Touching Hunger

Jan 16, 2010

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?

Potluck

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

Books

• Enough: Why the World's Poorest Starve in an Age of Plenty
• Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger: Moving from Affluence to Generosity

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.
• Evangelical Lutheran Church in America ELCA World Hunger is a comprehensive and sustainable program that uses multiple strategies – relief, development, education, and advocacy – to address the root causes of hunger and poverty. ELCA World Hunger responds to neighbors around the corner and around the world.
• CROP Hunger Walk Neighbors walking together to take a stand against hunger in our world. Together we raise awareness and funds for international relief and development, as well as local hunger-fighting.
• Heifer International With gifts of livestock and training, Heifer International helps families improve their nutrition and generate income in sustainable ways. They refer to the animals as "living loans" because in exchange for their livestock and training, families agree to give one of its animal's offspring to another family in need.
• Bread for the World Bread for the World is a collective Christian voice urging our nation's decision-makers to end hunger at home and abroad.
• World Food Programme The world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger in the world, this program is sponsored by the United Nations.

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.

1. Write your comments about this week's program
2. Respond to the My Turn speaker
3. Tell your own story, or respond to the stories of others

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. 

Download a PDF of a study guide for use in small groups, at home with the family or in Sunday school classes.