2009 Brought Both Setbacks and New Opportunities
Dear Members and Friends,
This is a moment in history when the need for Bread for the World’s work has never been greater. The global financial crisis is reversing decades of progress against hunger and poverty. In developing countries around the world, an additional 100 million people are suffering from hunger.
Here in the United States, the need for food assistance is also rising. One in nine Americans—half of them children—now participates in SNAP (formerly the Food Stamp Program). One in five children lives in poverty—2 million more children than just a year ago.
As people working to end hunger in God’s world, we know that achieving our mission is a matter of political will—and this is where the new opportunities are. Among leaders of both political parties, there is a growing consensus that something can be done to restore progress in ending widespread hunger in our own country and overseas.
Earlier this year, President Barack Obama announced U.S. leadership in a $20 billion initiative to strengthen agriculture and food security in developing countries. In Congress, bipartisan legislation has been introduced in both the House (H.R. 2139) and Senate (S. 1524) to begin the process of reforming U.S. foreign assistance. By eliminating inefficiencies and focusing on poverty reduction, the aid our nation sends to developing countries could do a much better job of reducing hunger.
In the last five years, Bread has helped win nearly $6.5 billion more in annual funding for nutrition, clean water, health, education, and other programs to help hungry and poor people improve their lives.
In these efforts, Bread for the World has played a leadership role—bringing together religious bodies and other concerned groups, testifying before Congress, and meeting regularly with officials in the White House and the State Department. When Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon launched a world food security initiative in September, Bread for the World was one of only four nongovernmental organizations invited to join the U.N. delegates. Congress issued a commendation to honor Bread for the World’s 35th anniversary in June, an effort led by a Republican senator.
Thanks to the generous support of many individuals, Bread for the World has been able to sustain its operations during this time of economic distress. But even greater financial investment will be needed in the crucial months ahead, as Bread mobilizes grassroots action in support of legislation and policy changes that create hope and opportunity for hungry people.
God’s grace moves us to help our neighbors, whether they live in the next house, the next state, or the next continent. By working together to win passage of bipartisan legislation, we help change the conditions and policies that allow hunger to persist. Addressing the root causes of hunger will help end it for good.
Bread for the World has a track record of winning legislation that helps hungry people feed their families, and Bread for the World Institute provides essential research and analysis that strengthens our advocacy work. Every dollar contributed to Bread for the World and Bread for the World Institute is leveraged to generate thousands of dollars in improvements for hungry people.
In the last five years alone, Bread for the World has helped win nearly $6.5 billion in additional annual funding for poverty-focused development assistance—meaning nutrition, clean water, health care, basic education, and other programs that enable people to build better lives for themselves and their families.
Bread for the World also helped to strengthen the Food Stamp Program (now called SNAP) and federal support for food banks. These programs have been a lifeline for the millions of Americans hurt by the economic downturn.
Your generous support and active involvement make Bread for the World a respected voice here in Washington. We are being asked by Congress and the Obama administration to help shape policy. This year, Bread staff has met 29 times with leaders in the administration. I’ve been invited to testify before Congress three times.
But we are not assured of victory. Congress is preoccupied by other issues, and action to help hungry people could get crowded aside.
That’s why I ask you to make a generous year-end gift to Bread for the World.
Bread has access to decision makers because of the commitment of people like you. You and I have prayed to be effective instruments for removing the scourge of hunger from God’s world. Our prayers are being answered.
Bread for the World members are motivated by our experience of God’s grace in Jesus Christ. May this season of thanksgiving and preparation for Christmas reinvigorate your faith and commitment.
Sincerely,
David Beckmann
President, Bread for the World
Send a Christmas card to your members of Congress. Wish them a Merry Christmas and ask them to make hunger a top priority as they return to work in Washington in January 2010.
Points to make:
- Hungry and poor people in our country have been hit hardest by the recession and rising unemployment. Currently, one in every nine Americans participates in our national nutrition safety net program, SNAP.
- Global hunger is on the increase, beginning to reverse decades of progress against hunger. The United States has the power to help restore progress.
Send the Christmas cards to:
Sen. __________
U.S. Senate
Washington, DC 20510
Rep. __________
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
When God shows up, God shows out
God With Us
by Bishop Don diXon Williams
In the Gospel according to Matthew 1: 23, we read these profound words: “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and she shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is ‘God with us.’”
These are words we will hear a lot during this season. We will hear them as a part of our Scripture readings, as a part of our Christmas dramas, and as recitations given to our children for the Christmas program. There are times when you hear something said so much, the message loses its power.
As I reflected on the year, I saw where those three words, “God with us,” were really not in the forefront of my thoughts. But as this year draws to a close, I have been reminded in powerful ways that in all aspects and circumstances of life, God is indeed with us.
In June, I was blessed to hear my daughter sing on the grand occasion of Bread for the World’s 35th anniversary dinner. What most folks did not know was that the week before, she had lost her job due to the slowing economy. In July, I found myself attempting to give words of inspiration to 2,000 people with three coffins lying before me. I had known and loved this family for more than 30 years. They were the victims of a double murder and suicide; I was told the economy, in part, had a role in this tragedy.
In October, I stood beside my beautiful wife of 38 years as we laid her mother to rest.
Because each of these events was extremely stressful, you could get the impression that God was nowhere to be found. But upon further investigation I could see God’s presence manifested in each situation. My daughter’s unemployment allowed her to spend the most precious last months with her grandmother.
Although three perished in this family, one was saved. We know without a doubt God was with him. My wife, through her loss, found an inner strength she did not realize she possessed. Things she did not think she could do, she did because God was with her.
The thing I like about God is that God in Jesus Christ does not only show up in our personal situations. God also shows up with us as Bread for the World members walking the halls of Congress trying to change the hearts and minds of our legislators as we continue to push for foreign assistance reform. God joined us in June on Lobby Day. God was with Bread for the World President David Beckmann as he testified on the need to reform foreign assistance before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
I cannot say for sure what the future holds, but I can say with complete assurance that God will continue to be with us in all aspects and circumstances of our lives. As an old preacher once told me, “When God shows up, God shows out.” And that, to me, is Good News, in any season.
Don Williams, a bishop of the United Way of the Cross Church of Christ, is a long-time staff member of Bread for the World.
New Officers and Members Welcomed to Bread’s Board
Bread for the World members recently elected the 2010 leadership of our board of directors as well as new members of the board.
- Chair: David Miner, Indianapolis, IN. Current board chair. Miner has been a grassroots activist for more than 20 years.
- Vice Chair: Rev. William Epps, Los Angeles, CA. Current vice chair. He is senior pastor of Second Baptist Church and editor of National Baptist Voice, the magazine of the National Baptist Convention.
- Secretary: Elizabeth Henry, Oakland, CA. She is an organizer at the East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy and member of the Lutheran Volunteer Corps.
- Treasurer: Bob Terry, Birmingham, AL. He is publisher and editor of The Alabama Baptist, and executive director of the Association of State Baptist Papers.
Newly elected board members also include:
- Ruth Farrell, Louisville, KY
- Juan Luis Calderón, New York, NY
- Tom Harkin, Cumming, IA
- Ronald Cunningham, Dallas, TX
- Leonard Lovett, Alexandria, VA
- Gerald Kolschowsky, Aurora, IL
- Loretta Sanchez, Garden Grove, CA
- Maureen M. O’Leary, New York, NY
- Malcolm Street, Fort Worth, TX
- Elaine VanCleave, Birmingham, AL
These new board members join 35 returning members of the board of directors.
As we elect new officers and board members, we also mourn the passing of one of our early board members, Dr. Norman Borlaug (1975-80). As the father of the Green Revolution, he has done more to save people from hunger and starvation than any other person in modern history.
Consider a Year-end Gift to Bread
This is a time of tremendous need both in the United States and abroad. Yet, at the same time, Bread for the World has more opportunities than ever before to change history for hungry people. To take advantage of these opportunities, Bread for the World must make commitments to key projects and new initiatives for 2010. Your generous gift to Bread for the World or Bread for the World Institute before December 31, 2009, will enable these vital efforts to move forward.
Visit www.bread.org/yearend or use the attached envelope to make a special year-end gift.
If you’d like assistance with gifts of stock, IRA charitable rollovers, or gift annuities, please contact Charles Molloy, vice president for development, by writing cmolloy@bread.org or calling toll free 1-800-822-7323, ext. 138.
Holiday Gift Giving: No Shopping Mall Required
Think outside the box this year to give friends and family members a truly meaningful holiday gift. Your gift in their honor to Bread for the World (or to Bread for the World Institute) will help us make a difference in the lives of hungry people.
The Christmas gift card features the same outside design as our 2009 Christmas card with the following inside message: During this Christmas season a gift to support Bread for the World was made in your honor.
This gift card grants recipients a one-year complimentary membership in Bread for the World which they can activate at any time and provides them with background information about our mission. Christmas gift cards are $25 per card.
Gift cards can be ordered by visiting www.bread.org/giftcard or by calling 1-800-822-7323 ext. 132. Please place your orders by December 15, to ensure delivery in time for Christmas.
Introducing the 2010 Offering of Letters
The Earned Income Tax Credit lifts 5 million Americans, including 2.6 million children, above the poverty line.
In the budget of a low-income family, food is often the most flexible item. People can’t choose to pay less for rent, child care, or transportation—so food is one place a struggling family cuts corners.
We know that food assistance to hungry people is vital, but it is not enough. Progress against hunger requires broader efforts to reduce poverty. Low-income families live on the edge of a financial precipice. The car breaking down, a parent being laid off from her job, a child getting sick—any of these can mean the difference between having enough food or not.
Bread for the World’s 2010 Offering of Letters will urge Congress to make changes in tax policy that will help low-income working families make ends meet.
Taxes will be near the top of the 2010 agenda in Congress because a series of tax cuts will be expiring. In the midst of the debate over which taxes to change and which to renew, the needs of low-income people could easily be lost. Our 2010 Offering of Letters will ask Congress to strengthen key tax credits that can make a big difference for low-income workers and their families.
One of these is the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). It is a refundable tax credit designed to help bridge the gap between low-wage earnings and the costs of meeting basic needs. With an average credit of nearly $2,400 for families with children, the EITC lifts 5 million Americans above the poverty line, including 2.6 million children. The credit is considered by both Democrats and Republicans to be the best anti-poverty measure Congress has passed.
In the coming weeks, we will begin providing Bread members with more information on the 2010 Offering of Letters and why tax policies matter to hungry people. Together, we can win improvements for low-income working families.
Child Nutrition Wins in 2009
Congress postponed the reauthorization of child nutrition programs until 2010, but 2009 still saw several important gains for hungry children.
Increasing program access and participation is Bread’s top priority for reauthorization. Only 12 percent of children who receive free or reduced-price school meals get food through a summer program, and an estimated 1 million children participate in SNAP but do not receive free school meals. The FY10 agriculture appropriations bills would help close the summer food gap by exploring new methods of feeding kids during the summer and would increase participation in school meals by improving direct certification of eligible low-income children.
The Hunger-Free Communities Program received initial funding of $5 million for FY2010. This grant program will support local anti-hunger efforts.
Low-income children and pregnant women will have access to more nutritious foods—such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables—thanks to improvements in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) food package.
Local Bread Events Create a “Groundswell of Hope”
In Birmingham, AL, Melanie Wildman serves rice to Lane Finch, a "low-income" diner at their hunger banquet. Half of the diners fell into the "low-income" group, mirroring the global population.
Bread members around the country have been teaming up this fall with other local advocates to recommit to ending hunger in God’s world.
Bread for the World Chicago teamed up with the Chicago CROP Hunger Walk to hold the city’s first “Action to End Hunger Week.” It offered individuals and faith communities a host of creative opportunities to remember hungry and poor people.
Bread activists Velda Love and Cynthia Changyit-Levin appeared on a live public access television program, discussing the 2009 Offering of Letters and advocacy in the Chicago area. “It was a great experience—a way to get information to the general public about justice and advocacy issues, get feedback, and answer questions all at the same time,” Love said.
Bread organizers LaVida Davis and Zach Schmidt led prayer services for hungry people at Wheaton College and Willow Creek Community Church. Bread founder Art Simon spoke with a group of Bread members and students at the Chicago campus of the University of Illinois. The week culminated on Sunday, October 18, with the annual Chicago CROP Hunger Walk and Bread Sunday events.
In Connecticut, students at Wesleyan University from many faith traditions fasted for a day and donated their savings to a local food pantry. That evening, they held a banquet to celebrate the close of the Muslim holy season of Ramadan. Half of the entire student body, staff, and faculty attended a presentation and Offering of Letters organized by Bread field organizer and Wesleyan alumnae Flavia DeSouza.
In Birmingham, AL, Bread members put a new twist on the traditional hunger banquet and garnered local TV coverage when they gave more than 150 diners a taste of food inequality. The banquet was part of a “Stand Up” mobilization to eradicate global poverty and support the Millennium Development Goals.
Banquet participants were divided randomly into three groups. A high-income group—15 percent of the diners—was served a gourmet meal prepared by a local chef. A middle-income group (35 percent of the participants) used all-weather tables and chairs and served themselves rice and beans from a buffet. The remaining 50 percent of the diners were low-income and ate only rice, many sitting on burlap coffee bags on the floor.
“Standing up and speaking words of hope is an energizing and convicting way to recommit to doing all we can do,” said Samford University professor Suzanne Martin. “There is a groundswell of hope within the international community that we can eradicate extreme poverty in this generation.”
Ecumenical and interfaith partnerships, fasting, prayers, television coverage, visual demonstrations of the world’s hunger problem—these activities and others are adding to the groundswell of hope against hunger and poverty.
In an age of plenty, hunger is a disgrace
Art Simon Fellow Sees the Power of Bread from the Inside
Every year, Bread for the World is blessed to work with remarkable young adults with promising futures in advancing social justice. One such opportunity is the Art Simon Fellowship, which provides a one-year paid position to join Bread’s legislative strategy team.
For Helena Shilomboleni, this year’s Art Simon Fellow in government relations, Bread for the World has been so much more than a workplace.
“Playing a role in this critical movement is such a reward,” she says. “In attending to hunger issues, we not only ensure that all have enough to eat, we also address some of the most important roots of civil unrest. Most importantly, we return the basic dignity that every parent deserves: the ability to feed their children.”
Originally from Namibia, Shilomboleni studied at Maine’s College of the Atlantic where she earned her degree in human ecology, focusing on international relations and social justice. Since September, she has been immersed in her work with Bread for the World. Her fellowship provides her with the opportunity to research international issues, prepare position papers, and develop working relationships with congressional staffers.
From her vantage point inside a grassroots advocacy group working to advance legislation, Shilomboleni says she has seen just how powerful Bread’s model can be.
“The two [foreign aid reform] bills before Congress are making progress because Bread for the World members made the Offering of Letters move forward,” she says. “Writing a letter to our elected representatives may seem like a simple action. But thousands of letters joined together have made a huge impact on government policies.”
Shilomboleni’s experiences with Bread for the World as an Art Simon fellow will be a part of her forever. “There are over a billion hungry people in the world,” Shilomboleni says. “In an age of plenty, this is a disgraceful human failure.”
When her fellowship ends, Shilomboleni plans to attend graduate school, to enable her to continue working in public policy on issues relating to hunger and poverty. After that, she’ll return to Namibia to work.
Shilomboleni’s important contribution to Bread—and the contributions of all our young interns and fellows—is possible because Bread for the World members help equip the next generation of hunger leaders to create real hope and opportunities for hungry people.
We are deeply grateful for the chance to benefit from Shilomboleni’s world experience and her thirst to learn the legislative environment.
