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Just over two years ago, after decades of working, Susan became disabled. \u201cI was newly poor and relatively terrified,\u201d she wrote. \u201cWith literally everything stripped from the budget except a roof over our heads and very modest transportation, the monthly budget showed a balance of negative $5. The meaning of food insecurity became abundantly clear.\u201d<\/p>\n
Late in life, Susan had adopted three boys. Her circumstances made her worry nonstop about their futures and how she would keep the promises she had made to them.<\/p>\n
The psalm for this week in Lent opens with a similar worry and prayer. \u201cI lift up my eyes to the hills,\u201d writes the psalmist. \u201cFrom where will my help come?\u201d (verse 1).<\/p>\n
One of the more frustrating responses people offer to stories of food insecurity in the United States is that one can easily figure out where to go during hard times. No matter how often the stories are shared, no matter how persistent rates of food insecurity are, one still hears:<\/p>\n
\u201cCan\u2019t you just get welfare?\u201d (No \u2014 it doesn\u2019t exist in the ways you think it does and hasn\u2019t since the mid-1990s.)<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can get food stamps, can\u2019t you?\u201d (Sure, but these average only $175 a month and for certain age groups are available for only three months.)<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, the reality for many food-insecure families and individuals in the U.S. is that public programs are often difficult to access, and many people lack social support systems that can help them when something goes wrong. Even if programs and support systems are available and accessible, being food insecure or living in poverty carry stigmas, much like the ones we discussed in the last session of this study. This can make it hard to know where to turn and to find the confidence necessary to make that turn once we arrive at it.<\/p>\n
For Susan, coming from a middle-class background meant having to face the stigma of food insecurity head-on. She remembers watching a food distribution at the West View Hub (\u201cthe Hub\u201d), a community center serving neighbors in Pittsburgh. \u201cI still had the haughty air of someone who recently belonged to the middle class, so rather than inquire, I watched.\u201d After some time, a person from the Hub started to talk with her. The Hub was distributing milk and eggs, and there was a long line of clients. Susan had planned to observe only, but a volunteer invited her to find a place in the line, and she went home with food and money to spare for the week. For her, the change was immediate. \u201cAll of a sudden I went from negative $5 to plus $45 for the month,\u201d she wrote. \u201cI could breathe.\u201d<\/p>\n
The food pantry is just one part of the Hub, which is supported by an ELCA World Hunger grant through Berkeley Hills Lutheran Church, an early partner in the work. In addition to food, the Hub provides a local library, internet access and other support the community needs. More importantly, the Hub fosters new relationships among neighbors. \u201cThe food pantry [was] just the beginning,\u201d explained Susan. \u201cWe found a home there. We found family there.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Through ELCA World Hunger, our church is committed to supporting transformative, integrated and holistic ministries that address 10 the root causes of hunger. To put it more simply, these ministries break down barriers within communities and work with other partners to address the multiple needs people face. If we are serious about our church ending hunger, each of these steps will be important, yet we also need to remember that the most important ministry is being present.<\/p>\n
God\u2019s invitation for us to build a just world where all are fed comes out of our own experience as people saved by grace. As told in Holy Scripture, the entire history of the people of God is the story of God being present with the people, especially when they felt alone. Look at Psalm 121:1-4:<\/p>\n
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