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“We Come to the Hungry Feast”: Hunger Advocacy in Arizona Videos

 

This Fall, ELCA World Hunger was invited to join leaders from Arizona via Zoom at the first statewide gathering of advocates and friends hosted by Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Arizona (LAMA).

LAMA is the newest State Public Policy Office of the ELCA, in partnership with the Grand Canyon Synod, ELCA World Hunger and Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest. LAMA joins a network of 15 public policy offices operating in 18 states. This network is a critical part of the work of ELCA Advocacy. On a state level, LAMA and the other state public policy offices amplify the voices of Lutherans for fair and equitable policies on housing, education, health care, employment and so much more. Working for just policies is an important way people of faith participate in God’s work of building a just world where all are fed.

John Johnson, program director for domestic policy for the ELCA, highlights the importance of this work to the work God calls this church to pursue:

Our return on investment for advocacy is one of the great untold successes of the ELCA. Our federal and state advocacy leverages BILLIONS of public dollars annually for vulnerable populations at home and abroad. In 2020, with COVID-19 recovery packages in Congress, Lutherans have engaged policy makers to the tune of trillions of dollars.
Below are recordings of the Summit presentations from Ryan P. Cumming, program director of hunger education for ELCA World Hunger, and Angie Rogers, president and CEO of the Arizona Food Bank Network.
Angie Rodgers spoke about the state of hunger in Arizona, the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ways Lutherans can make a difference through advocacy.

 

Ryan Cumming spoke about the importance of advocacy in the work and mission of the church and the difference between responding to hunger and ending it.

 

Welcome New Staff!

 

ELCA World Hunger is excited to announce the addition of two new staff members, Angela Galbraith and Nick Gaines. Read more about them below! 

Angela Galbraith

Hello! I’m Angela Galbraith and I am very excited to join ELCA World Hunger as the Program Associate for the Domestic Hunger Strategy Team. My passion for ELCA World Hunger began in my very first year of Sunday School, while we were participating in ELCA Good Gifts’ Global Barnyard. I had found a $1 bill and was extremely happy because it was enough to provide someone with a chicken! I have a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies with minors in Music, German, and Justice, Law & Public Policy from Wittenberg University. Most recently, I served with the Peace Corps as an HIV/AIDS and Adolescent Health Educator in Lesotho until operations were suspended globally, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

I fostered my passion for anti-hunger work and global health justice work through many different opportunities. Currently, I serve on the Board of a non-profit, Lesotho Nutrition Initiative, which is a Wittenberg student-run organization addressing food insecurity and chronic malnutrition. Previously, I held the positions of student body president, student body vice president, community engagement coordinator, and warehouse manager. I also was the marketing and communications intern for Second Harvest Food Bank in Springfield, Ohio, where I educated our partners and community.

I am from Pittsburgh, PA where my parents are both ELCA pastors in the Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod. I grew up attending synod assemblies and served on our synod council, along with my twin brother. I also was a committed summer camper, until being able to volunteer and serve on summer staff. At Camp Lutherlyn, I have been a Unit Leader, Counselor, and Kitchen Staff over the time of 7 summers.  I have been grateful to learn and grow in these communities while discerning my vocation.

In my free time, I can be found hiking, backpacking, kayaking, sharing music with friends, or watching sunrises and sunsets. Though it is not quite the same as the mountaintop views in Lesotho, I continue to find great joy in watching and reflecting on the beauty of the beginning and end of each day. I am honored to be a part of this team and look forward to working alongside you toward a just world where all are fed!

Nick Gaines

Hi everyone, my name is Nick Gaines, and I will be working on the ELCA World Hunger Team as a Temporary Assistant. I am excited to be a part of a group that works tirelessly towards a just world where all are fed. In the summer of 2018, I interned for AMMPARO, a team located in the ELCA’s Global Mission Unit. I am so excited to be involved with the ELCA once again! After graduating from Wheaton College with a degree in International Relations in May of 2019, I left for Sierra Leone as a Peace Corps Volunteer. This is where I had been for the past year until being evacuated because of COVID-19. In Sierra Leone, I taught English and mathematics at an all-girls middle school.

With my position mainly being a support role, it has allowed me to assist in many different aspects of ELCA World Hunger’s work. This has been both enlightening and rewarding. As I continue to learn about myself and where my passions lie, working with the Domestic Hunger Strategy Team has been extremely valuable towards my own growth and self-development.

When I am not in the office, I can often be found playing or watching soccer, watching a documentary, hiking, or planning my next trip. After being evacuated from Sierra Leone quite unexpectedly, I am hoping to make my way back there in the near future.