Grand Canyon Synod Hunger Leaders Network
What is the Hunger Leaders Network?
This network is comprised of leaders from offices, congregations, and ministries around the Grand Canyon Synod who are working to alleviate hunger. We provide each other with support, ideas, collaboration, and partnership on our various projects. We also share resources from ELCA World Hunger and the Synod, such as grant opportunities and toolkits. Synod-based Hunger Leaders Networks are sponsored by ELCA World Hunger, facilitated by local leaders, and can be found all across the United States and the Caribbean!
Who is a Hunger Leader?
A Hunger Leader is anyone working within the Synod to address hunger in their community. Every church in the GCS is involved with some sort of feeding ministry or food distribution program, from in-house food pantries to ongoing partnerships with local food banks and shelters. Hunger Leaders are the people who operate, run, publicize, donate to, and partner with these programs. Being a Hunger Leaders doesn’t require any specific training; we want to support the work YOU are already doing! Everyone is invited to come and learn with us!
Our goal is to have a Hunger Leader from every ministry and partnership join our network.
Monthly Meeting
The Grand Canyon Synod Hunger Leaders Network meets on the last Tuesday of every month from 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm MST. We hear from community partners about the anti-hunger initiatives they work on and from various churchwide offices about resources, projects, and programs related to our work. We also take time to share about our own ministries and projects. Co-chairs of the GCS Hunger Leaders Network are Melanie Hobden (Desert Cross, Tempe) and Solveig Muus (Grace, Phoenix + LAMA Director).
Click here for the Calendar event & Zoom link!
Our Work
We have been working hard around the synod! For the last two years, we have hosted (and won!) the 40-40-40 Lenten Challenge. We competed against the Southeastern Iowa Synod in 2023 (see the results here!), and with all of the synods in Region 2 in 2024. Over the course of the Lenten season, Lutherans across Arizona and Nevada participated in daily devotionals and other spiritual practices, including raising money for ELCA World Hunger. With our Region 2 friends, we raised just shy of $60,000 to combat hunger!
In 2023, we worked together to put forth a resolution to our synod assembly (read about it here!). The resolution encouraged all congregations throughout the Grand Canyon Synod to focus efforts on anti-hunger work, through supporting local hunger ministries, increasing awareness of hunger and poverty issues, and increasing opportunities to financially support the work of ELCA World Hunger. The resolution passed unanimously!
As a part of this resolution, the Hunger Leaders Network has been collecting data from churches through our Hunger Leaders Survey. This has allowed us to compile a data base of all the anti-hunger projects, feeding ministries, and community partners that our churches engage in!
Resources
Hunger Leaders Network Database
For the last year, the team has been building a database of the various anti-hunger initiatives and feeding ministries throughout the Grand Canyon Synod. Has your congregation filled out the survey yet? Click here to tell us what you’re doing!
News & Resources
The Northeast Valley Consortium – a collaboration among Ascension, Christ the Lord, Living Water, New Covenant, and New Journey Lutheran Churches, founded in 2020 – approved $2,000 to fund Grand Canyon Synod participation in the 2025 ELCA World Hunger Leaders Gathering.