Shaping Families

Touching Hunger

In the United States alone more than 17 million people are going hungry tonight. As food prices continue to climb, it’s estimated that one of every six are living in hunger, at least at the end of the month when money runs low. What’s being done? What can you do? Is this problem even solvable?

Listen - Transcript - Study Guide

Potluck

by Rebecca Thatcher Murcia

Hunger is often an abstract concept in North American homes. Many of us remember the stereotypical comment from our childhoods. “Eat your dinner! Children are starving in China!”

Video

• Hunger No More: Faces Behind the Facts

Online

• Society of St. Andrew A grassroots, faith-based, hunger relief nonprofit working with all denominations to bridge the hunger gap between 96 billion pounds of food wasted every year in this country and the nearly 40 million Americans who live in poverty.

The Family that Eats Together Stays Together

OK. It’s a different twist on the claim that a family that prays together, stays together. I don’t know if that has been empirically researched, or not. But family dynamics research has established a correlation between families that eat together and reduced drug and alcohol use.

It's easy to think someone who is homeless is lazy or somehow just not trying their best. But for many, homelessness doesn't happen because of their own doing. In the next episode of Shaping Families you'll meet Carol who lost her home and everything she had when her oldest son went on trial. She and her 12-year-old son ended up living in a Ford Taurus. Find out more next week.

Bean Burgers

Play “extend the beans” game with your family this week using only beans for protein – no meat. Donate the money you would have spent on meat to your local food bank. Rebecca suggested bean burgers one day, bean tacos, rice and beans, and chili soup. Find Rebecca’s bean burger recipe here. 

• Shaping Families Update - May 12
• Shaping Families Update - May 5
• Shaping Families Update - April 28
• Shaping Families Update - April 21

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