Among cuts in federal budget proposal: Funds for poor seniors' food

The Philadelphia Inquirer's Al Lubrano is at it again with a new piece on hunger.

The Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) is on the chopping block, with a proposed cut of 22%. This small program is aimed at filling a hunger gap - seniors who are living on very low fixed incomes, but have chosen not to receive SNAP (food stamp) benefits. One small box a month - 12 meals worth - can really make a difference.

Many seniors are eligible for SNAP but do not apply. They often find the application daunting (which it is!) and are also weary of receiving "welfare" - and thus feel more comfortable receiving this box from their local food pantry, even though it too is government funded. But this phenomenon is often missed by policymakers, who see SNAP and the CSFP only as a duplication of efforts.

Thank you Al for helping us see the full story. Stories such as these are exactly what we all need to pass on to our elected officials.

World Food Day 2011 Effort

Dear friends in faith, 

The Prayer Breakfast for Hunger Free Communities was successful in bringing attention to the problem of hunger in Philadelphia. But it was only the beginning of efforts to address the unacceptably high levels of hunger in our city. As people of various faith traditions, we know we are all called to not only feed the hungry, but to advocate for a just distribution of the abundance of creation. We are in unique positions in our communities not only to pray and feed, but also to educate and organize for change.

As part of the continued effort we are looking forward to World Food Day, on Sunday, October 16, 2011. During the Sabbaths of that weekend, we hope that congregations throughout the Philadelphia region will focus on hunger during their worship services.

There are three possibilities we have planned to connect to World Food Day:

Host a Guest Preacher/Speaker:

We can provide congregations with a preacher or speaker for your Sabbath worship connected to the weekend of World Food Day. Register to host a guest preacher. 

Be a Guest Preacher:

We will match guest preachers who have registered and that we have trained with host congregations for the weekend of October 16. Register to be a guest preacher. 

Receive Special Preacher/Speaker Training (same as Guest Preachers) for your own congregation:

If you or someone you know would like to be trained, register for a workshop on "Preaching on Hunger," on Friday, September 23, from 1-5 pm at The Brossman Center on the campus of The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (LTSP). The preaching professor from LTSP,  the Rev. Dr. Karyn L. Wiseman, will lead the session and will equip participants to preach on World Food Day in the context of your own tradition. You will learn how to choose texts for the day and work with them, as well as effective homiletical approaches. You will also get helpful up-to-date information about local hunger from Diane Loucks, who has been instrumental in developing City Soup, has researched the issue for Mayor Nutter, and has been a leading advocate in Philadelphia. This workshop will be open to those wanting to preach in their own congregations as well as those willing to serve as guest preachers. Register to attend the preaching workshop. 

We look forward to your participation!