Overview In December, I participated in a delegation comprised of staff from Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA), Presbyterian Self-Development of People (SDOP), and Special Offerings, and we invited local pastors and mid-council staff to join us for the visits to Fideicomiso de la Tierra, a decimated family farm in Lares, and Presbyterian Camp Guacio over the course of… Read more »
January 28, 2019
Puerto Rico, Climate Change & Food
Overview In December, I participated in a delegation comprised of staff from Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA), Presbyterian Self-Development of People (SDOP), and Special Offerings, and we invited local pastors and mid-council staff to join us for the visits to Fideicomiso de la Tierra, a decimated family farm in Lares, and Presbyterian Camp Guacio over the course of… Read more »
The last Farm Bill, which is reauthorized every five years, expired on September 30, 2018. With prospects for a short-term extension of the 2014 Farm Bill gone and Congress unlikely to return to Washington, D.C. before the November elections, the focus of advocates must now shift to trying to help pass a good, bipartisan 2018 Farm… 
In case you missed the Zoom webinar, you can view the 34-minute video here: Presenters: Juli Obudzinski, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (sign up for NSAC updates); Lorette Picciano, Rural Coalition; Rodrigo Rodriguez, Southwest Organizing Project; Nora Leccese, PC(USA) Office of Public Witness Farm Bill Update: What’s Up The US government has until September 30, 2018… 
Your gifts to One Great Hour of Sharing and to the Presbyterian Hunger Fund make a huge difference in lives around the world. See below how your dollars provide critical funding to groups on the ground fighting hunger and addressing underlying causes. These partners – powerful, effective grassroots groups and national coalitions – work to change… 
The following simulation games are helpful for understanding hunger better. They give us a glimpse into what it may feel like when life-giving food is unfairly distributed. They can be used by youth, young adults, and adults. The Coffee Break simulation can be done in 15-30 minutes; the other three are done over a mealtime…. 
The really good news: Seventy-four percent of respondents (including 58 percent of Republicans) said they back boosting the minimum wage from its current level of $7.25 an hour to $9 over the course of two years, according to a poll this year. Another poll shows that 48% of Americans favor raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour…. 
The Senate is expected to vote on a regressive tax bill next week, and your voice advocating for a moral and compassionate budget is critical! For Presbyterians, the message is biblical and simple. Urge your Senators to say “no” on the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, because it will make hunger and poverty worse and will further deepen… 
Should we rename the Farm Bill? This hard-working bill covers everything—from crop insurance to community food projects, from Meals on Wheels and SNAP (food stamps) to energy, conservation, and international food aid. Calling it the Food Bill would at least pique the curiosity of those that eat! No matter what it is called, though, as… 
Following years of war coupled with extreme drought, South Sudan is experiencing major disruptions in food production and supply resulting in extreme food shortages and malnutrition. In emergency disaster situations such as famine, we partner with the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) and ACT Alliance to help address the current immediate need. In South Sudan, PDA is also working with Presbyterian…