378 posts categorized "U.S. Hunger"

Tara Marks, a Bread activist from Pittsburgh, once used WIC and SNAP benefits. She is currently in law school and gave testimony to the Senate Budget Committee on Feb. 13, 2013. (Laura Elizabeth Pohl/Bread for the World)

By Robin Stephenson

Today, Tara Marks is in law school—and yesterday she told members of the Senate Budget Committee that her journey from poverty to an advanced degree program was possible thanks to WIC and other similar federal programs.

Many of you remember Tara as the face of the 2012 Offering of Letters video "A Hunger for Advocacy." Her story of poverty so extreme that she skipped meals to provide enough for her son is an inspiration for many advocates at Bread for the World. Pell grants, WIC, and SNAP were the stepping stones that helped Tara escape poverty.

Senate Budget Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray (D-Wash.) invited Tara to give testimony. Sen. Murray has said that budgets "...are about the families across America whose lives will be impacted by the decisions we make. They are about their jobs, their children, and their future, and we owe it to them to make sure they have a voice in this process—and that their values and perspectives are heard.”

Tara’s journey plainly shows that budget discussions are about more than numbers—fiscal decisions have real consequences.

For Tara, a budget that funded domestic nutrition programs created a path out of hunger and poverty for her and her son, Nathan. During her testimony, Tara noted that when she was hungry, abundance surrounded her. “This was not a question of availability of food, but a question of affording it. I did not live in a food desert; I lived in a food mirage. I had many grocery stores around me, but I could not afford to go in and shop.”

She passed out from hunger before finally applying for SNAP (formerly food stamps), which gave her access to adequate food.  Food assistance alone did not help Tara move up the ladder of prosperity, but it gave her the stability to get the education that did.

Stories like Tara's and Nathan's not only humanize hunger and poverty, but serve to remind our members of Congress that decisions made today will affect lives tomorrow.  When Murray asked Tara where she thought she would be today were it not for those federal programs, she replied, “I would still be in poverty.”

In a continued effort to give families across the country a place at the budget negotiation table, Murray offers an online platform that allows members of the public to share their stories and ideas. Add your voice to the existing 2,000 submissions.

Today, one of the programs that provided critical assistance to Tara and Nathan—WIC—is in danger.  If the automatic spending cuts known as the sequester are allowed to go forward in the next couple of days, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that roughly 600,000 infants, children, and expectant moms will be without this vital assistance.  Their futures may well depend on your hunger for advocacy.  Call your member of Congress at 1-800-826-3688 and tell them that cutting programs that effectively combat hunger and poverty will not solve our country’s fiscal problems.

Robin Stephenson is national social media lead and senior regional organizer, western hub, at Bread for the World.

Jane Sebbi, carries matoke scraps to feed her pigs in Kamuli, Uganda. In addition to animal husbandry, Sebbi grows corn, bananas, coffee, amaranth, potatoes, soy beans, common beans and sweet potatoes. (Laura Elizabeth Pohl/Bread for the World)

By Robin Stephenson

How much do you know about hunger and poverty? Test your knowledge by taking this short quiz. We hope these questions—which cover great milestones in the fight against hunger and also statistics that remind us of the work still to be done—will encourage you to join us in asking the president to make ending hunger a priority. 

Tonight, President Barack Obama will  speak to Congress, and the nation, in his State of the Union address.  We're hoping he will use the opportunity to talk about ending hunger in the United States and abroad.

So, once you've taken the quiz, take a few seconds to sign this petition asking President Obama to set a goal and work with Congress to end hunger. Pass this quiz around—through email, Twitter, and/or Facebook—and help spread the word about the seriousness of hunger and what can be done to end it in our time.

Barbie Izquierdo and her children are profiled in the new movie, A Place at the Table. To see a preview of the movie and learn more about "A Place at the Table: Bread for the World's 2013 Offering of Letters," visit www.bread.org/ol.

On March 1, 2013, Bread for the World will be involved in setting places at two tables.

One is "A Place at the Table: Bread for the World’s 2013 Offering of Letters."

The other is a new feature-length documentary, A Place at the Table, which shows the persistence of hunger in the United States.

Together, the two "Tables" represent a united effort to end hunger by raising awareness and advocating for policy changes. By coordinating our Offering and Letters with the social action campaign of the movie, Bread for the World will be promoting a national dialogue about how to best secure the leadership, commitment, and unity to end hunger in our country and abroad.

Bread for the World's 2013 Offering of Letters is the most sophisticated campaign we have ever conducted, focusing on both the White House and Congress.

For the first time, we are seeking greater leadership from the White House. We want President Barack Obama to set a goal and work with Congress on a plan to end hunger at home and abroad. Beside regular communication with White House officials, we are asking our members to petition the president. We hope to generate at least 100,000 signatures.

As in past Offerings of Letters, we will continue to focus on policy makers in Congress. Domestic and international programs that help hungry and poor people continue to be threatened by budget cuts. Through handwritten letters, personal email messages, in-person visits, and phone calls, we will be asking our legislators to protect funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps); the Special Supplemental Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC); and poverty-focused development assistance (PFDA).

We are also asking legislators to support a national commitment to reduce hunger through the tax code. We want Congress to preserve the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Child Tax Credit (CTC) while raising revenue to support anti-hunger programs.

Finally, we are asking Congress to work with the president on a plan to end hunger.

"The reality is that in order to break free from the bondage [of poverty] in this country and the world, we need elected officials to make good on their words and put love thy neighbor at the center of our legislative agenda," said seminary student and Hunger Justice Leader Derick Dailey in response to the two-pronged Offering of Letters.

This reality will be apparent to many people around the country after they watch the new documentary, A Place at the Table. When film directors Kristi Jacobson and Lori Silverbush approached Bread for the World board member Terry Meehan, seeking support for the film, the rest of the board quickly decided that this was an opportunity to speed up change.

The filmmakers were inspired by the public reaction that was generated by the 1968 CBS Special, Hunger in America. In response to that television program, Congress passed bipartisan laws that all but eradicated U.S. hunger in the 1970s. "We figured that if it worked once, maybe it could work again," said Jacobson.

National distribution of A Place at the Table became possible when Participant Media came on board to finance the film, followed by Magnolia Pictures as the distributor. It will open in theaters throughout the country on March 1 and will be available on-demand (through iTunes, Amazon.com, and other outlets).

We urge all Bread members to see this film. We have resources to help you study the issues raised in the film, as well as materials to distribute at screenings. You can preorder them from Bread's online store or by calling 800-822-7323.

Bread’s association with Participant Media does not end when the film hits the theaters. We are also partners in the social campaign accompanying the film. Through A Place at the Table’s social action campaign, Bread members will have more avenues for action—at both the national and local levels. Bread for the World and Participant Media will regularly ask our advocates to take various actions throughout this campaign. To join the campaign, text FOOD to 77177.

"Jesus tells us to give them something to eat, and the film shows that our churches do a good job of providing food through food pantries and soup kitchens," said Rev. David Beckmann. "It also shows that this will never be enough. We need to demand that our government get serious about ending hunger."

[This piece originally appeared in the February edition of Bread's e-newsletter.]

By Robin Stephenson 

If you’re an advocate who has worked with Bread for the World for a while, you’ve probably heard your regional organizer talk about congressional committees. Organizers stress the importance of knowing the committee assignments of your members of Congress, and the relevance those assignments hold for our campaign issues. If you’re new to advocacy, you may wonder why it matters.

During a new congressional term, each political party assigns its members to positions on committees. Committees are where the bulk of the work in shaping legislation happens. They allow members to focus on specific issues—often something relevant to an industry in a member’s home district or state. Once a member has received a committee assignment, he or she will often hire or appoint staff with specialized knowledge in that area to advise them. And not all committee seats are created equal: committee chairs and ranking members (usually the longest-serving minority party members) hold important leadership positions.  

If your member’s voice is more influential on a particular issue because of a committee assignment, that means your voice has more influence on the outcome of a bill. If the bill affects hungry and poor people, we need your voice to be as loud as possible and we will ask you to use it often.

A good example from my region is that of Senator Max Baucus (D-Mont.), who is the chair of the Senate finance committee. His committee has jurisdiction over tax increases and entitlement reforms (its counterpart committee in the  House is called ways and means). As budget negotiations heat up, the future of anti-hunger programs will depend on increased revenues, and the best way for legislators to increase revenue is through tax reform.

Congress can’t rely solely on spending cuts if it wants to balance the budget without increasing poverty. We want to encourage Baucus and his committee to draft legislation that makes refundable tax credits, such as the EITC, permanent. These credits are critical to low-income working families. In order to achieve this, not only will Baucus need to support revenue increases, he will need to convince the ranking member of the committee, Senator Orin Hatch (R-Utah), that they must do so together, as part of a bipartisan effort.

During these highly politicized budget negotiations, doing the best thing for hungry and poor people isn’t always easy. But even if it is difficult, we need our members of Congress to make the right decisions. They need to know that a balanced budget should not increase poverty, but set a framework for a future in which we can continue the work of ending hunger and increasing prosperity. And the people who can deliver that message are their voters.

Anti-hunger advocates in Montana and Utah have their work cut out for them during the next several months. We will encourage increased public dialogue through op-eds and letters to the editor. Using meetings and phone calls to let members of Congress know about hungry people in their districts and states is also critical.  

Below is a list of the key committees with jurisdiction over the programs relevant to each of our 2013 issue areas. Only the committee chairs are listed. To find out if any of your members of Congress are on a relevant committee, click the link for the full roster.

Protect Funding for SNAP:  Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps) is authorized through the farm bill. 

• Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry:  Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and ranking member Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) Full Roster
• House Committee on Agriculture: Chairman Frank Lucas (R-Okla., Dist. 3) and ranking member Colin Peterson (D-Minn., Dist. 7) Full Roster

Protect Funding for PFDA:  Poverty-focused development assistance, programs that end hunger abroad, is under the jurisdiction of foreign relations.

• Senate Committee on Foreign Relations:  Chairman VACANT, ranking member Bob Corker (R-Tenn.)  Full Roster
• House Foreign Affairs Committee: Chairman Ed Royce (R-Calif., Dist. 40) and ranking member Eliot Engel (D-N.Y., Dist. 16)  Full Roster

Protect Funding for WIC:  The Special Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for Women Infants and Children is authorized through the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act.

• Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry:  Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and ranking member Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) Full Roster
• House Education and the Workforce Committee:  Chairman John Kline (R-Minn., Dist. 2) and ranking member Thomas Petri (D-Wis., Dist. 6) Full Roster

Preserve the EITC and CTC and Raise Revenue to Support Anti-Hunger Programs:  Tax credits that help working families and tax reform are under the jurisdiction of the tax writing committees.

• Senate Committee on Finance:  Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and ranking member Orin Hatch (R-Utah)  Full Roster
• House Committee on Ways and Means:  Chairman Dave Camp (R-Mich., Dist. 4) and ranking member Sandy Levin (D-Mich., Dist. 9)  Full Roster

But perhaps one of the most important committees dealing with funding of these programs is appropriations.  It is essential that when they make funding choices, programs for poor and hungry people are protected.

• Senate Committee on Appropriations:  Chairwoman Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) and ranking member Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) Full Roster
• House Committee on Appropriations:  Chairman Harold Rogers (R-Ky., Dist. 5) and ranking member Nita Lowey (R-N.Y., Dist. 17) Full Roster

Robin Stephenson is national social media lead and senior regional organizer, western hub, at Bread for the World.

By Robin Stephenson

“Hunger is a political condition,” said Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) yesterday, in a speech on the floor of the House of Representatives. A long-time champion of the anti-hunger movement, McGovern is encouraging the use of a new hashtag on the social media network Twitter: #EndHungerNow.

Social networks are about conversations and national conversations influence members of Congress. We have the resources to end hunger, but we need to build political will. Increased public dialogue around the issue of hunger can help convince both Congress and the administration that ending hunger must be a national priority.

One of the most important, but least talked about, stories to emerge about the economic downturn is that the safety net has worked. “It’s important to point out that even though over 50 million people were food insecure, the vast majority had a safety net that prevented them from actually starving,” McGovern said during his speech. 

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps) is largely responsible for keeping food on the tables of those Americans most affected by unemployment and under-employment. Yet during last year’s farm bill negotiations, the House Committee on Agriculture proposed $16.5 billion in cuts to the vital program. As many as 3 million people would have been cut out of SNAP and 280,000 children would have lost their school meals.

Members of Congress need to hear our call to prioritize ending hunger, so we must speak up, and use all channels available to us in order to get that message across.  McGovern will continue to do weekly "End Hunger Now" speeches on the floor and ask that you join him online, using the #EndHungerNow hashtag. Join the conversation—and tag your members of Congress in a tweet while you're at it.

Here is a video of yesterday's floor speech:

And if you aren't on Twitter, you can still influence your members of Congress and encourage them to create a circle of protection around SNAP. Write or email your representative and senators, or consider making use of public dialogue by writing an op-ed or letter to the editor and submitting it to your local newspaper.

Robin Stephenson is national social media lead and senior regional organizer, western hub, at Bread for the World.

Every year 33 million tons, or 40 percent of the food in America, is thrown away. That number is so huge it’s hard to put it into context. Let me help:

It means that 1,400 calories per day, per person end up in the trash. That’s 150 trillion calories being wasted each year—enough food to feed 2 billion people.

That statistic becomes even more disturbing when paired with the fact that 14.5 percent of U.S. households, or about 49 million Americans, don’t have enough to eat.

So if the numbers say we could feed all the hungry people in America four-fold with the food we throw away, why hasn’t that happened yet?

Mainly because wasting food is deeply ingrained in our lifestyle. It happens at every step of the production process and the blame lies with both individual consumers and large food service providers like restaurants and grocery stores. Customers don’t want to buy anything but the freshest, most appealing foods regardless of their edibility. And stores know it: the USDA estimates that supermarkets lose $15 billion annually in unsold produce even after rejecting large quantities from farmers. Stores and restaurants also encourage waste by promoting sales that make consumers buy more than they need or serving impossibly large portions.

According to a recent report by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), even food banks and charities sometimes have to reject food donations when they receive an influx of far more than they are able to use.

The report also acknowledges expiration dates as a major issue. The dates often refer to quality, not safety. In fact, most food is still edible after its expiration date and stores are legally allowed to sell it, but consumer fears leave stores no choice but to throw it out.

In a featured story in Bread’s 2013 Hunger Report, José Graziano da Silva, director-general of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) , suggests the key to reducing waste is changing people’s perceptions about food through education. 

"In industrialized countries, the focus should be on food and nutrition education to reduce waste," he writes. "Per capita waste by consumers is between 95 and 115 kilograms a year in Europe and North America, while consumers in sub-Saharan Africa and South and Southeast Asia each throw away only 6 to 11 kilos a year."

It's time that we embrace buying imperfect produce and research when food actually goes bad—hungry people are depending on us.  

Nina Keehan, a media relations intern at Bread for the World, is a senior magazine journalism and public health dual major at Syracuse University.

Single father John Lohmeier shops at a food pantry in the Chicago, Ill., suburbs. Lohmeier talks about losing his six-figure salary and needing assistance in the documentary. (Screen shot from The Line)

By Sarah Godfrey

In the documentary The Line, a look at poverty in America, Illinois single father John Lohmeier shares his story of losing his job and six-figure salary and becoming someone struggling to make ends meet. "For the first time, I've gone from being somebody who could help to being somebody who needs help," Lohmeier says. 

It seems the line between those who are able to offer assistance and those who need it is becoming increasingly fluid. Case in point: according to a recent report, nearly half of all Americans lack a basic personal safety net to prepare them for emergencies or future needs.

The Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED) study found that 43.9 percent of U.S. households—some poor, some making more than $90,000 per year—don't have enough savings to last three months at a poverty-level income. For those who don't understand the importance of federal safety net programs, or can't imagine being in a position to need SNAP (formerly food stamps), WIC, or other forms of assistance, the study should serve as a powerful wake-up call.

From CFED:

Having emergency savings can help families better weather an economic setback. Research has found that households with assets are much less likely to suffer serious hardships in the event of an economic emergency, such as a job loss. Families without emergency savings, on the other hand, are much more vulnerable to economic catastrophe, such as foreclosure, homelessness and dependence on public assistance. 

Research shows that people with incomes well below the poverty line are able to save. A national research study known as the American Dream Demonstration tested the effectiveness of asset-development programs for poor people. People were saving to build assets such as homeownership, education, or starting a business.

Unfortunately, snips to our social safety net make saving money even more difficult. Andrea Levere, president of CFED, told Salon that the study's findings were “particularly disturbing given the ongoing budget talks in Congress that will likely result in further reductions in the social safety net and other programs that help low- and moderate-income people get on their feet and start planning and saving for a better future.”

Sarah Godfrey is Bread for the World's associate online editor.

The Twin Cities Bread team used a fall 2012 congressional recess as an opportunity to schedule an in-district meeting with Rep. Erik Paulsen(R-Mn.). Pictured: (front row, l to r) Audrey Johnson, Ed Payne, Brad Pepin; (back row, l to r): Gerry Peterson, Dick Johnson, Rep. Paulsen, Judy Waeschle, Carol Dubay, Lois Troemel. (Photo courtesy of Twin Cities Bread team)

By Robin Stephenson

For members of Congress, recess doesn’t involve games of tag or hide-and-seek on the playground. It is a time when they return to their home states and districts to find out what their constituents think—what you think.

During recess, town halls meetings (PDF ) are likely to take place. A town hall is a great opportunity to get your member of Congress to speak publicly about programs affecting hungry and poor people.

If you would like to get a face-to-face meeting with your representative or one of your senators, try to schedule it during recess, when members of Congress are more likely to be available. And if you are planning an education or advocacy event, choose a time when your member may be able to attend (August recess is the longest in-district period). They are always looking for opportunities to meet with their constituents.

Local staffers schedule activities early, but schedule changes often occur, so some flexibility on your part may be required. Just because your member is in-district doesn't mean they can attend your event, but it never hurts to ask and put yourself on their radar.

Below are the tentative recess periods for members of the Senate and House. These dates will aid you as you plan your anti-hunger activities for 2013 (you may periodically want to recheck these calendars).

House 2013  tentative scheduled recess periods:

• Feb. 18 – Feb. 22
• March 25 – April 5
• April 29 – May 3
• May 27 – May 31
• July 1 – July 5
• Aug. 5 – Sept. 6
• Oct. 14 – Oct. 18
• Nov. 4 – Nov. 8
• Nov. 25 – Nov. 29

Senate 2013 tentative scheduled recess periods:

• Feb. 18 – Feb. 22
• March 25 – April 5
• April 29 – May 3
• May 27 – May 31
• July 1 – July 5
• Aug. 5 – Sept. 6
• Oct. 14 – Oct. 18

Call your regional organizer if you want to talk about planning an event in your area. 

Robin Stephenson is national social media lead and senior regional organizer, western hub, at Bread for the World.

Parts of the East Coast are dusted with snow today, which means that lots of lucky kids are enjoying a day off from school and many adults have cleared the shelves of their local grocery stores to be sure they have plenty of food choices while stuck inside for the day. Children who depend on free or reduced school breakfast and lunch probably aren’t as excited about today’s school closures, though. Those parents who carefully plan every food purchase and food pantry visit, working to ensure there is enough food to go around, may be wondering how they'll manage to feed the entire family today. An impromptu stock-up trip to the supermarket may not be an option. 

A lot of systems can grind to a halt on a snow day, everything from trash collection to mass transit can be affected, depending on how severe the weather. The formal and informal networks that work to feed hungry and poor people can be impacted, too. Schools and after-school programs close, and often soup kitchens and food banks do, too.

It's hard for families who face hunger to secure adequate food on a good day, and inclement weather makes the task even more difficult. But federal safety-net programs help families weather storms—snowstorms, hurricanes, and less literal hard times. Programs such as WIC, which safeguards the health of low-income women, infants, and children; and SNAP (formerly food stamps), which supplements the food budgets of the neediest people, have kept household hunger rates from increasing during these tough economic times. Federal nutrition programs, including free and reduced lunch, all work in tandem to fight hunger.

If you're snowed in today (or even if you're not), between watching the kids play outside and cooking up your favorite winter dish, take a moment to think of those who are struggling to put food on their tables. And take action to help ensure that snow days don’t mean days without food for poor families.

Sharmila Chaudhari feeds her daughter Sanjana, 19 months, at the Nutrition Rehabilitation Home in Dhangadhi, Nepal, on Sunday, April 29, 2012. (Laura Elizabeth Pohl/Bread for the World)

By Marsha Casey

Have you bought a snack today? Grabbing a bag of chips and a soda from a vending machine can easily cost about $2, right? Would you be shocked to learn that almost half of the world's people live on $2 a day or less—about the same amount of money that you might spend on a quick treat? 

Although progress has been made in the fight against hunger and poverty, people around the world continue to suffer: An estimated 925 million of the world's people are hungry, and there were 1.4 billion people living in extreme poverty in 2005. Children are hit especially hard. Every day, almost 16,000 children die from hunger-related causes.

Are you wondering what you can do to change these statistics? Here are three tips to help you begin advocating on behalf of hungry and poor people around the world.

Learn about the issues. Hunger is a global problem that affects people in the United States and around the world. Take the time to investigate the “why” behind world hunger and poverty. Start by reading materials available on Bread for the World's website and in our store.

Get your family, friends, church, and community involved. Spread the word and teach others about hunger and poverty. The more people get involved, the easier it will be to end  hunger in our time.

Take Action. Volunteering and making donations both play a significant part in helping hungry and poor people, but advocacy is key to lasting change. Bread for the World advocates contact Congress—by mail, email and phone—and urge them to work to prioritize the needs of hungry and poor people. Join us!

While many people in this day and age don’t have to wonder where their next meal will come from, there are still mothers walking for miles to fetch water for their children, fathers who don't have enough money to feed their families, and children who goes to sleep hungry each night. Become an advocate and make a difference in someone’s life.

Marsha Casey is a media relations intern at Bread for the World. She is a student at Montgomery College Takoma Park, Silver Spring Campus.