Feed the Starving Children

In many ways, America is the land of plenty. But for 1 in 8 Americans, hunger is a reality. Many people believe that the problems associated with hunger are confined to small pockets of society, certain areas of the country, or certain neighborhoods, but the reality is much different.

Right now, millions of Americans are struggling with hunger. We all know and are in contact with people affected by hunger, even though we might not be aware of it.

These are often hard-working adults, children and seniors who simply cannot make ends meet and are forced to go without food for several meals, or even days. Most of us simply have no idea. It’s time to educate ourselves about America’s hunger problem.

Illinois Statistics:

 http://feedingamerica.org/faces-of-hunger/hunger-map.aspx

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service (USDA) reported today that 49 million Americans, including nearly 17 million children, are food insecure. The 2009 report on Household Food Insecurity in the United States paints an alarming picture of the pervasiveness of hunger in our nation. 

This is an increase of 36 percent over the numbers released one year by the USDA, which found that 36.2 million American were at risk of hunger.“It is tragic that so many people in this nation of plenty don’t have access to adequate amounts of nutritious food,” said Vicki Escarra, president and CEO of Feeding America.  “Although these new numbers are staggering, it should be noted that these numbers reflect the state of the nation one year ago, in 2008.  Since then, the economy has significantly weakened, and there are likely many more people struggling with hunger than this report states.

The new data reinforces recent findings from a research study conducted by Feeding America, the nation’s leading hunger-relief organization, reflecting a dramatic increase in requests for emergency food assistance from food banks across the country. 

Conducted in September, the Feeding America study shows that its network food banks experienced an average increase in need of nearly 30 percent this year.  While the numbers vary geographically, some food banks are reporting increases of more than 50 percent in requests for emergency food assistance over a year prior. 

 “National socio-economic indicators, including the escalating unemployment rate and the number of working-poor, lead us to believe that the number of people facing hunger will continue to rise significantly over the coming year,” added Escarra.  “Research on previous economic recessions indicates that people who fall into the grips of poverty in a time of recession do not recover financially.  Many of those people are likely to be in need of our services now or in the future. 

“Feeding America’s 200 food banks continue to work on the front lines feeding more than 25 million people each year, through our country’s food pantries, soup kitchens, and emergency feeding centers – more than 63,000 agencies in total,” said Escarra.  “These establishments, many of which are grass root and faith based centers operated solely by volunteers, serve as an oasis for the more than 4 million people who seek relief weekly to help feed themselves and their families.  Emergency food assistance is a critical link in the nation’s response chain to help people through times of crisis.”

 Escarra observes, “Our network food banks are calling us every day, telling us that demand for emergency food is higher than it has ever been in our history.  Feeding America will continue to work closely with our partners at USDA to ensure that the public and charitable sectors are keeping pace – as best we can – with the dramatically increasing needs for food assistance.”

http://feedingamerica.org/newsroom/press-release-archive/49-million-at-risk.aspx

About Feeding America

Feeding America provides low-income individuals and families with the fuel to survive and even thrive. As the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity, our network members supply food to more than 25 million Americans each year, including 9 million children and 3 million seniors. Serving the entire United States, more than 200 member food banks support 63,000 agencies that address hunger in all of its forms. For more information on how you can fight hunger in your community and across the country, visit http://www.feedingamerica.org. Find us on Facebook at facebook.com/FeedingAmerica or follow our news on Twitter at twitter.com/FeedingAmerica. 

http://feedingamerica.org/newsroom/press-release-archive/49-million-at-risk.aspx

On Friday, some shelves at Kumler Outreach Ministries’ food pantry on Springfield’s north end were empty. 

There was no canned fruit, spaghetti noodles, chili, or pork and beans. There were four jars of peanut butter, some jelly, several bags of corn flakes and Ramen noodles, loaves of bread and a few heads of cabbage, as well as some other supplies. The freezer was stocked with bags of frozen corn, individually wrapped tilapia filets and other foods.

Tight food supplies have become the rule, not the exception, all around central Illinois. Food-pantry coordinators say they are seeing more new faces in a tough economy and are concerned about their ability to help.

The Central Illinois Food Bank has several tips for hosting a successful food drive to help stock your local food pantry.

• Select a leadership committee to plan strategy and food drive theme.
• Determine a start date and length of time for the drive.
• Set a goal by determining how many pounds or dollars you want to collect.
• Contact the food pantry to find out what they need the most.
• Get the word out to your coworkers or organization members about the food drive.
• Create competitions, offer incentives and be creative.
• Arrange a time to drop off the donations.

“I would advise families or a group to do things like this. It’s just really eye opening for the kids. I think every child needs to experience somebody else’s life for a bit, especially somebody less fortunate,” Wolters said.

Looking for a food pantry to help?

Using information from the Central Illinois Food Bank, we’ve compiled a list of area food pantries arranged by county in the newspaper’s circulation area. See the list at http://extras.sj-r.com/r/foodpantrylist.

- Read full article at http://www.sj-r.com/homepage/x884486995/Empty-spots-on-food-pantry-shelves-sign-of-increasing-demand

Common Food Pantry Needs:

The familiar red kettles are the heart of The Salvation Army’s fundraising efforts. Money raised during the Tree of Lights campaign makes up more than half the organization’s annual budget.

The effort includes a food drive in conjunction with County Markets, a coat drive and collection kettles at more than 30 locations throughout the Springfield area.

Major Barbara Logan said requests for food assistance continue to hit record numbers.

“We are offering on average 250 food boxes out every week,” she said. “That equates to about $2,900 in groceries each week.”

Click here to read the complete article

- Info taken from the State Journal Register

Below is a challage that was given by my church. I challange all readers to give this a try…

WHATT DO YOU EAT AND DRINK EACH DAY?

• 16,000 children a day die because they don’t have enough food to eat.
  That’s more children than attend Springfield Public Schools (pre K- grade 12).
• Every night, 799 million people go to sleep hungry.
  Every day, Americans spend 1 billion dollars eating out.
• Every 3 seconds, a child dies from conditions related to extreme poverty.
  3 seconds is about the amount of time it took you to read this sentence.
• 6 miles is the distance that many African women walk each day to obtain clean drinking water.
  6 miles is the distance that the average American walks in one month.
• 10 billion dollars is the amount needed to dig 500,000 deep, fresh water wells in Africa.
  That’s the same amount that Americans will spend this year on bottled water.
• More than 20 million African children will be orphaned by the year 2010 due to poverty and AIDS.
  20 million is the number of teenagers in the United States.

We have been generously blessed. Even those of us who live paycheck to paycheck in the U.S. have far more than people living in third world countries. It’s within our generation’s grip to end the kind of poverty where children die of hunger in a world of plenty. We have the resources. But do we have the will to change a child’s life? 

Rice-Meal Challenge

1. Purchase one bag of rice for the whole family
2. Prepare the bag of rice and a pitcher of water for your evening meal. The challenge is to only eat rice and drink water during the meal as a practical way to remember the millions of people around the world who would consider themselves fortunate to have a bag of rice and clean water for dinner. If you choose to prepare additional items for the meal or enjoy a beverage other than water, remind those sitting around your table that most people living in third world countries don’t have that luxury.
3. Participate in the meal with your family, with your roommate or with friends. Consider inviting other individuals over for dinner and participate in the experience together. This will spark more meaningful conversation.
4. During your meal, discuss poverty in Africa and how God might be calling you and/or your family to partner with Him to make a difference in the life of child or student from Kenya. 

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. Read the statistics above. Which statistic concerns you the most and why?

2. Go around the table and name 3 things that you are thankful for.

3. Name one luxury that you and/or your family might be willing to give up in order to provide food, health care, education and a church experience for a child in Africa.

Conclude the meal by praying for the following: 

• Christian missionaries and groups working in Africa to feed those who are physically and spiritually hungry.
• Consider getting involved consider sponsoring a child or student Nairobi, Kenya
• That God would continue to work in your heart and that you would be continuously grateful for what He’s provided for you and respond accordingly.

“I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these… you did for me.” -Jesus (Matthew 25: 40)

Sponsor a child through Hope Partnership

Information provided from: West Side Christian Church  Springfield, IL

Statistics show that this year the number of chronically hungry people will reach 1 billion and at the same time the number of internet users will also reach 1 billion. The thought of that many hungry people breaks my heart. But with that many people being connected online, there is hope that we can raise awareness and take action to fight world hunger. 

I am hoping that through Twitter, Facebook, and other social networking I can make a difference. God calls us to feed those who are hungry: If there is a poor man among you, one of your brothers, in any of the towns of the land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart, nor close your hand to your poor brother; but you shall freely open your hand to him, and generously lend him sufficient for his need in whatever he lacks – Deut. 15:7 

There are a few ideas that I am currently working on, but welcome any ideas. Thank you for your love, generosity, and support.  

God Bless