May
26
By Jeremy K. Everett
The first time I met Dan Trevino, Pastor of Harlandale Baptist Church in San Antonio, he told me a story of two young children he had found dumpster diving at their church on a Saturday morning. Dan and his sons had come to the church early to fix breakfast for the men in the congregation. The two frightened boys were trying desperately to get away when they saw Dan drive up. Dan called to the boys and they confessed that they were looking for food. They told Dan that they rarely had food at their house, so they typically go without meals at nights and on weekends when they are out of school.
The two boys participate in the free breakfast and lunch program at their schools, a program developed during the Great Depression to feed the nation’s children so they would be fit enough to join the military during World War II. Dan took the boys inside and fed them until they could no longer eat. Then, in addition to their food pantry and community garden, Harlandale Baptist Church decided to join the growing ranks of faith-based communities participating in the summer feeding program. They simply could not stand the thought of these children going hungry over the summer when school was not in session.
Three million children participate in the free breakfast and lunch programs in Texas schools during the academic year, but only 78,000 of that number participate in summer feeding programs. So where do the others eat during the summer months? Currently, the partnerships between the USDA, Texas Department of Agriculture, and the Texas Department of Health and Human Services provide funding for all food purchased for summer feeding programs in the state. Many faith-based communities, school districts, and nonprofits are beginning to apply for funding from this federal program to feed children that would otherwise not have access to food.
The Christian Life Commission, Texas Hunger Initiative, and Texas Impact entered into a partnership to do a two-year study funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to see what steps can be taken by faith-based communities to increase summer feeding programs around the state. To learn how your congregation can get involved with Texas summer feeding programs, go to the Texas Impact Website or call your regional food bank to see if your church can become a feeding center for the summer.
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One Response to “Ethics in Action – Texas Hunger Initiative”
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I am curious how Wayland Baptist University and Wayland Mission Center can participate as an institutional partner in the eradication of hunger in west Texas.