Nourishment for the body and soul

God's Word is clear that we are to minister to the poor and needy as part of our Christian lifestyle. Caring for those in need is an opportunity and a privilege as well as an obligation. We must not view it in any other way.

Hunger continues to be one of the greatest problems facing our world today. There are many causes. Natural disasters and human-made catastrophes have a devastating effect on food production. Poverty is increasing once again. Won’t you prayerfully consider how God would have you participate in this important ministry to feed the hungry?

 

The primary focus of the Hunger Offering is to assist Southern Baptist missionaries throughout the world in their attempt to end malnutrition. Missionaries use human-needs projects to help people obtain food and practice good health habits.

Each project also includes an evangelistic witness to facilitate church planting—the very focus of missionary efforts on the field. It is an intentional combination of “loving God and loving neighbor” (The Great Commandment: Matt. 22:37-40).

Examples of hunger projects:

· senior citizen feeding programs

· soup kitchens, hospitality houses, Baptist rescue missions

· providing and stocking food pantries

· food in disaster situations when disaster funds are not available, or not adequate

· agricultural education on how to grow food

· clean water wells

All human needs projects:

· have an intentional spiritual strategy and share the Gospel

· have Southern Baptist personnel who are a part of the community or remain in contact with the community being served

· involve local input and expertise to help personnel assess needs and establish goals that make sense culturally, economically and efficiently

· have accountability measures

Most of us have our kitchen cabinets and refrigerators brimming with food. Do we give the issue of hunger and malnutrition the attention it deserves?

Southern Baptist missionaries and volunteers are offering nourishment for the body and soul. Every Southern Baptist can have a part in those ministries through gifts to the Hunger Offering. In fact, we can be assured that God expects us to do just that. He expects us to demonstrate an urgency to pray, to give, and to minister on behalf of those who are hungry – both physically and spiritually.

 

Through your generous gifts to the Hunger Offering, you are providing missionaries the resources they need to feed and educate the needy of practices to help them become self-sufficient.

The Hunger Offering, through which 100 percent of the donations flow straight to the hungry, serves missionaries in Alabama, North America and internationally.

100 percent of your donations go toward hunger needs. Nothing is taken out for administrative or promotional costs.

As Christians, we are called to reach out to those in need. God will honor your gifts and the greater blessing will be yours.

"…and if you offer yourself to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted one, then your light will shine in the darkness, and your night will be like noonday. The Lord will always lead you, satisfy you in a parched land, and strengthen your bones. You will be like a watered garden and like a spring whose waters never run dry." Isaiah 58:10-11

AROUND THE WORLD

Millions of people around the world are reached every year with food for their bodies and the “Bread of Life” for their souls through ministries funded by the Southern Baptist Hunger Offering.

An estimated 1 billion people do not have enough food to be healthy. Every day 25,000 people die from hunger-related causes… that’s 1 person every 3 and a half seconds. Unfortunately, it is children who die most often.

IN NORTH AMERICA

In many ways, America is the land of plenty. But for 1 in 6 people in the United States, hunger is a reality. Right now, approximately 49 million Americans are struggling with hunger, and 17 million of those are children. More than 42 million people, or 8.1 million families in America, are without enough food every day[footnoteRef:1] [1: https://aspe.hhs.gov/basic-report/financial-condition-and-health-care-burdens-people-deep-poverty.]

In the most recent year, more than $1 million was provided to more than 1,000 hunger ministries. Also, 4.5 million meals were provided using hunger funds and more than 21,000 professions of faith were reported through hunger relief ministries in North America.

IN ALABAMA

Alabama has the 2nd highest food hardship rate in the nation (Food Research & Action Center Inc) 19.2% of Alabama’s population is food insecure.[footnoteRef:2] That means 919,670 Alabamians were "food insecure," or struggled to afford a nutritionally adequate diet. [2: Feeding America, Map the Meal Gap]

Feeding ministries in Alabama:

There are 46 feeding ministries in Alabama with 6,936 volunteers who provided 10,812 meals and food for 79,286.

The 3,071 workers who are trained in evangelism led 28,457 evangelistic encounters resulting in 286 professions of faith and 90 baptisms.

While you were reading this information, an estimated 36 children somewhere in the world died from malnutrition or starvation, the question now is ... What Will I Do?

What Will I Do?

How can I help?

PRAY - Prayer is the most important way you can help Southern Baptists meet human needs. Please pray that through these ministries, many will receive physical assistance and also seek and find our Lord.

ACT - Lead your family, Sunday school class or small group to organize a food drive, serve at a local hunger ministry, or provide for a family in need.

GIVE - The generosity of Southern Baptists allows missionaries and ministries to immediately minister and meet human needs as they occur. Promote giving in your church to benefit hunger relief.

 

How Is MY dollar spent?

When a dollar is contributed to the Hunger Offering the first 25% will be used to feed the hungry in Alabama by assisting associations and designated churches with food pantries. The remaining 75% will be placed through the Global Hunger Fund.

The Global Hunger Fund is divided with 80% to the International Mission Board for overseas hunger projects while 20% is sent to the North American Mission Board to support hunger projects in the United States and Canada.

Because personnel and volunteers are already in place, and promotional expenses come through other budgets...

100% of your gift is used to minister to the hungry in Jesus’ name

A dollar in…a dollar out to help hungry people!

No other relief organization can make this promise!

Hunger Sunday Teaching Plan

By Global Hunger Relief

1. Can you think of a time when you felt like you were starving? Can you think of a time when you ate too much?

2. What emotions do you feel when you hear that there are almost 1 billion men, women, and children suffering from hunger around the world?

3. Read James 2:1-4. Where have you experienced poverty in your community? How can churches be guilty of showing favoritism as described in this passage?

4. How can we be guilty of seeing people in need as “issues”? How should the Gospel shape the way that we see those who are in poverty?

5. Read James 2:14-18. How does faith show itself practically in a person’s life?

6. Read Matthew 6:11, Matthew 14:15-21 and John 7:37-38. How did Jesus connect physical needs with spiritual needs?

7. How should God’s definition of “neighbor” lead us to care for hungry families living thousands of miles away from our church?

8. What actions can you take as an individual and as a church to meet the physical needs in your community and around the world?

Hunger Quick Facts

Facts about poverty and hunger in America

Even in the world’s greatest food-producing nation, children and adults face poverty and hunger in every county across America.

· More than 37 million people struggle with hunger in the United States, including more than 11 million children.

· A household that is food insecure has limited or uncertain access to enough food to support a healthy life.

· Children are more likely to face food insecurity than any other group in the United States.

· More than half (56%) of food-insecure households participated in at least one of the major federal food assistance program — the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly Food Stamps); the National School Lunch Program and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (often called WIC).

· In Alabama, 795,760 people are struggling with hunger - and of them 243,880 are children.

· The average cost of a meal in Alabama is $2.98. Data from Feeding America's Map the Meal Gap 2019 study.

· Find the Hunger facts for your county: https://map.feedingamerica.org/county/2017/overall/alabama

· Food insecure people in Alabama: 795,760.

· Food insecurity rate in Alabama: 16.3%.

· Estimated program eligibility among food insecure people in Alabama 52% are eligible for assistance. Food insecure people in Alabama who are NOT eligible for assistance 48%.

County Detail Data Table - Overall (P)1

County

Total Population (13-17 ACS)

Food Insecurity Rate (2017)

# of Food Insecure Persons (2017)

% FI ≤ Low Threshold

% FI Btwn Thresholds

% FI > High Threshold

Autauga County

55,036

13.2%

7,270

49%

14%

37%

Baldwin County

203,360

11.6%

23,560

46%

14%

40%

Barbour County

26,201

22.0%

5,760

60%

17%

23%

Bibb County

22,580

14.3%

3,240

46%

19%

36%

Blount County

57,667

10.7%

6,140

54%

21%

25%

Bullock County

10,478

24.8%

2,600

60%

18%

22%

Butler County

20,126

20.6%

4,160

65%

16%

19%

Calhoun County

115,527

15.7%

18,100

55%

17%

28%

Chambers County

33,895

17.9%

6,070

59%

22%

19%

Cherokee County

25,855

12.5%

3,230

56%

22%

22%

Chilton County

43,805

13.1%

5,740

61%

16%

23%

Choctaw County

13,188

19.5%

2,570

57%

22%

21%

Clarke County

24,625

22.9%

5,640

61%

17%

23%

Clay County

13,407

14.5%

1,940

61%

17%

22%

Cleburne County

14,939

13.5%

2,020

52%

22%

26%

Coffee County

51,073

14.2%

7,240

49%

18%

34%

Colbert County

54,435

14.7%

8,000

52%

15%

33%

Conecuh County

12,649

20.9%

2,650

65%

24%

12%

Coosa County

10,955

15.7%

1,720

57%

27%

16%

Covington County

37,519

14.6%

5,480

53%

18%

29%

Crenshaw County

13,866

15.8%

2,200

55%

20%

26%

Cullman County

81,703

11.8%

9,660

54%

21%

25%

Dale County

49,393

16.1%

7,940

54%

17%

29%

Dallas County

40,755

27.2%

11,100

71%

17%

12%

DeKalb County

71,194

12.4%

8,840

65%

19%

16%

Elmore County

80,989

13.3%

10,740

43%

13%

44%

Escambia County

37,621

18.4%

6,930

60%

20%

21%

Etowah County

103,132

14.6%

15,010

56%

17%

27%

Fayette County

16,657

14.4%

2,400

58%

19%

23%

Franklin County

31,507

12.9%

4,060

65%

13%

22%

Geneva County

26,572

14.8%

3,930

62%

12%

26%

Greene County

8,533

29.7%

2,540

76%

21%

3%

Hale County

14,995

22.2%

3,330

65%

18%

17%

Henry County

17,110

14.2%

2,430

57%

20%

23%

Houston County

104,108

16.5%

17,160

55%

18%

28%

Jackson County

52,326

13.6%

7,130

65%

12%

23%

Jefferson County

659,460

17.8%

117,600

51%

15%

34%

Lamar County

14,021

15.2%

2,140

61%

19%

20%

County

Total Population (13-17 ACS)

Food Insecurity Rate (2017)

# of Food Insecure Persons (2017)

% FI ≤ Low Threshold

% FI Btwn Thresholds

% FI > High Threshold

Lauderdale County

92,590

14.0%

12,950

50%

20%

30%

Lawrence County

33,288

13.4%

4,470

52%

19%

29%

Lee County

156,597

17.0%

26,560

58%

10%

33%

Limestone County

91,695

12.2%

11,190

48%

14%

38%

Lowndes County

10,362

26.4%

2,740

66%

17%

16%

Macon County

19,358

25.6%

4,950

58%

20%

23%

Madison County

353,213

13.8%

48,830

45%

12%

43%

Marengo County

19,743

22.0%

4,330

63%

20%

17%

Marion County

30,058

13.3%

3,990

57%

19%

25%

Marshall County

94,738

12.2%

11,520

65%

13%

22%

Mobile County

414,328

17.9%

74,120

53%

16%

31%

Monroe County

21,745

24.1%

5,240

68%

14%

18%

Montgomery County

227,120

20.7%

47,040

55%

15%

30%

Morgan County

119,157

12.9%

15,380

52%

17%

31%

Perry County

9,680

28.6%

2,770

76%

13%

11%

Pickens County

20,170

18.9%

3,810

63%

14%

23%

Pike County

33,287

21.0%

6,980

59%

15%

26%

Randolph County

22,530

15.3%

3,450

58%

15%

26%

Russell County

58,480

19.2%

11,220

57%

18%

26%

St. Clair County

86,937

11.7%

10,160

50%

14%

36%

Shelby County

208,721

9.3%

19,340

38%

13%

49%

Sumter County

13,084

27.7%

3,620

70%

13%

17%

Talladega County

80,888

17.2%

13,930

56%

20%

24%

Tallapoosa County

40,756

16.6%

6,770

58%

17%

26%

Tuscaloosa County

204,424

16.4%

33,580

49%

15%

36%

Walker County

64,927

14.6%

9,470

62%

12%

27%

Washington County

16,746

17.2%

2,890

56%

17%

27%

Wilcox County

10,919

29.3%

3,200

68%

17%

15%

Winston County

23,968

13.1%

3,140

60%

24%

16%

State of Alabama

(2017 aggregate of Congressional Districts)

(2017 State)

Total Population (13-17 ACS)

Rate of Food Insecurity

Food Insecurity Persons

≧Low Threshold

% FI Btwn Thresholds

% FI > High Threshold

4,874,747

16.30%

795,760

52%

16%

32%

Feeding America, Map the Meal Gap

Area Food Banks

Courtesy of www.FeedingAmerica.org/hunger-in-america/alabama

How to Give

Give Through Your Local Southern Baptist Church

Designate your gift for the “Hunger Offering”

Give Through Your State Baptist Convention

Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions

Attn: Accounting Office

P.O. Box 681970

Prattville, AL 36068-1970

Please designate on your check that it is for Hunger

Read more online: www.alsbom.org/hunger

Order free Hunger Offering and other promotional resources:

www.CooperativeProgramResources.org/hunger

For resources and Hunger offering envelopes contact:

Lori Lockett or Jim Swedenburg

1-800-264-1225, ext. 2304; 334-613-2304

e-mail: llockett@alsbom.org

or jswedenburg@alsbom.org

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