wfn.org | Hunger Program Announces Grant Program For Church-based

[PCUSA.NEWS@pcusa.org]

16-January-1997 
 
 
97028         Hunger Program Announces Grant Program 
                 For Church-based Hunger Ministries 
 
                         by Alexa Smith 
 
LOUISVILLE, Ky.-- Applications are now being accepted for $500 grants to 
fund hunger ministries in Presbyterian churches, according to the Rev. Gary 
Cook, associate for national hunger ministries in the Presbyterian Hunger 
Program (PHP). 
 
 The grant program will initially be limited to one grant per presbytery. 
Money for the grants will come from the One Great Hour of Sharing offering. 
 
 "We're going to be getting money out to churches that need it ... and also 
doing the public policy work that is needed," said Cook, who says that 
churches are anticipating more requests for assistance since the Welfare 
Reform Act was approved by Congress last fall and states were given leeway 
to reduce food stamp allotments. 
 
 So, according to Cook, parishes that run hunger ministries -- be it food 
pantries or feeding programs -- are worried about doing more in a day when 
both money and resources are dwindling. 
 
 He said the public policy debate on this issue will be helped by 
statistics gathered from churches receiving the grants, since figures from 
voluntary agencies will have more credibility with legislators than those 
compiled by Washington-based lobbies whose jobs often depend on maintaining 
or expanding welfare and food stamp assistance.  "We can look at what the 
demand was at the end of '96 -- and what the demand was at the end of '97 
and '98. 
 
 "If the Congress is  right and these new program [cuts] fix everything, by 
the end of '98, the demand should be going down," he said. 
 
 Cook said data will be shared with the Presbyterian Washington Office for 
its advocacy work  on nutrition issues. 
 
 Congregations will be asked to submit grant requests through their 
presbyteries.  Presbyteries will be asked to prioritize the requests on the 
basis of need and to forward applications to the Presbyterian Hunger 
Program by March 31, Cook told the Presbyterian News Service.  Grants will 
be allocated immediately upon receipt of the presbytery certified 
applications. 
 
 Applications may be requested by calling the Hunger Ministry Help Line 
after Jan. 20 at 1-888-PHP-FOOD.  The help line is staffed by volunteers 
from the Community Church of the Rockies in Estes Park, Colo., and also 
offers information, resources and referrals regarding hunger ministries. 
Forms are also being sent to presbytery offices. 
 
 The Rev. Lenton Gunn Jr., pastor of the St. James Presbyterian Church in 
New York City and chair of the PHP Advisory Committee, said it is his 
impression that more women with small children are coming to his church for 
help since passage of the federal welfare and food stamp legislation. 
"Sometimes," he said, "I just give them money out of my pocket, sometimes 
out of the deacon's fund and other times out of the pastor's benevolence 
fund. 
 
 "I've not always kept records," he said, stressing the need to get figures 
about what he believes is a changing population seeking help.  "We've 
always had people coming to the door.  There's been a lot of men.  But more 
women are coming now." 
 
 Gunn said that St. James feeds about 150 people in the church's gymnasium 
every Saturday.  He believes that churches, foundations, private industry 
and government together can "probably make a significant difference" in 
getting the hungry fed in the United States, as President Bill Clinton is 
proposing.  "We can always find a way to do more," he said, "a bit more. 
But how much? 
 
 "You can't dump [all assistance] down on the churches and say,  You all 
take care of this,'" Gunn said.  "With all the cuts in welfare, they're 
saying we'll see the impact of this two years down the road, but we're 
seeing some of it now," Gunn told the Presbyterian News Service. 
 
 Cook is reluctant to say that churches will be able to absorb more clients 
in parish-based hunger programs, noting that some churches with 
long-running hunger ministries are reporting burn-out among volunteers and 
are frightened about the prospect of increased demand.  "Some of the 
programs [cut by Congress] are programs that provided commodities to food 
pantries," said Cook, adding that corporate donations to food banks are 
also decreasing.   
 
 "These combined factors  reduce resources available to church-based food 
pantries at a time when the demand is increasing.  That's the bind we're 
in," he told the Presbyterian News Service.  

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