40-40-40 Lenten Challenge: Why support ELCA World Hunger?
About ELCA World Hunger
Working with and through ELCA congregations (in the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands), Lutheran churches overseas and other partners, ELCA World Hunger is uniquely positioned to reach communities in need. From health clinics to microloans, water wells to animal husbandry, community meals to advocacy, gifts to ELCA World Hunger enable the ELCA to respond, supporting sustainable solutions that get at the root causes of hunger and poverty.
By providing immediate relief to those who are hungry, we meet basic needs and recognize the universal human right to food. But ending hunger is about more than food. By connecting people with the resources they need to produce food and gain access to clean water, education, health care and sources of income, we can foster long-term, sustainable change. Learn more at elca.org/hunger.
More than 811 million people - that's about 11 percent of people in our world today - are hungry.
As members of the ELCA, we are called to respond. We are a church that rolls up our sleeves and gets to work.
Working with and through our congregations, in the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands Lutheran churches overseas and other partners, ELCA World Hunger is uniquely positioned to reach communities in need.
From health clinics to microloans, water wells to animal husbandry, community meals to advocacy, your gifts to ELCA World Hunger make it possible for the ELCA to respond, supporting sustainable solutions that get at the root causes of hunger and poverty.
Hunger facts
In 2020, between 720 - 811 million people around the world - that's more than 1 in 10 - can't access the food they need to live active, healthy lives. (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United States)
According to the most recent estimates, 700 million people live in extreme poverty on less than $1.90 per day. That's 10% of the world's population. “The COVID-19 pandemic dealt the biggest setback to global poverty in decades. The pandemic increased the global extreme poverty rate to an estimated 9.3 percent in 2020—up from 8.4 percent in 2019. That indicates that more than 70 million people were pushed into extreme poverty by the end of 2020, increasing the global total to over 700 million.” (The World Bank, 2022)
In 2020, 85.2 percent of households with children were food secure, while 14.8 percent were food-insecure, up from 13.6 percent in 2019. [USDA, 2022)
The official poverty rate in 2021 was 11.6 percent, with 37.9 million people in poverty. (United States Census Bureau)
ELCA World Hunger’s Approach
For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.– Matthew 25:35
God richly provides for daily bread — the earth can produce enough food for everyone. Yet, many of our sisters and brothers still go hungry.
By providing immediate relief to those who are hungry, we meet basic needs and recognize the universal human right to food. But ending hunger is about more than food. By connecting people with the resources they need to produce food and gain access to clean water, education, health care and sources of income, long-term, sustainable change can be accomplished.
We start with relationships marked by conversation and listening. We believe people know their own communities best. It is our congregations and our global companion churches that first identify the local needs and related solutions to help make a difference. Then, we partner with communities to help make those solutions a reality.
Working through ELCA congregations, global companion churches, The Lutheran World Federation and other partners like Bread for the World, Church World Service, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service and Lutheran World Relief, the ELCA reaches more places more effectively than we could ever do alone. In addition to funding relief and development projects that assist our sisters and brothers in need, we engage members of the ELCA in education and advocacy to help change the systems that perpetuate poverty.
Through this comprehensive approach, we work to address hunger from all angles — both domestically and globally.
By the way, ELCA World Hunger supports LAMA in a big way, financially. We’re not in business without them.