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Thinking About Hunger in Lent

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Looking for Lenten activities for the home and the church? This is just one sample from 40 Days of Giving, a devotional flip calendar that features leaders in the ELCA reflecting on what it means to be Church in a hungry world. Accompanying this devotional is a six-week study guide that your congregation can use to dig deeper during this season of reflection, repentance and hope. Sign up at www.ELCA.org/40days. You can download the weekly sessions and other resources at http://www.ELCA.org/Resources/Campaign-for-the-ELCA.

2015 ELCA World Hunger Education & Networking Grants – apply now!

Gina Tonn

ELCA World Hunger Education and Networking Grants

2015 Request for Proposals

The ELCA World Hunger Education and Networking grants program is designed to support local programs in ELCA congregations, groups and/or synods. The grant opportunity encourages ELCA congregation, groups and/or synods to think creatively about educating, mobilizing, and expanding their networks to increase awareness of the root causes of and solutions to hunger.

Education grants can be used for events, educational programs or the development of shareable resources. For networking proposals, congregation-based and synod-based hunger leader events and trainings will be prioritized.

We are looking for proposals submitted by a non-profit charitable organization classified as a 501(c)(3) public charity by the Internal Revenue Service, or organization that operates under the fiscal sponsorship of a 501(c)(3). Proposals must:

  1. Provide a short (2-3 paragraphs) description of your congregation, group or organization and a narrative of the context in which the project, event or initiative will take place. This should clearly show what your program, congregation or group is attempting to address and how the proposal relates to the current priorities of ELCA World Hunger Education and Networking.
  2. Summarize how the project, event or initiative will:
    1. Educate and engage ELCA congregations, groups, and/or synods;
    2. Influence this church body toward better action and engagement against hunger and poverty; and
    3. Encourage sustainable participation in the anti-hunger work of ELCA World Hunger past the conclusion of the project, event or initiative.
  3. Provide a clear “goal statement” that summarizes the direction and focus of the program and defines the scope.
  4. For education proposals, please list the learning objectives and audience for the event, resource or initiative which the grant will support.
  5. List two or three specific, measurable outcomes by which the success of your proposal will be evaluated.
    1. At least one process outcome: What activities will be completed in what specific time period?
    2. At least one impact outcome: What are the expected results – what change, by how much, where and when?
  6. Summarize the implementation strategies and methods and/or sustainability of your plan (identifying additional sources of funding if needed). If the project, event or initiative is an annual or cyclical occurrence, or you have previously applied for an ELCA World Hunger Education and Networking Grant, please include a summary of how you plan to create a self-sustaining program or how the program has grown and changed since the last grant received.
  7. Demonstrate an ELCA connection with one letter of support by an ELCA pastor, bishop, or Lutheran agency/institution that explains how a relationship between the organization and ELCA World Hunger impacts/enhances each other’s work and furthers the objectives and guidelines of ELCA World Hunger.
  8. Include your organization’s name, address, contact person, email, phone number, and tax ID number with your proposal.
  9. The amount of funding you are seeking in a budget for the event, project or initiative using the format below:
Item Amount Explanation
Put the line item label here. Put the line item cost here. Describe how you came to that amount (show your calculations, if relevant). You may also use this section to further explain why you need this cost covered, if you believe that is not clear from the proposal.

 

Proposals will be reviewed throughout the year. All proposals must be received by December 31, 2015 to be considered for funding.

If you have any questions please email hunger@elca.org.

Lutherans and Refugees

 

“As we journey together through the time God has given us, may God give us

the grace of a welcoming heart and an overflowing love for the new neighbors

among us.”  – ELCA, A Social Message on Immigration, 1998.

Aware of the special challenges refugees, migrants, and displaced persons face, ELCA World Hunger has long supported companions and partners that work with people who have been forced to leave their homes for a variety of reasons.  Partners like Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) are critical actors in this work.

Within days after the terrorist attacks in France, governors throughout the United States proclaimed that they would no longer accept Syrian refugees.  As of November 18, 26 governors had issued such statements.  Legally, of course, governors cannot stop refugees, but they can make it very hard on them, by withholding state funds to help them resettle, by refusing to issue state identification, or by increasing the already rigorous screening process for certain refugees or immigrants.  On November 20, the House of Representatives voted to suspend the program allowing Syrian and Iraqi refugees into the United States.

This presents a good occasion for recalling some of the reasons Lutherans support this important work.  The Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) has issued a response to these developments, noting poignantly, “To close the door on resettling Syrian refugees would be nothing less than signing a death warrant for tens of thousands of families fleeing for their very lives.”  But there are other reasons Lutherans continue to accompany immigrants and refugees beyond the dire consequences many of them currently face.  (For some background to a Lutheran view on undocumented immigration, see this earlier post.)

#1 –Remembering who we were

Christian ethics, in general, and Lutheran ethics, in particular, begin with memory.  The Hebrew Scriptures tell a story of our ancient ancestors enslaved in Egypt.  They were strangers in a strange land, but God led them to freedom, and it is this action of God that lays the foundation of their own vocation toward strangers: “You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt” (Deuteronomy 10:19). The special concern for widows, strangers, and orphans in the Hebrew Scriptures is rooted in God’s care of the people when they were helpless and landless.

It isn’t an overstatement to say that, for Lutherans, the whole of the moral life is memory.  From a religious perspective, good works aren’t done out of blind obedience or to earn a spot in Heaven; for Lutherans, good works are done out of gratitude for the grace of God that saved us when we could not save ourselves. They are done in memory of God’s ways of acting toward us.  We were wandering spiritually, and God welcomed us, comforted us, and saved us.

Lutherans, too, can look at more recent history of our own displacement.  After World War II, nearly one in six Lutherans in the world was a refugee or a displaced person.  Some found permanent homes in Europe; others languished in camps.  Thanks to advocacy in part on their behalf, Congress passed the Displaced Persons Act of 1948, which opened the doors to wandering peoples.  Many displaced Lutherans found homes in the United States because this country opened its doors, even accepting those German Lutherans whose country had been at war with the US.  Once here, the National Lutheran Council and other faith-based agencies were critical in helping the refugees resettle.

Spiritually and historically, we are a wandering people whose lives have often depended on the hospitality of others.

#2 – Seeing who we are

As a white, straight, cisgender male, I cannot once recall being asked to speak for all white people, all cisgender men, or all straight people.  But I can recall numerous times when I have heard other people asked to speak for their entire race, their entire ethnic community, or their entire gender.  This is perhaps one of the most complex and pernicious elements of privilege.  My privilege lets me assume I will always be treated as an individual, rather than as merely a representative of an entire group.

As social media exploded with invective calling for the banning of all Syrian refugees because of the nationality of an alleged Paris terrorist, it was no surprise that my suggestion of increasing surveillance of all men went unheeded.  After all, men represent the vast majority of terrorists both foreign and domestic, men are overwhelmingly responsible for mass shootings in the United States, and men are far and away the perpetrators of violence in the home.  If we are serious about protecting communities from violence, perhaps we should start with policies that circumscribe the freedom of men.

Of course, that won’t happen, because men are still privileged the world over, so their gender is not lifted up as problematic in the same way that ethnicity or nationality might be. Those in the center have the privilege of being treated as individuals, while those on the margins are viewed merely as a group.  We saw a similar dynamic at work in regards to anti-Asian racism during World War II.  While German Americans and Italian Americans had numerous exemptions from internment that kept their population in camps very low, Japanese Americans had virtually no exemption from internment and were imprisoned with little question, despite the fact that all three countries of origin were at war with the United States.  Those of European descent were treated as individuals and separately interrogated, whereas those of Japanese descent were treated as a group, with few individual considerations.

For Lutherans, this type of discrimination is not merely problematic; it’s heretical. It is a denial of the foundational belief that humans are created in the image of God.  This doesn’t mean that we naively assume everyone is a good person.  Created in God’s image doesn’t mean “nice.”  It means that each and every human being is a creature with dignity, worthy of our care.  This transcending identity – image of God – is expressed through a variety of penultimate identities – racial, ethnic, sexual, gender, and many more. But our foundational identity as images of God grounds each in dignity. What makes a person worthy of our care, our hospitality, our protection?  Their very creation in the image of God. This is privilege that is universal.

This doesn’t mean we have to like everyone.  Nor does it mean we cannot punish persons when they do wrong. But it does mean we must respect their dignity, and doing so demands that we see what lies beneath their other identities, particularly when they differ from our own.  It means a willingness to hear their story, to let them speak, to see them as more than just a Syrian or just a Muslim or just a Christian. It demands an openness to seeing God through them. “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it” (Hebrews 13:2).

#3 – Becoming whom we are called to be

It is natural to feel afraid after events like those of last week.  But, for Lutherans, fear cannot be what marks our behavior toward neighbors.  Lutherans believe that God has set us free from sin and death so that we can serve the neighbor confidently and boldly.  We have life so that we may serve our neighbors.  Presiding Bishop of the ELCA Elizabeth Eaton puts it well:

Even in the face of evil, we remain confident that the good news of Jesus Christ liberates us and gives us the freedom and courage to discover and boldly participate in what God is up to in this world…We are not naïve about possible new threats of terrorism, but denying refuge to thousands of desperate people is not who we are as Christians, nor will it guarantee our security.

Martin Luther was also clear on what courage in service of the neighbor means.  In 1527, Luther responded to the question of “whether one may flee from a deadly plague.” His response was straightforward:

A man who will not help or support others unless he can do so without affecting his safety or his property will never help his neighbor.

Life together involves calculated risk.  Lutherans are called to live in love of the neighbor, not in fear of the neighbor.  There is no truly “safe” service. Accompanying our neighbors means walking down dark roads, facing with them situations of violence and oppression and taking risks that things will not go as planned.  We do all this in awareness that a life lived in isolation and fear of one another is not a life worth living.

(Of course, it is necessary to point out here the rigorous screening process each refugee must go through before settling in the United States.  The process is lengthy and involves several agencies.  The recent fear of refugees is more reactionary than reasonable.)

So, faithful people will continue to accompany their displaced neighbors.  LIRS and other agencies will continue their important work, and ELCA World Hunger will continue to support it.  But this will get harder as irrational fear continues to snake through our communities.

You can help.  Be an advocate.  At the water cooler, in the classroom, during coffee hour, from the pulpit and around the table, remember who we are and whom we are called to be.  We Lutherans stand in a long line of people whose existence has depended on God continually loving them despite their failings, on a Messiah opening his arms to those who crucified him, and on a government extending welcome to fearful exiles displaced by tyranny.

We are a migrant people, saved by one whose first human experience was escaping violence with his mother and father (Matt. 2:13-15).

 

Ryan P. Cumming, Ph.D. is program director for Hunger Education with ELCA World Hunger.  He can be reached at Ryan.Cumming@ELCA.org.

 

Like ELCA World Hunger on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/ELCAworldhunger/

And follow ELCA World Hunger on Twitter – @ELCAWorldHunger

 

It’s Back to the Future Day!

I wish I could say that all the advice I have received has been profound and meaningful.  But the best advice I received in the late 1980s (indeed, the only advice I can remember from that particular time period) is “hoverboards don’t go on water.”  Needless to say, I have yet to find occasion when that little nugget might be useful.  But there was a time when my hope was built on nothing less than floating over sidewalks, self-lacing sneakers wrapped ’round my feet, while dodging holograms from every sign and marquee.

Still, not everything in Back to the Future II was that far-fetched.  We have Google glass, for instance, and video conferencing, and long-deceased rock stars performing concerts as holograms.  (Thankfully, $50 Pepsi is still a ways off.)

Today, movie lovers across the country will celebrate the trilogy that gave us Doc Brown, flux capacitors and the hope for flying cars.  Much has changed since Marty McFly first climbed inside a Delorean, but much has remained the same.  Here are some quick stats to see how far we’ve come from 1985, when Back to the Future was first released, and how far we still have to go as a nation.

Back to the Future meme

Poverty rate in the United States

1985 — 14%

2015 — 14.8%

Poverty threshold-family of four in the United States (adjusted to 2015 dollars)

1985 — $24,300.91

2015 — $24,250

Federal minimum wage (adjusted to 2015 dollars)

1985 – $7.41

2015 – 7.25

Median household income (adjusted to 2015 dollars):

1985 — $61,332.76

2015 – $53,657

Children’s (under age 18) poverty rate in the US:

1985 — 20.5%

2015 — 22%

Income inequality

1985 – The poorest 20% of all families received 4.8% of total income. The wealthiest 20% received 43.1% of all income.  The top 5% wealthiest Americans received 16.1% of all income

2015 – The poorest 20% of all families received 3.6% of total income last year. The wealthiest 20% received 48.9% of all income.  The top 5% wealthiest Americans received 20.8% of all income

 

*Inflation-adjusted dollars were calculated online through the Bureau of Labor Statistics COPI Inflation Calculator.

*Statistics for 2015 are drawn from the most up-to-date data available, which in many cases reflects 2014 numbers. 

 

Ryan P. Cumming is program director of hunger education for ELCA World Hunger.  He can be reached at Ryan.Cumming@ELCA.org.

 

10 Facts about Global Poverty

Global poverty is an issue that is intimately connected to global hunger. Throughout the world there are 795 million people who go to bed hungry each night, and many of those people are living in extreme poverty – on less than $1.25 a day. From small-farm families to expecting mothers, poverty and hunger are daily issues. In this post, Elyssa Salinas explores 10 facts about poverty and their connection to hunger.

 

1. 795 million people, or 1 in 9, are hungry in the world.

Throughout the world there are millions of people who go to bed hungry or undernourished. The United Nations defines undernourishment as “not able to acquire enough food to meet the daily minimum dietary energy requirements, over a period of one year” and hunger as being chronically undernourished.

 

2. 78 percent of people living in extreme poverty – on less than $1.25 a day – come from rural areas.

Poverty has declined globally, but development has not been even. While some countries in Asia are leading the decline, there are also areas in sub-Saharan Africa where the number of people in extreme poverty is increasing.

3. About 50 percent of people suffering from hunger are from small-farm families.

In small villages or remote areas there are not many opportunities for employment beyond small farming. These populations are vulnerable to crises, including natural disasters, changes in natural resources, and fluctuating harvests.

4. Of the other 50 percent of people suffering from hunger, about 20 percent are landless families that depend on farming; 10 percent are in communities dependent on fishing, herding or forest resources; and the last 20 percent are in urban areas mostly living in shanty towns.

One of the ways to reduce rural poverty has been through economic development that provides a greater job market, but this cannot stand on its own. Sustainable developments happen when social services are also brought in to help facilitate the economic changes that are taking place.

5. The number of people suffering from hunger could be reduced by up to 150 million if women had the same access to resources as men.

Empowering women is a vital part in defeating hunger. When women are educated and given resources, they are able to have greater yields in their harvest leading to greater economic prosperity and less child malnutrition.

6. 17 million children are born underweight due to inadequate nutrition before and during pregnancy.

Tradition and culture sometimes dictate food consumption for women. In some cultures, women eat last after the rest of the family has been fed, and during times of crisis, women generally are the first to sacrifice their food for the well-being of their families.

7. About 50 percent of all pregnant women in developing countries are anemic, which causes about 110,000 deaths during childbirth.

Expecting mothers require an increase in food and sometimes have special dietary needs in order to keep themselves healthy during pregnancy. When women do not have their dietary needs met, the results can be fatal for them and the child.

8. About 146 million children are underweight in developing countries due to acute or chronic hunger.

Many times child hunger is inherited because many expecting mothers do not have adequate nutrition during pregnancy. The effects of acute or chronic hunger can lead to irreversible damage.

9. 2.8 million children die every year from the effects of malnutrition.

Malnutrition is defined as “a condition resulting when a person’s diet does not provide adequate nutrients for growth and maintenance or when a person is not able to adequately utilize the food consumed due to illness.” Children who suffer from malnutrition are often less able-bodied, prone to illness and mentally deficient.

10. Globally, 1 in 4 children are stunted, and in developing countries the proportion rises to 1 in 3.

Stunting is “a gradual and cumulative process during the 1,000 days window from conception through the first two years of a child’s life.” When children are stunted, they have irreversible damage to their physical form, health and cognitive functioning.

Get Ready for Churches’ Week of Action on Food!

ELCA World Hunger

​October 11-18, 2015, churches around the world will join in prayer and action with people facing hunger during theChurches’ Week of Action on Food.  This global event includes World Food Day (October 16) as well as the International Day for Disaster Reduction (October 13), International Day of Rural Women (October 15) and the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (October 17).

This year is the international year of soils, so this Week of Action will be a special opportunity to raise awareness about farming and food production, and to pray for the people who help bring food from the ground to our table.  It is also an important time to raise awareness about our role in caring for God’s creation and each other.

Below is a list of resources you can use with your congregation to be part of this important event.  You can find more resources on the website of the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance.  You can also learn about an important way for your congregation to be involved in strengthening the United States’ support of small farmers, families and people in poverty around the world by visiting ELCA Advocacy.

Keep an eye out for more resources and news from ELCA World Hunger about the Churches’ Week of Action on Food!

Daily Bread: A Discussion Guide for Meal-Packing Events

This new resource from ELCA World Hunger is perfect for congregations and groups planning to do meal packing events.  With fun activities, prayers and stories based on real-life situations, this guide will help your group have deep, meaningful conversations about hunger, service and what it means to be church for the sake of the world.  Daily Bread will help guide your group along the way, from preparing to pack to celebrating and reflecting on the work you have done.  Download it for free at http://download.elca.org/ELCA%20Resource%20Repository/ELCA_DailyBread.pdf?_ga=1.13041399.177232605.1439408545.

2015 Act 2 Day 4 Tomorrow

This adaptable program from ELCA World Hunger is perfect for Lutheran youth interested in learning more about hunger, faith and hope.  It is designed for an overnight, a retreat, or a multi-week session for youth groups of all sizes.  As the group takes part in the spiritual practice of fasting, they will be led through four themed sessions.  Each themed session has three activities for youth group leaders to choose from and can be adapted to fit a variety of schedules and settings.  Download it for free at http://download.elca.org/ELCA%20Resource%20Repository/Act_2Day_4_Tomorrow_2015.pdf?_ga=1.13041399.177232605.1439408545.

Road Map to Food Drives: A By-Youth, For-Youth Guide to Feeding Communities

ELCA World Hunger’s food drive guide can help youth and adults as they exercise servant leadership in their context.  Written by youth with input from service providers, this guide is a step-by-step guide to planning, promoting and coordinating a successful, youth-led food drive for local pantries.  In it, you will find instructions for planning a drive, handouts for youth to lead the drive, information on best practices and much more! Download it for free athttp://download.elca.org/ELCA%20Resource%20Repository/ELCA_FoodDrive_online_version.pdf?_ga=1.13041399.177232605.1439408545.

Do-It-Yourself Walk for Water Experience

At the 2015 ELCA Youth Gathering, thousands of young people participated in ELCA World Hunger’s Walk for Water, an interactive track experience that brought them into the story of a person without access to clean water.  This Walk for Water Do-It-Yourself Guide has everything you need – discussion guides, instructions, posters, and signs – to host your own Walk for Water with your congregation. Download it for free athttp://download.elca.org/ELCA%20Resource%20Repository/ELCAWFWDoItYourself.pdf?_ga=1.125105482.177232605.1439408545.

Rooted in God’s Word and Lands: A Celebration of the Earth That Nourishes Us

This resource from Creation Justice Ministries encourages Christians to treat land as the special gift that it is.  It has ideas for sermons, Sunday School activities, and adult study and contemplation exercises. Download it for free athttps://salsa4.salsalabs.com/o/50750/images/rootedinland.pdf?key=62473672.

Sustainable Food in a Changing Climate

This 2015 resource from Creation Justice Ministries offers prayers and liturgies for worship, ideas for educational programs, and suggestions for personal food choices that raise awareness about and encourage action toward sustainable choices about the foods we eat.  Download it for free at https://salsa4.salsalabs.com/o/50750/images/Earth%20Day%202015.pdf?key=62473672.

Just Climate: Study Guide for Adult Christian Education

Creation Justice Ministries’ popular 2008 resource is as relevant today as it was when it was first released.  This three-session study guide is perfect for audiences new to studying climate change.  It has discussion and reflection questions, a leader’s guide to the issues, and fact sheets on several countries to help your group see the concrete effects of climate change around the world and in the United States. Download it for free athttps://salsa4.salsalabs.com/o/50750/images/Just%20Climat%202008.pdf?key=62473672.

Care of Creation Lectionary Reflections

Lutherans Restoring Creation offers an online archive of commentaries on the Revised Common Lectionary that is perfect for developing a sermon, a children’s sermon, or an educational forum.  The archive can be found athttp://www.lutheransrestoringcreation.org/Home/care-of-creation-sermon-reflections-by-dr-dennis-ormseth.

Hunger and Climate Change Connections Toolkit

ELCA World Hunger’s toolkits are easy-to-use, adaptable for a variety of settings and suitable for intergenerational audiences.  The activities can take as little as 15 minutes, or as much as one hour, depending on your needs.  Learn about climate-related disasters, the effects of climate change on vulnerable populations and actions your congregation can take.  Download this toolkit at http://download.elca.org/ELCA%20Resource%20Repository/Climarte_Change.pdf?_ga=1.23057915.177232605.1439408545

Hunger and Climate Change: Agriculture and Food Security in a Changing Climate

From biofuels to gender justice, from political stability to farming in the United States, this fact sheet from the ELCA highlights the wide-ranging effects of climate change.  With ideas for what your congregation can do to support farmers and others impacted by climate change, this fact sheet is perfect for Lutherans concerned about agriculture and hunger.  Download it athttp://download.elca.org/ELCA%20Resource%20Repository/Agriculture_And_Food_Security_In_A_Changing_Climate.pdf?_ga=1.48224999.177232605.1439408545

Caring for Creation: Vision, Hope and Justice

The ELCA’s social statement on care for creation, adopted in 1993, remains an important reflection on our role as stewards in God’s world.  Read it here: http://download.elca.org/ELCA%20Resource%20Repository/EnvironmentSS.pdf?_ga=1.87350616.177232605.1439408545.

ELCA World Hunger Blog

ELCA World Hunger is a primary supporter of ministries that help local communities adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change, from using drought-resistant crops to learning about more efficient soil management.  Follow stories about programs your church supports, reflections on God’s Word and our Lutheran tradition, and updates on the latest hunger research by signing up for the blog.  Visit www.elca.org/blogs/worldhunger to learn more.

Dig It! The Secrets of Soil

The theme for this year’s Churches’ Week of Action on Food is soil.  The Smithsonian Museum of Natural History has a great website with activities for adults and children to learn more about this precious resource.  Start digging athttp://forces.si.edu/soils/!

The Dirt on Soil: What’s Really Going on Under the Ground

In keeping with the theme for this year’s Churches’ Week of Action on Food, Discovery Education’s interactive online adventure is a fun way to learn more about the ground beneath our feet.  Explore the layers of soil, read field guides or micro-size yourself for an exciting adventure!  Get started at http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schooladventures/soil/.

Land Governance

Who owns the land is an important question when thinking about food production.  Food and Business Knowledge Platform has an extensive website, with lots of information and easy-to-use fact sheets on land governance that can help you learn more about this important issue.  Visit http://knowledge4food.net/theme/land-governance/ to get started.

Hunger and Higher Education: The Campus Kitchens Project

Elyssa J. Salinas

​August 27, 2015

Last night I went to the grocery store near closing, and I noticed how much food was still out in the produce section. There was an abundance of avocados, a plethora of pears and a bounty of bananas. There was no way that this would sell out by closing, so I wondered, what will happen to this food?

When we throw out our garbage, how much is food waste? We throw away leftovers, excess food that goes bad and remnants from our cooking. In larger settings like restaurants and schools, much of the food prepared for large groups may go unused. Food waste is astronomical in the United States, but how does that compare to the multitudes of people who go hungry every day? The Campus Kitchens Project, based in Washington, D.C., is working to raise awareness about food waste and hunger and to help college and university students do something about both.

ckp.jpg

The project makes use of the leftover, quality food from schools and grocery stores that would otherwise be wasted and uses it for meals in the community. Students run Campus Kitchens at their university or college and are able to have hands-on experience in running a non-profit initiative while working with partners in their local communities. There are currently 45 schools that are part of this initiative, which spans the country from coast to coast. The project’s mission is to strengthen bodies, empower minds and build communities through empowering and educating students about what they can do to combat food insecurity in this country.

Every Campus Kitchen has the same general model to combat food insecurity in its community. Waste is curbed with food recovery that takes uneaten, quality food from places like campus dining services or local grocery stores. There is meal preparation, which trains volunteers to use the donations to create balanced and healthy meals. Meals are delivered to organizations or families in the area where the students make connections with the recipients. These connections enable the students to get a better understanding of the issue of hunger through relationships and conversations. These Campus Kitchens also provide education and empowerment to families in the community, including culinary training with unemployed adults and children’s programs on nutrition.

Through an Education and Networking Grant, ELCA World Hunger has helped support The Campus Kitchens Project’s work to promote opportunity and raise awareness about food insecurity.  ELCA World Hunger and the project agree that hunger cannot be solved by food alone. Education, advocacy and, especially, building relationships within communities are key parts in stopping hunger for good. At Campus Kitchens, as at many ELCA World Hunger-supported ministry sites, food is an entry point for a deeper, long-lasting relationship with neighbors.

To learn more about The Campus Kitchens Project please visit http://www.campuskitchens.org/start-a-kitchen/ or email Matt Schnarr, the Expansion and Partnerships Manager at mschnarr@campuskitchens.org.

To learn more about ELCA World Hunger Education and Networking grants, visit http://elca.org/News-and-Events/blogs/ELCAWorldHunger/646.

Elyssa Salinas is program assistant for hunger education with ELCA World Hunger.  Please direct comments or questions to Hunger@ELCA.org.

Cleaner Cooking in Bangladesh

Ryan P. Cumming

August 20, 2015

Ramoni Rani and her husband, Nor Uttam Hawlader, live in the village of Rajakhali in Bangladesh with their two sons. Like many Bangladeshi farmers, Ramoni and Nor use wood-burning stoves to cook food in their homes. The cost for fuel for the stoves can be very high for families with limited incomes, around 4,000-4,500 takas (about $50-57 per month). Wood-burning cookstoves also produce a lot of smoke, a key culprit in many health problems. In fact, a 2009 profile of Bangladesh from the World Health Organization found that indoor air pollution contributes to nearly 50,000 deaths every year. Ramoni, Nor and their children suffered from respiratory illnesses and eye problems because of the smoke in their homes.

Case Story on Improved Stove

Because of problems related to health, the cost of fuel and the risk of indoor fires, the Bangladesh Science and Industry Research Council developed an improved cookstove called “bondhu chula.” Yet, a Yale University study published in 2009 found that many Bangladeshis are reluctant to use improved cookstoves for a variety of reasons. Some of the Bangladeshis they surveyed didn’t know how to use the new stoves. Many had never even seen an improved cookstove. Nearly all worried about the cost.

Addressing some of these difficulties, Lutheran Health Care Bangladesh, supported in part by ELCA World Hunger, introduced bondhu chula stoves to 256 women, with significant, far-reaching goals:

  • reduce cost of fuel for cooking;
  • reduce the rate of respiratory infections and eye problems;
  • reduce the time women spent cooking;
  • reduce the number of trees cut down for cooking fuel; and
  • reduce carbon emissions from stoves.

By giving women in the Dumki Upazilla region of Bangladesh the improved cookstoves and offering training in using them, Lutheran Health Care Bangladesh helped many women provide a safer, cleaner and more affordable way to cook for their families. Ramoni and Nor, who participated in the program, found that the new stoves cut their costs and the time they spent cooking in half. Now the health problems they and their sons had are all but gone, and Ramoni and Nor can spend the extra money on taking care of their children.

The use of more efficient cookstoves is also a step toward better care of creation in Bangladesh.  According to a 2009 report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, nearly 2,000 hectares of forest are lost in the country every year. This results in a “serious imbalance in the environment of Bangladesh,” according to representatives of Lutheran Health Care Bangladesh. This makes the increased use of improved cookstoves – and the country’s growing emphasis on planting trees – even more important.

By providing clean, efficient cookstoves to Ramoni, Nor and more than 250 other people, Lutheran Health Care Bangladesh is meeting the significant goals of its program. Slowing the deforestation of rural Bangladesh, improving the air quality in homes, and freeing time and money for other activities are made possible in part because of gifts to ELCA World Hunger. This sustainable solution to deforestation, indoor air pollution, and high costs for fuel is an innovative way Lutheran Health Care Bangladesh is making an impact, while demonstrating how care of creation can make good economic sense for families.

Ryan P. Cumming, Ph.D., is program director for hunger education with ELCA World Hunger.  He can be reached at Ryan.Cumming@ELCA.org.

Hunger and Higher Education

Elyssa Salinas

I never thought that I would use a food pantry, but my first year in seminary changed that. I came to campus with barely enough money for a few school supplies and a meager pantry. It was embarrassing and I honestly thought I was the only one who needed help. My family was unable to help and I was anxious how I would survive the school year. On the day of orientation there was a bunch of announcements, but one in particular gave me a sense of belonging. There was an announcement about a food pantry on campus, where everyone was welcome. At first I was embarrassed as I walked toward the empty gym, but then I saw my classmates smiling and asking if I had enough for the week. There was no shame or stigma, just the honesty of our situation as students.

In recent years, college and graduate students are becoming the new face of food insecurity in the United States. The stigma usually associated with food and higher education is the weight gain associated with the glibly titled “freshman fifteen” (a fact in my experience), but now students have a different worry: how am I going to pay for food this week?

A study done at Western Oregon University found that 59% of students were categorized as food insecure. Food insecurity is defined by the United States Department of Agriculture as, “limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods or limited or uncertain ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways.” There could be many reasons for students to be vulnerable to food insecurity for instance, rising tuition costs, not qualifying for food stamps, cost of living, or the shifting demographic of students that come from low income groups or are first generation children of immigrants.  The 2008 recession was also a significant factor for many students.

The consequences for students facing food insecurity are steep. They include links to depression and lower academic performance, because how can you focus on a test when you are unsure of where your next meal is coming from?

Many campuses have started to respond to this reality through relief programs. According to a report in the Los Angeles Times, there were nearly 200 food pantries or banks for students across the country by August 2015.  Yet there is also a great deal of stigma surrounding hunger, so students are hesitant to talk about it. Although I had a great deal of support from my school and I confided in close family, this is the first time I am publically acknowledging my food insecurity.  Aware of this, some campuses have developed new models of pantries to alleviate stigma.  There are also programs that allow students to donate unused “swipes” of their meal cards to fellow students or other members of the community.

In a parable from Matthew 25, Jesus reminds us that when we feed one another, we are also feeding him. “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me” (Matt. 25:40b). When I was given that first handful of food from one of my peers, I was overjoyed that I would be fed and I was comforted that my community was helping to feed me.

To learn more about starting a campus food pantry, see this handy guide from the Oregon Food Bank.

To learn more about swipe programs, see Swipe Out Hunger.

Look for a post on our blog next week about the Campus Kitchens Project, a partner of ELCA World Hunger!

Elyssa Salinas is the program assistant for hunger education with ELCA World Hunger.  She can be reached at Hunger@ELCA.org.

Hungry. And surrounded by food

Jenny Sharrick

August 3, 2015

I have a very complex relationship with food. I absolutely love it. My favorite food changes almost daily because there are so many incredible ones from which to choose. So many flavors to experience within a short life. But often food does not love me. Or perhaps, a better way to explain it is that my body does not love food. You see, I have an intestinal disorder called Crohn’s disease. It means that portions of my 22 feet of small intestines can become ulcerated (like a bunch of open sores, but on the inside) and inflamed. Crohn’s disease, along with ulcerative colitis, is part of a group of diseases known as Inflammatory Bowel Disorders (IBD), which affect 1.6 million Americans.1

Personally, I don’t like to draw attention to my illness and generally I give a non-committal non-answer when people ask how it affects me: “I have good days and bad days; but I’m always hopeful for more good than bad.” It’s hard to talk about an illness that is invisible to everyone else. It’s even harder to talk about an illness when it presents with the symptoms of Crohn’s. And sometimes, I would just rather pretend that my body is healthy and that nothing is wrong. But the reality is that it always affects my body and sometimes it means I’m in excruciating pain when I eat.

But the worst part of all is not the lack of food. It’s the lack of fellowship. We encounter Christ at The Table. And we encounter Christ around our tables at home with friends, family, and new acquaintances. When we want to “catch up” with others, the first instinct is to grab lunch, ice cream or go for coffee. Without the ability to eat, it becomes nearly impossible for fellowship, communion, and emotional support.

Crohn’s can be so isolating. I can find ways to sneak in enough calories to survive until tomorrow with easily digested foods such as pureed baby food or nutritional shakes, but it’s harder to find ways to sneak in authentic time and experiences with friends that don’t end up exhausting me further. It’s hard to find those moments to say “I really need to be in fellowship with you, but I can’t continue to pretend like going out for Indian food isn’t the worst idea I’ve had all week. Can we just sit here on my couch and chat without any refreshments?”

I spend a lot of my life thinking about various aspects food. My favorite de-stressing activity is to bake any and all desserts (I’d be lying if I didn’t say I also love eating desserts, too!). I’m always in search of a good recipe on Pinterest. I am on my synod’s “(anti-) hunger team” within the ELCA. My congregation is involved in anti-hunger ministries including a food pantry and a food co-op. My research focus for my Masters in Public Health (MPH) is rural food insecurity. I even come from a long line of food-growers. Some day I will inherit one and a half farms in Nebraska (although truthfully I know very little about the actual process of growing food other than what I’ve gleaned from my unsuccessful ventures in gardening and what I’ve heard about the process of farming around the dinner table growing up). The thing I’m most looking forward to when I return home to Nebraska is my weekly bag of vegetables, fruits, cheeses, eggs, honey and freshly baked bread from local farmers and producers.

Even after all that thinking and reflecting on different aspects of food, I still struggle daily with what it means to come to the T(t)able and not be able to eat, regardless of the reason.

Food is everywhere. It’s engrained in my life and also in yours. It’s in the news (the newest fad diets, research about what we should or should not eat, advertising campaigns about food), and it’s in our homes and most places we visit. It makes sense. Food is literally life-sustaining. But now, more than ever, I can recognize how much fear and anxiety food can cause for people.

I have never been without access to enough food. I’ve been lucky enough to be food secure my whole life. I’ve always known that I can find food. But I can resonate with the 49 million people in the United States who are food insecure.2 Even more so with those who are food insecure and have IBD, an eating disorder or a food allergy.

I am often also hungry for the communion with others that comes from breaking bread, salad and casserole around the table.

Sometimes “feeding the hungry” also includes those of us who would give anything to be seated with you, but can’t. Can’t because of allergies. Can’t because our psychological relationship with food is disordered, for example, by anorexia, bulimia, or other eating disorders. Or can’t because of tiny pockets of inflammation that we don’t like talking about.

We are often surrounded by a sea of food but still drowning in our inability to eat any of it.

Jenny Sharrick is the 2015 summer intern with Constituent Engagement with ELCA World Hunger.

 

1 http://online.ccfa.org/site/PageServer?pagename=TS_homepage

2http://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/our-research/map-the-meal-gap/child-food-insecurity-executive-summary.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/