Voices of hope

One in five children in the U.S. lives without enough food to be healthy. This and other disturbing realities are discussed in Hope for Children in Poverty: Profiles and Possibilities—a compilation of essays, biblical reflections, statistics, first-person narratives, poetry, songs and art portraying the dire conditions that haunt poor and low-income families.

Editors of this book from Judson Press Press, the publishing arm of the American Baptist Churches USA, are Ronald J. Sider and Heidi Unruh. Sider is president of Evangelicals for Social Action, and Unruh directs a related project for the group. Unruh poignantly describes the poverty of her childhood.

While the statistics are grim, Hope for Children in Poverty also focuses on creative programs that address the issues. Many are operated by churches and faith-based organizations.

The ministries go far beyond providing food and clothing. Nueva Creacion/New Creation Lutheran is an ELCA congregation in Philadelphia. Its ministries include after-school homework help and a photography group to aid children in expressing feelings and ideas.