The 10^th annual Ecumenical Advocacy Days for Global Peace with Justice was held in Washington D.C., March 23-26, 2012. About 800 people of faith, including at least five ELCA World Hunger Leaders (see below), were present to strengthen our Christian voice and mobilize for advocacy.

This year’s priority theme was “Is This the Fast I Seek? Economy, Livelihood and Our National Priorities.” Based on the text from Isaiah 58: 1-12, and from our first keynote speaker, the Rev. Dr. Margaret Aymer from the Interdenominational Theological Center, we were encouraged to “Cry justice! Lift up your voice like a trumpet!”

The ask that we as participants made to elected leaders was based on the Faithful Budget Campaign:

“As people of faith, we urge you to defend people struggling to live in dignity by funding programs that protect vulnerable populations here and abroad. Enact a faithful federal budget that serves the common good, provides robust funding for people struggling to overcome poverty and exercises proper care of the earth.”

As we sat together during Lent around this theme of fasting, I was particularly moved by the imagery. Our speakers challenged us that fasting from food makes no difference if we only do it for ourselves without thought for others. We were reminded that as people of faith gathered at the nation’s capitol, the fast week seek is the fast God seeks, from Isaiah:

“⁶Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? ⁷Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin.”

So, as children of the living God wander in the streets, through desserts and by sea—what is the fast we seek? In a country where 1.46 million household with 2.8 million children live on less than $2 per day (Elaine Nissenbaum, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities), what is the fast we seek?

For those of you who know me well, you may know that in my next life, I hope to be a movie score composer. Music is the way that my heart calls justice and at EAD, the perfect song was the answer that called to my heart.

“For Everyone Born” (Text Shirley Erena Murray, Tune Brian Mann)

For everyone born, a place at the table,
For everyone born, clean water and bread;
A shelter a space, a safe place for growing,
For everyone born, a star overhead.

Chorus:

And God will delight when we are creators of justice and joy, compassion and peace;
Yes, God will delight when we are creators of justice, justice and joy.

For young and for old, a place at the table,
A voice to be heard, a part in the song,
The hands of a child in hands that are wrinkled,
For young and for old, the right to belong. [Chorus]

For just and unjust a place at the table,
The user, the used with need to forgive,
In anger, in hurt, a mindset of mercy,
For just and unjust a new way to live. [Chorus]

For everyone born, a place at the table, to live without fear, and simply to be,
To work, to speak out to witness and worship,
For everyone born, the right to be free. [Chorus]

Lent is coming to a close, but the fast we seek is not an easy or time bound, church season kind of thing. Just as we are called to this fast in Isaiah 58, we are reminded in the same book that we are also called by name (Isaiah 43:1). For everyone born, called to the fast, called by name.

Are we ready to answer that call? Cry justice!

P.S. Guess the ELCA World Hunger Leaders pictured below!

Not long ago I read a good book: Take This Bread: A Radical Conversion by Sara Miles. If you haven’t read it, I recommend it highly. (Her second book, Jesus Freak, is pretty good too.)

In brief, her first experience of Eucharist as an adult shakes her down to her shoes, and she acts on that by setting up a food pantry at her congregation, even though she has no idea where to begin. Some of her adventures along the way are hilarious; some are heart-rending. It’s a great story and Miles tells it well.

At one point, a group of high-school kids shows up to volunteer at the pantry. This isn’t their idea; it’s their teacher’s idea, and they’re not especially pleased about it. These are tough kids from a tough neighborhood and they don’t want anything to do with this goody-goody church stuff. But their teacher is tougher than they are, so there they are. Miles puts the kids to work.

As the pantry’s customers go through picking out their poultry and produce, they say “thank you” to the volunteers — to the ones bringing out more food from the back, the ones organizing the shelves, the ones bagging the groceries. Over and over, people say “thank you.” And that melts the kids’ hearts. That’s what turns their stony hearts into hearts of flesh, the words “thank you” spoken to them. It shakes them down to their shoes, that people respond to their acts of service (no matter how grudgingly offered) with thanks. Their lives are transformed.

Powerful, powerful words.

I know how good it feels to say “thank you” because I have so many opportunities to say it. The people who support ELCA World Hunger are so incredibly generous in so many ways — it’s inspiring how dedicated you are to helping people who are hungry. But what really amazes me is that whenever I thank a Hunger Leader for his or her generous service, what does that person always do? Turns around and thanks me!

From Miles’ story about the tough kids whose hearts were touched by other people’s thanks to that sweet little dance of “thank you/no no, thank you,” words of gratitude are powerful. As a fundraiser, I know that. As a Christian, I know that “thank you” is the only possible response to God’s generous and never-ending act of grace, poured out on us like a good measure pressed down, shaken together and overflowing. And that’s why they call it Eucharist.

International World Water Day is held every 22 March as a means of focusing attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources. This year’s theme is “Water and Food Security.”

According to United Nations (UN) Water, there are 7 billion people to feed on the planet today and another 2 billion are expected to join by 2050.

Each of us drinks about half to one gallon of water per day– however most of the water we ‘drink’ is embedded in the food we eat. For example:

• 3963 gallons water= produces 2.2 lbs. of beef
• 396 gallons water= produces 2.2 lbs wheat

Again according to UN Water, “When a billion people in the world already live in chronic hunger and water resources are under pressure we cannot pretend the problem is ‘elsewhere’. Coping with population growth and ensuring access to nutritious food to everyone call for a series of actions we can all help with:

• follow a healthier, sustainable diet;
• consume less water-intensive products;
• reduce the scandalous food wastage: 30% of the food produced worldwide is never eaten and the water used to produce it is definitively lost!
• produce more food, of better quality, with less water.”

So, how much water are you using? To find out, try the UN Water “One Drop” plate activity.

On my plate, I put the foods I ate this morning and will eat for lunch: one bagel, cheese, two lettuces, a tomato and grapes. 134 gallons* of water were used toward those two meals alone (not counting the coffee on my desk, two glasses of water, one glass of juice, etc.).

What’s your “Water Footprint?”—the amount of water required to produce the goods and services you consume. The calculations are based on the water requirements per unit of product as in your country of residence.

My water footprint: 76,738 ft³ per year.** As a point of reference, an Olympic size swimming pool is 88,000 ft³.

The average American’s water footprint is 100,364 ft³. This takes into account the total amount of fresh water that is used to produce the goods and services consumed by the inhabitants of the nation. It includes two components: the part of the footprint that falls inside the country (internal water footprint) and the part of the footprint that presses on other countries in the world (external water footprint). Wow.

UN Water reminds us that, “At all steps of the supply chain, from producers to consumers, actions can be taken to save water and ensure food for all.”

Get started now:

-Learn about your water usage. Take the assessments above. Use more efficient shower heads, turn off the water while brushing your teeth, fix leaky faucets.

-Join the youth of the ELCA in raising $250,000 for water wells and related water projects through the “100 Wells Challenge!”

-Download and use the ELCA World Hunger “Water Toolkit” to explore the intersections between access to clean water and hunger.

Every “drop” makes a difference! Follow along on Twitter @UN_Water, #WorldWaterDay.

*Liters to Gallons Converter

**Cubic meters to cubic feet converter

(Bonus points: Can you guess why my water footprint is relatively lower than the average American’s?)

I used to wish for a giant returns counter where I could exchange stuff I didn’t need  for stuff I did need. Behind the counter would be a system for redistributing, reusing, or recycling goods, so that no “returns” were ever junked. We’d all get what we needed, less perfectly good stuff would sit idle in closets and garages, and a lot less new stuff would have to be made.

My dream is coming true. It’s called “collaborative consumption” – a trendy new term for the timeworn habit of sharing.

For more details, watch this fabulous TED talk or read this Sunset magazine article on the economy of sharing. But the bottom line is, a world with too much stuff is an opportunity for people to share, swap or pool instead of buying more and more. We are born and bred to share and cooperate, says Rachel Botsman, the young economist leading the TED talk. Hyperconsumption interrupted that pattern, but the internet is bringing it back in a big way in three new forms:

1. “Redistribution markets” that are moving used or pre-owned items from where they aren’t used to where they will be used. Think Craig’s List or swaptree.com, whose slogan is “turn what you have into what you want.” (The 3 Rs are now five: reduce, reuse, recycle, repurpose and—implementing my returns counter—redistribute!).
2. “Collaborative lifestyles,” in which people work, live, and stay intentionally. Are you familiar with coworking, where independent workers share an office space and creativity? Couch surfing, which matches budget travelers and homeowners with rooms or couches to spare? Landsharing, which matches gardeners and small farmers with underused yards and acreage? They are fast becoming household terms!
3. “Product service systems” like car sharing that let people pay for the benefit of a product without having to own it  outright—a great option for things with “high idling capacity” like cars and power tools. The typical homeowner will use a power drill for 13 minutes in its entire lifetime. Says Botsman, “You need the hole, not the drill!”  So why not rent it from or to someone else?

Collaborative consumption built this community cooker in a Nairobi slum

Does this trend benefit only rich folks with video games to spare? No. Collaborative consumption relies on trust and has always been practiced in communities rich in trust and relationship. Check out this trash-burning community cooker developed in a Nairobi slum, and think about the state of our trust, relationships, and communities.

Collaborative consumption sounds like a basic Christian practice. It’s our job to give away our extra coats and sponsor food pantries. But I wonder whether all that giving keeps us locked in paternalism: I have something, you don’t, you can have mine and I’ll feel good. Collaborative consumption invites us into a more mutual model: I’ve got something, you’ve got something, let’s trade. We’re equally gifted: let’s share.

On the ground, hunger programs are brought to life less by money than by people’s dignity, resourcefulness, and willingness to work hard. Their assets contribute to a process you could call “collaborative construction.” But it’s funny how other people’s gifts vanish when we talk about hunger in congregations. We stick to the same old trope, contrasting our abundance with other people’s lack. We have money, they don’t; therefore they are needy and you should write a check.

I’ve got something, you’ve got something, let’s trade  or I’ve got something, you’ve got something, let’s create something new together frees us to see new, more collaborative ministries. Collaboration is harder. It takes a lot more time than writing a check. It changes the relationships between the people involved. It also changes the stories we tell about one another. (David explored this in his post contrasting two videos—one focused on a little boy playing in the dirt with a bleach bottle, and one in which “underprivileged” Native American teens named their strengths.) And it changes us.

The collaborative consumption concept is changing my vision of the giant returns counter. Now I see that showing up with a toaster I don’t need is just the first step. I have to be able to vouch for the condition of my toaster. I have to trust the person offering whatever I swap it for, be it a working radio, five pounds of green beans, or an hour of sewing. If I choose the hour of sewing, I might have to get to know someone new. And it will be slower than buying in the drive-through lane or pulling $20 from an ATM machine….but I think it will be a whole lot more satisfying.

Anne Basye, Sustaining Simplicity: A  Journal

In a recent contest for elementary, middle school, and high school students in the city of Gaithersburg, Maryland, students were invited to write an essay on how “Character Counts!”  Of those who wrote, there were cash prizes given to the winners.  From that prize money, the winners were asked to donate a fourth of it to a charity of their choice.  This last week we received a check for $62.00 because the High School winner requested that ELCA World Hunger be the charity of choice, primarily because of the impact that World Hunger had on him at the last Youth Gathering.  The author of the essay, and wise soul, was Greg Von Wald.  He graciously allowed me to reproduce the essay here.  Happy reading, and go be the change!

The Change I Wish to See in the World
Let’s be honest, the world we live in right now is in pretty bad shape. Millions live in extreme poverty while a few live in extreme luxury. The poorest 40% of the world’s population accounts for 5% of global income while the richest 20% receive 75% of the income. Most of us today hear these figures and, disgusted by them, we say “Someone should do something about that!!” Mahatma Gandhi had the radical idea that the “someone” should be each and every one of us! Gandhi’s famous quote serves as a call to action to “be the change you wish to see in the world.”

I first heard this quote when I attended the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America Youth Gathering in New Orleans the summer of 2009. I remember thinking to myself, “Yeah! That’s a great idea! I’m going to go home and change the world!” Of course when you are surrounded by 37,000 other Christians, changing the world seems a lot easier than it really is. As I went back to school, I quickly fell back into my daily routine of trying to fit in and soon had forgotten any ambitions to make a change in the world. However, as I have grown older and have started looking at the world around me and the problems my generation will face, this quote has begun to take on a greater meaning for me, and dreams of how I could apply it in my life have become reality. Each summer, through my church’s sponsorship of youth work camps, I have volunteered a week of my
time and effort to travel to economically depressed areas and assist the residents with home repairs. With each service trip, I became conscious of the fact that being the change I wish to see should not end after my one week mission trips are over. Rather it should be a living idea that grows with me and is in my mind every single day.

As I look around, it isn’t hard to find things that need to be changed. They are splashed all over news channels and every time I walk past a newsstand my gaze is bound to be met by a vivid front page picture of someone in need. One day it could be the victims of extreme poverty in villages of West Africa, where people are forced to live on less than $1 per day. Another day it could be the bleak images of the war torn Middle East. Mahatma Gandhi is calling each and every one of us to not just read the articles and look at the pictures, but to go and do something about it. Gandhi believes that we should all take a chance and try to change the world. The newspaper should no longer be our Sunday reading, but it should be our to-do list.

I truly believe that if everyone began to live by Gandhi’s words of wisdom, the world would change in a big way. Instead of accepting multimillion dollar bonuses, the richest 1% of the world would choose instead to use that money to wipe out hunger in entire villages and entire nations. However, revolutions like this tend to start out small, so I plan on living it out in my own life. One day I hope to not only be able to give money to feed those in extreme poverty, but to fly over to Africa and visit with them. I want to laugh at their jokes, and listen to their stories. I want to connect a face and a name to the problem of extreme poverty. I want to demonstrate that I care, not just anonymously but personally.

Additionally, as I begin college, I am planning to major in Integrated Science and Technology and work to develop and refine new methods of renewable energy. Everyone knows that global warming is a problem. Everyone knows that we are burning our fossil fuels at an exponentially increasing rate. Everyone wants someone to change it. I aim to be that change. I hope to reduce our country’s reliance on foreign oil through the production and distribution of renewable energy sources. We all share the same earth and we all need to treat it with respect; global citizenship is everyone’s responsibility. Our world is in desperate need of change and as I look to the future with big eyes and an open mind, I truly hope to make a difference.

Now after hearing these lofty ambitions, the inevitable response that I could expect from most of my classmates is, “But you’re just a kid,” and for now, they are right. But the ambition to “be the change you wish to see in the world” begins with the confidence to say “I can.” In my daily life, I aim to be the change in smaller things. Teaching through example, I have strived to treat everyone with fairness and behave responsibly. By exemplifying good character through my actions, I can begin a small revolution of the heart; spreading peace and love instead of violence and hatred. The movement for sharing and caring has become necessary and who’s to say I can’t start it. As I boldly take the next steps down the foggy trail that is my future, I am bound to reach many forks in the road. Through them all I aim to keep this quote in mind, so that with every decision I make, I can ask myself, “Am I being the change I wish to see in the world?”

Hello from the road! Did you know that we ELCA World Hunger staff travel quite often to be with your communities and congregations? It is an important and life-giving part of the work that we do together as partners on the journey—being with one another.

This past weekend, I was in a town called Winterset, Iowa. Winterset is located in the Southeastern Iowa (SE-IA) Synod, and I was hosted by local hunger leader, Pastor Joel Nau and his congregation, St. Paul in Winterset.

Top four Winterset facts:

1. Home of the first red delicious apple tree.
2. Location where George Washington Carver spent three formative years.
3. Birth home town of John Wayne.
4. Located in Madison County and home to the famed covered Bridges of Madison County.

While in Iowa, I had the joy of staying with three families, meeting a less than two year old baby, sampling some homemade, Master Gardener jam and worshiping with St. Paul’s. Additionally, there were two other events happening in the area that we attend: the SE-IA Synod “Called Together in Mission” (CTIM) event and the Lutheran Services Iowa “Lutheran Day on the Hill” event.

At the CTIM event, Pastor Scott K. Beebe talked about health and wellness, particularly in relation to vocation. Pastor Beebe asked us to go to our mental file cabinets and find the drawer from “10-11 years of age,” pull it open and open the folder marked, “dreams.” He asked us to remember what our dreams were at that time and encouraged us that it is never too late to dream our biggest and best dreams.

What is that dream for you? For me, health, wholeness and life-giving work and life for all is the dream. Poverty and hunger are all too constant companions, but if we as people of faith don’t dream of a different reality—the one we know we are called to work towards—who will?

Pastor Scott then shared a statistic with us. When ever you try and start something new (a project, a diet, a routine)…

• Alone: 30% success rate.
• With just one other person: 60% success rate.
• With a group: 90% success rate.

At the Lutheran Services Iowa “Lutheran Day on the Hill” event, a group of 200 ELCA Lutherans from throughout Iowa traveled to Des Moines, the capitol, to advocate for important community services for those most vulnerable in communities. A grant from ELCA World Hunger doubled the attendance at the Hill Day—this is our work together.

Friends and fellow workers, we are already a success. Though we live in the Lenten season now, we know the rest of the story. As the body of Christ, we are a group with unlimited potential for success. I was reminded of this in Iowa.

So, open up your mental “dreams” file, and let’s get started! Through our work as the network of ELCA World Hunger—we are on the move.

Mikka serves as program director for constituent engagement and interpretation with ELCA World Hunger. For more information on how to share the story of ELCA World Hunger through the network, write Mikka.McCracken@elca.org.

This was emailed to us this morning.  I think it is worth a read:

Today is the feast day of St. Gregory.  In his honor, a fabulous quote, rich with insight:

“We must make people clearly understand that the land that yields them income is the common property of all and its fruits are for the common welfare. It is therefore absurd for people to think they are not robbers when they do not pass on what they have received to their neighbors. Absurd! Because almost as many folk lack daily food as there are rations locked up for use at home. Really when we administer any necessities to the poor, we give them their own. We do not bestow our goods upon them, we do not fulfill the works of mercy. We discharge the debt of justice. What was given by a common God is only justly used when those who have received it use it in a common good.”

~ Gregory the Great (Pope Gregory I, 590-604)

Today is International Women’s Day. In 1975, during International Women’s Year, the United Nations began celebrating 8 March as International Women’s Day. To learn more, visit the United Nations’ website.

You’ll remember that just last week on the blog, we highlighted ELCA World Hunger and the Lutheran World Federation’s participation in the United Nations Commission on the Status Women. Today, in honor of International Women’s Day, we share a continuation of that journey through a bilingual blog post of Irma’s Story. As you read and experience Irma’s story, remember, rural women play a critical role in ending hunger and poverty, and we are on the journey!

Recapturing the Seeds of Sustainability

By Irma; Translated by Jen.

Irma and Jen sharing Irma's story at a UN CSW workshop service.

Vengo de una familia campesina de pequenos agricultores que emigraron a la ciudad. Soy abogada, profesora universitaria, tuve dos hijos, soy abuela de tres nietos.

I come from a rural family of small-scale farmers that immigrated to the city. I am a lawyer, a university professor, I have two sons, and I am the grandmother of three.

Como abogada ayude a mujeres y familias a recuperar sus tierras. Durante mi actividad como defensora de derechos humanos con la Federacion Luterana y la ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) estuve camindando con las mujeres desplazadas de todas las formas de violencia desarraigadas de sus tierras; apoyandolas a buscar refugio incluso en mi propia casa, muchas de ellas salieron del pais con su familia pues sus vidas corrian peligro.

As a lawyer I helped women and families to recuperate their land. During my activity as a defender of human rights with The Lutheran World Federation and the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) I walked with the women who were displaced from their land; helping them to find refuge, including in my own home. Many of them left the country with their families, as their lives were in danger.

Supere mil obstaculos. Dure un ano amenezada. Como luterana siermpre le digo, “Senor, y ahora que?”

I have overcome a thousand obstacles. I endured a year of being threatened. As a Lutheran woman I always say, “Lord, what next?”

Fui directora del Centro Luterano de Comunicaciones Cristianas, ayude a conformar la Red de Mujeres de las iglesias evangelicas en Colombia; se organizaron las huertas caseras la cosecha se vendia los domingos en las iglesias “El Mercado Campesino”; apoye a las mujeres que sus hijós se habian involucrado en los diferentes grupos  armados, muchos de los cuales retornaron a hogares de paso, trabaje en el 95% del territorio colombiano donde no habia presencia del estado; dicte talleres sobre el Evangelio Integral siempre aprendi del otro y la otra; sigo superando obstaculos.

I was the director of the Lutheran Center of Christian Communications. I helped to form the Red de Mujeres (Network of Women) of the evangelical churches in Colombia. These women organized gardens and sold their harvest on Sundays in the churches in their “Mercado Campesino” (Country Market). I supported the women whose children had been involved in the different armed groups, many of those children then returned to their homes. I worked in 95% of Colombian territory, where there was no government presence. I gave workshops on the integrated gospel (“the gospel of here and now,” Irma says as I ask her to tell me more), and I always learned from others. I continue overcoming obstacles.

Realmente hay mucha esperanza porque las semillas que rugue en mi pais como profesora han dado resultados de profesionales, medicos, abogados, ingenieros. De mi trabajo con las Iglesias, quiero ratificar el apoyo de la Federacion Luterana Mundial y la ELCA, al saber que las mujeres siguen luchando, tumban muros y siempre estan dispuestas a trabajar con el nucleo familiar y la comunidad.

Really there is much hope because the seeds I watered in my country as a professor have given results: professionals, doctors, lawyers, and engineers. In my work with the churches, I want to ratify support of the Lutheran World Federation and the ELCA with the knowledge of women who continue fighting, who break down walls, and who are always ready to work with the whole family and the community.

La fe sigue firme a pesar de haber sido amenazada 8 dias de plazo me dieron para salir de mi pais, por mi participacion en la sensibilizacion de la gente en el evangelio integral, me converti en objectivo militar pues todo mi trabajo era de conocimiento publico. El desprenderme de mi familia, la muerte de mi hijo que vivia en este pais me derrumbaron; llegue con $50 dolares mi primer trabajo lavar carros. Mi proximo muro para derribar aprender ingles (no ha sido facil).

My faith remains firm despite having been threatened and given 8 days to leave my country for my participation in the sensitization of people with the integrated gospel. I made myself a military target as all of my work was public knowledge. The separation from my family and the death of my son who lived in the U.S.A. shattered me to pieces. I arrived with $50, and my first job was washing cars. My next wall to break through is learning English (it hasn’t been easy).

En Augustana Lutheran Church de Sioux Falls, SD tenemos el ministerio Pueblo de Dios es una comunidad ecumenica sufriente que entrega su fuerza de trabajo para beneficio de la nacion, de la cual soy su coordinadora tenemos clases de computacion, ingles para las mujeres; clases de arte, locucion de radio vamos a organizar un programa bilingue con ninos de los 9 anos a los 12; en la penitenciaria con los sentenciados voy dos veces por mes a realizar estudio biblico; consejeria familiar que incluye various asuntos y visita a la carcel; realizando clases de espanol para las madres como para sus ninos y ninas.

In Augustana Lutheran Church in Sioux Falls, S.D. we have a ministry called Pueblo de Dios. It is an ecumenical community, of which I am the coordinator, which suffers and gives its strength and hard work to benefit the nation. We have computer and English classes for women. We have art and broadcasting classes –we are going to organize a bilingual program with children aged 9 to 12. I go twice a month to the prison where the inmates and I have a Bible Study. We have a multifaceted family ministry, one facet of which is visiting the jail.

Tambien hay que dar gracias. En cada actividad tengo buen@s companer@s que me acompanan.

One also must give. In every activity, I have good companions who accompany me.

Siempre doy gracias a Dios me tiene caminando y compartiendo; soy la vice presidenta de la Asociacion de Ministerios Latinos de la ELCA  tarea muy grande para realizar porque este incluye entre otras cosas nuestro compromiso con el Hambre en el Mundo. Vamos con la fuerte esperanza y fe de constituir la Red de Mujeres de la Asociacion de Ministerios Latinos.

I always give thanks to God who has me walking and sharing. I am the vice president of the Association of Latino Ministries of the ELCA. This is a large job to carry out because this includes, among other things, our commitment with World Hunger. We continue with strong hope and faith of creating a Network of Women (Red de Mujeres) in the Association of Latino Ministries.

ELCA World Hunger has had an annual goal of $18,500,000 for fiscal years 2010, 2011 and now 2012.  As of January 31, 2012, the completion of fiscal year 2011, we are so excited to report that giving from individuals, congregations, synods and others totaled nearly $19,100,000. 

It was possible to exceed our goal thanks to wonderful stewardship, faithful support, and the efforts of many passionate people across this church – pastors, synod hunger leaders, volunteers, donors, advocates, educators.  And now, important programs of relief, development, education and advocacy to address the root causes of hunger and poverty will be funded and implemented as planned. 

We have ambitious financial goals.  Could we grow our program to double such annual giving levels?  How do we engage the membership of the ELCA to own these efforts and the scope of programs?  What is our capacity for the breadth and scope of programs we can support in the U.S. and internationally?

Articles from recent issues of the Chronicle of Philanthropy lack substantive mention about fundraising results of religious-based organizations and philanthropic interests by donors to various denominations.  This is likely because results are not large enough, a significant portion of the pie, to attract attention or merit.  And yet this omission suggests tremendous opportunities even when it comes to fundraising and stewardship for ELCA World Hunger.  Can we change and grow a culture of giving, philanthropy, stewardship and legacy within the church that is not counter to the values of our faith and teachings through scripture?

 Here are some of the hot topics from the Chronicle:

• America’s most wealthy individuals are under a lot of pressure to be philanthropic, and there is scrutiny to consider investment in addressing social problems such as poverty as opposed to other common naming and legacy gifts.
• Of the top 50 philanthropists in the U.S. during 2011, zero gave $5,000,000 or more to a social service group.  Religious organizations and related donor affiliations were not mentioned on the list.
• As government funding is decreased, there will be increased demands for private giving will to make up the difference.  A recent study found that in states with the greatest reductions, private donors would have to increase giving by 60% to make up the difference.  Private philanthropy cannot begin to fund what the government can accomplish, and as a result, advocacy efforts are expected to increase and intensify by nonprofits.
• For continued fundraising success and philanthropic investment, nonprofits must excel at showcasing results and communicating the impact of programs.

One of my favorite worldly quotes is by Sir Winston Churchill – “We make a living by what we get.  We make a life by what we give.” 

Is it a challenge then, that in a world where philanthropy can make such a strong statement, we can make a life of faith by what we give, and as people of faith, we can give generously of all that God has given us — in a public way and as an example for others?

Here’s to fiscal year 2012 and creating change in our faithful culture through stewardship and philanthropy.  AND to our efforts together to support a future in an ecumenical world where hunger and poverty are reduced and all communities thrive!

Sharon Magnuson, Associate Director — ELCA World Hunger and Disaster Appeal