• Article Categories

  • CLC Events
  • CLC In The News
  • Director's Column
  • Ethics In Action
  • Good News Goods
  • Good News Goods Updates
  • In The News
  • ISAAC Updates
  • Living the Christian Life
  • Public Policy Updates
  • Religious Liberty
  • Substance Abuse Updates
  • TBOWH Updates
  • Texas Hope 2010
  • Uncategorized

• CLC Links

  • BGCT
  • CLC Staff
  • CLC Web Site
  • Texas Baptist Offering for World Hunger

• Recent Posts

  • In The News – July 2010
  • Good News Goods – July 2010
  • TBOWH Updates – July 2010
  • Public Policy Update – July 2010
  • A Word From Suzii – Religion and Foreign Policy, the world is on the doorstep

• Recent Comments

  • jane lowrimore on Living the Christian Life – A little hope goes a long way
  • David tamez on Responsible Dialogue On Immigration
  • TOM on Historical Framework for Current Immigration Debate
  • jane lowrimore on Living the Christian Life – Clean Energy Economy
  • jane lowrimore on Living the Christian Life – Clean Energy Economy

• Archives

  • July 2010
  • June 2010
  • May 2010
  • April 2010
  • March 2010
  • February 2010
  • January 2010
  • December 2009
  • October 2009
  • September 2009
  • August 2009
  • July 2009
  • June 2009
  • May 2009
  • April 2009
  • March 2009
  • February 2009
  • January 2009
  • December 2008
  • November 2008
  • October 2008
  • September 2008
  • August 2008
  • July 2008
• Search for:

By Jeremy Everett, Director, Texas Hunger Initiative

Recently, I sat down with a student who recounted a childhood riddled with hunger.  The student’s family would frequently punish her by refusing to feed her for days at a time.  One summer during high school, the student was given one bag of Ramen noodles for each day of the summer.  Unfortunately, these stories are becoming too common in our state.

Texas ranks first in childhood hunger in the United States.  We rank second in food security as a state, i.e., 1.4 million Texans are food insecure, which means they are unsure where they will get their next meal.  Last summer only 9 percent of eligible children participated in the state’s Summer Meals Program, which provides up to two meals a day for food-insecure children in Texas.  Half of eligible families do not receive SNAP funds, which would give families supplemental dollars to purchase fresh food.

Fortunately, organizations and individuals are coming together with the goal of Food Security in Texas by 2015.  That means that everyone in Texas will have access to three meals a day seven days a week.  The CLC and the Texas Hunger Initiative, along with a number of partners such as the USDA, Texas Department of Agriculture, Health and Human Services Commission, Texas Impact, and the Texas Food Bank Network, held a Texas at the Table Hunger Summit at Baylor University in November with many Texas Baptists Hunger Advocates to launch the mission.  This is the first time as a state we have all come together to work alongside the hungry in our communities to make food security a reality.

12Now the day was ending, and the twelve came and said to Him, “Send the crowd away, that they may go into the surrounding villages and countryside and find lodging and get something to eat; for here we are in a desolate place.”  13But He (Jesus) said to them, “You give them something to eat!” (Luke 9-12-13, NASB)

We value your input and suggestions.
Your comments and recommended resources are welcome in the comments box below.

Comments