Winning the fight against hunger

For 30 years, U.S. Lutherans have maintained a focus on hunger. We've helped make progress against world hunger. But 2005 is a year of decision.

There are 850 million undernourished people in the world. About 5 percent of these people suffer from natural disasters, such as the South Asian tsunami or war. Ninety-five percent are just too poor to provide adequately for themselves. A child dies every five seconds from hunger-related causes.

In the United States, 36 million people live in households that struggle to put daily bread on the table. Many of these families make do with cheap food and sometimes skip meals. Hungry children can't learn and develop their God-given potential.

Lutherans make a difference

The ELCA World Hunger Appeal is 30 years old. So is Bread for the World, an interdenominational hunger advocacy movement in which Lutherans have played a leadership role. Lutheran World Relief, Lutheran Services in America and the Lutheran Office for Governmental Affairs (LOGA) are exceptionally strong and effective in helping the hungry.

Our Lutheran concern about hunger is rooted in the Bible and our experience of God. The Lord provides manna in the desert, loaves and fishes for the multitude, our daily bread, his presence in communion. God forgives our sin and fills our hungry souls with the Bread of Life. God cares for people in need and promises security and prosperity to the nation that seeks justice for poor people. When the Son of Man comes to judge the nations, he will judge whether we fed hungry people.