From: Jan Banister
Columbus
On behalf of Ann Jones and Tess Weathers from First Presbyterian Church; Father Marty Peter, Father Clem Davis, David and Judy Harpenau and myself from St. Bartholomew Catholic Church; we can end hunger in our time.
Bread for the World is a Christian advocacy organization that urges our decision makers to do all they can to pursue a world without hunger. Their bipartisan mission, as well as the mission of the local Columbus Bread For The World chapter, is to educate and equip people to advocate for policies and programs that can help end hunger in the U.S. and around the world.
Columbus and Bartholomew County are wonderfully collaborative in providing resources to the underserved through our Ecumenical Assembly, local nonprofits, individual churches and schools. However, despite our best efforts, federal nutrition programs are required to provide roughly 10 times as much essential food assistance as private churches and charities combined are able to provide.
The upcoming Farm Bill reauthorization not only affects farmers and food producers, it plays a significant role in addressing hunger in the U.S. and around the world. As faithful people, and members of Bread for the World, we believe that everyone should have access not just to enough food to eat, but enough nutritious food to help them lead healthy and productive lives. Studies show that when people have the opportunity to purchase nutritious foods, they will make that choice.
Locally, more than 600 letters from people within our congregations were delivered to the offices of our representatives, urging Sen. Mike Braun, Sen. Todd Young and Rep. Greg Pence to support a Farm Bill that fully funds the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program without adding additional obstacles that restrict access to this vital program. In addition, we ask that they support incentives that allow SNAP participants to purchase more fresh fruits and vegetables. We also urge them to strengthen international nutrition programs that help millions of women and children around the world to thrive.
With our efforts, we can end hunger in our time.
