In recognition of World Food Day, the Presbyterian Hunger Program has announced that more than 70 Presbyterian churches have become Hunger Action Congregations since the initiative was announced last summer.
When Nora Leccese, who addresses domestic, poverty and environmental issues for Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Office of Public Witness (OPW), first came to the office through the Emerson National Hunger Fellows Program she only expected to be there for five months.
How does your church commemorate World Food Day? For some congregations, the day during Food Week of Action means a special meal offered to community residents who wrestle with poverty and hunger. Others use the annual campaign to promote what they’re already doing, such as community gardens or food pantries.
For more than 17 years, the Presbyterian Hunger Program (PHP), through its Joining Hands initiative, has been tackling the root causes of hunger and poverty. PHP staff recently gathered with representatives from several countries to look at the progress and where to go from here.
First Presbyterian Church of Monticello, Illinois, is not a large church, but it has a big heart. Over its 175-year history church members have always given back to the community, says pastor Paul Spangler. But a few years ago, the church tried something different for Vacation Bible School, and the results proved beneficial for many residents in the small town as well as the church itself.
Churches across the U.S. have proven to be a major source of income for a handful of communities in Guatemala through the celebration of Palm Sunday. The annual purchase of palm branches through the Eco-Palms program, is helping residents living in the Maya Biosphere Reserve.
Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement (CCI) hosts its annual convention tomorrow and expects nearly 1,000 people from across the state to share concerns facing family farms. CCI was organized in 1975 when a handful of clergy began working on housing, crime and safety, and other urban concerns. When the 1980s Farm Crisis hit, they expanded the work throughout rural Iowa to support farmers by helping them obtain nearly $37 million in desperately needed credit. The Presbyterian Hunger Program (PHP) supported that work financially for a number of years.
President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris climate accord is being met with harsh criticism from church leaders who have been strong advocates for the agreement and environmental causes. The president announced the decision yesterday saying the agreement favored foreign countries while hurting American workers.
For nearly 50 years, the Presbyterian Hunger Program (PHP) has worked with Presbyterians and global partners towards the common goal of ending hunger and poverty. Now PHP is expanding that to recognize congregations involved in hunger work through a covenant called Hunger Action Congregations.
