“Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it.” – Proverbs 3:27
We of Hope Church are a Bread for the World covenant church, joined in the hope of ending hunger through strengthening government policies that address hunger needs.
In 2015 Bread for the World is focused on urging Congress to renew our federal government’s major child nutrition programs, including those for school meals, summer feeding, and the WIC nutrition program for pregnant and new mothers along with their small children. Every five years, Congress must re-authorize the law that funds these programs, which have helped millions of children over the decades. Thanks to the leadership of Bread for the World and its church partners, the 2010 Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act expanded and improved these programs. Nearly 16 million children in the United States–one in five–live in households that struggle to put food on the table.
Many of these children have parents who have jobs and work hard, but their wages are inadequate for family needs. Well-fed children are healthier, have fewer behavioral problems, and learn more easily. This can translate into their getting better jobs and being more productive when they become adults, and fewer widespread public health and workforce problems.
The 2015 114th Congress includes new members and new leaders having little or no experience with child hunger or child nutrition programs. These legislators must be educated about the importance of feeding children. Additionally, the tight national budget and political climate grind against crucial programs that need funding.
In May Hope Church will have an Offering of Letters urging our Senators and Representatives in Congress to continue strong investments in child nutrition programs, improve children’s access to feeding programs, and ensure improvements to child nutrition programs are not paid for by cuts to other vital safety-net programs like SNAP (food stamps).
~Tom Arendshorst, Deacon Ministry