducted by Republican pollster Jim McLaughlin, Democratic political consultant Bill Knapp and Democratic strategist Tom Freedman.

The Alliance poll shows:

_ 94 percent of voters say it is important during these times of budget cuts and a tough economy for government to fund anti-hunger programs such as school lunches and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children.

_ 80 percent of voters would be more likely to vote for a candidate who wants to both expand and reform school lunch programs to make food more nutritious.


_ 74 percent of those polled consider “fighting the hunger problem important when deciding whom to vote for in the next presidential election.”

_ 66 percent approve of proposals to significantly increase development assistance to poor countries with good governments.

_ 64 percent of voters said they would be less likely to vote for a candidate who cuts billions of dollars from the Food Stamp Program.

_ 44 percent said they know of children and families in their community who go hungry and 23 percent are concerned that they or someone in their own family might be hungry in the future.

_ 55 percent of respondents in the poll self-identified as Protestant, 25 percent as Catholic, and slightly more than 2 percent as Jewish. The rest self-identified as Mormon, Muslim or members of other faith traditions.

Clearly, Americans care greatly about hungry people. Every day, millions of Americans do their part by volunteering in their community, giving of their own resources, and advocating for policies that will help people feed themselves and their families. Voters want to see real partnerships among religious and community organizations, businesses and government programs at the local, state and national level.


Hunger is a political issue, but it should not be a partisan issue.

In observance of National Hunger Awareness Day, we invite you to do three things for hungry people:

_ Join us in prayer _ on June 5 and through the weekend _ lifting up our concern for sisters and brothers who are hungry.

_ Join us in action. Volunteer and give of your time and resources to your church, food bank and community organizations.

_ Join your voice to ours as we speak up for hungry people. Contact local, state and national leaders to say that you want them to do their part to cut hunger.

It is feasible to end hunger. As we celebrate Pentecost this year, we pray that the Spirit will move our nation to end hunger within our borders and help reduce hunger in the world.

DEA END EDGAR

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