It’s almost time for seasonal gatherings with those we love. Many people will choose which recipes to prepare, who will host and who will travel, and how many pieces of pie to put on their plates. Some will have the privilege of deciding on guest lists, gift lists and which days to take off work.
Roughly 421,400 people were unhoused in the U.S. last year, and 127,750 of them were chronically unhoused, meaning they didn’t have a place to stay for a year or more, according to National Alliance to End Homelessness data. Unhoused rates have been climbing nationally by about 6% every year since 2017, the alliance said. The increase in the number of unhoused people comes when housing costs are soaring and prices for essentials like food and transportation continue to rise.
Hunger isn’t just hunger. Food isn’t just calories. The experience of hunger is intimately linked with multiple physical, emotional and spiritual needs as well as with our sense of belonging and value.
In preparation for Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, the Presbyterian Hunger Program is inviting individuals and congregations to watch the encore presentation of a worship service exploring the Church’s biblical call to end poverty.
As the nation continues to grapple with the health and financial repercussions of COVID-19, Presbyterians are being encouraged to observe Hunger and Homelessness Sunday this weekend.
Thus says the Lord: Heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is my resting place? All these things my hand has made, and so all these things are mine … (Isaiah 66:1–2a).
Presbyterian congregations are responding to homelessness around the country. They are preparing meals and sharing produce from community gardens, offering shelter on cold nights, assisting with job skills training and participating in Congregation-Based Community Organizing (CBCO).
