By Rev. David Beckmann
2016 has been a divisive year for many people. Sometimes it seems like we can’t agree on anything.
But we take hope from the fact that our country and the world have made substantial progress against hunger and poverty over the last several decades. Continued progress is possible.
The White House and Congress will likely make far-reaching changes in 2017, and Bread for the World needs to be at full strength in its attention to policies that affect hungry people. On this Thanksgiving Day, we thank you for your generosity and for your hard work helping us to grow in strength and preparing us to meet whatever needs may arise.
At Bread, we encourage our members to stand with us in three bold ways: to pray, to act, and to give. In 2016, you showed up for all three. In the past year alone:
- You prayed. More than 100,000 of you have joined us in prayer. Together, we are reaching across differences and uniting in one prayerful hope: an end to hunger and poverty in God’s world.
- You acted. 640,000 of you committed to vote to end hunger. Your tremendous call for candidates to focus on ending hunger positioned Bread members to be forceful advocates to end hunger with the candidates who were elected.
- You gave. More than 36,000 of you donated to help people in need. Every dollar you gave to support advocacy helped Bread secure hundreds of dollars in lifesaving assistance for families in the United States and around the world.
Together we accomplished more than we would have been able to do alone. Your work with Bread shows the value of strength in numbers.
Thank you for making 2016 a better year for so many people who have suffered for far too long.
Rev. David Beckmann is the president of Bread for the World.
