[img_assist|nid=131|title=|desc=|link=none|align=right|width=573|height=640] People need to hear about Hunger! They need to hear the stories of people who live in the community and don’t have enough to eat. So often, people see the “hungry” as the “other” and feel no relationship to them. Maybe they even feel prejudiced against them, seeing them as not doing enough to help themselves. This is a wonderful setting in which to talk about hunger because so often the religious scripture stories are about hunger and shelter. The hunger stories which you share can easily be related to the holy stories of scripture, and the fire of commitment to help the “stranger” can be instilled as people come to new understanding of the factors that affect all of us around hunger.

Another area of service that can be accomplished by talking to individuals at your place of worship is to let others know how to avail themselves of food shelf services, and erase the stigma of using emergency food services. People don’t plan to run out of money before purchasing food. Circumstances can come up unexpectedly and people have to chose between food and paying rent or childcare. Knowing that they could get help with food would give a great deal of reassurance.

Perhaps you could arrange a tour of your local foodshelf for members of your congregration and introduce them to the vital service offered there. You will be doing more good than you can imagine.