wfn.org | Hunger can be eliminated in United States, speaker says

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.UMC.ORG>]

July 17, 2001  News media contact: Tim Tanton·(615)742-5470·Nashville, Tenn.
10-71BP{316}

NOTE: This report may be used as a sidebar to UMNS story #315. Photographs
are available. 

By Tim Tanton*

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (UMNS) - The fight against hunger is a front-and-center
issue for the United Methodist Men.

The 4,000 men attending the 8th International UMMen Congress at Purdue
University heard challenges to increase support for the anti-hunger campaign
being waged by their churchwide commission. The Commission on United
Methodist Men, the Society of St. Andrew and the United Methodist Committee
on Relief are partners in a program to put a hunger relief advocate in every
one of the denomination's annual conferences.

"We know, and I hope you know, that eliminating hunger in the United States
is something that God wants us to do," said the Rev. Ken Horne, during the
opening session of the July 13-15 congress. He is executive director of the
Society of St. Andrew, a hunger relief ministry based in Big Island, Va. "We
can truly end hunger in the United States."

Every day, 32 million Americans don't know where their next meal will come
from, according to a video that was shown to the men. And every year,
Americans throw away 96 billion pounds of away, the video reported, citing
figures from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Horne urged the men to pray for the initiative, to financially support it,
and to get involved personally by learning about hunger and poverty in their
districts. The initiative will need $1 million to be fully implemented, he
said.

Hunger relief advocates are active in 11 conferences, and by next July,
there will probably be about 10,000 United Methodist men working to end
hunger in the United States, Horne said.

He called on the men to consider becoming challenge disciples by pledging
$50 a year to the program, or making their groups back home challenge
fellowships by pledging $200.

Evangelist Tony Campolo, who spoke shortly afterward, reinforced Horne's
message. He urged the men to make the $200 commitment that night. "We could
raise $2 million here tonight without snapping a finger," he said.

"You don't have to fill that out tonight, but if you don't, I hope the
elastic in your underwear snaps before you get to the dormitory," Campolo
said.

As of July 15, the commitments were at $54,860 "and counting."

A few hours before the congress opened, about 30 men spent the morning at a
farm north of Lafayette, gleaning food for needy people in the area. The
men, who had come from around the United States, gleaned raspberries, beans
and peas at Earthcraft Farm, where more than 20 different kinds of organic
produce are raised.

"I'm out here this morning to give back a little bit, what I can, to people
in need," said Birch Coston, a member of Christ United Methodist Church in
Lafayette. He took two days off work to participate in the gleaning project
and attend the congress. He was glad to have the opportunity to serve
others, he said. "That's more important than what you can do for yourself."

Nearby, Shawn Jackson was filling a bucket full of snap peas. "I enjoy this
kind of work," said Jackson, who runs a business and does legal research and
computer work back home in Bluefield, W. Va. Jackson is a member of Grace
United Methodist Church.

Jim Rose, who owns Earthcraft with his wife, Signe Waller, was glad to have
the United Methodist Men gleaning his produce. "This is wonderful," he said.
"For me, the alternative is to plow it under ... but if it can feed somebody
hungry, all the better."

The men gleaned 38 pints of raspberries, 100 pounds of green beans and 60 to
80 pounds of peas. The produce was taken to Food Finders, a food pantry for
the needy in Lafayette. The United Methodist Men and the Society of St.
Andrew, which cosponsored the gleaning project, also provided a load of
potatoes to Food Finders.

Having the gleaning ministry at the United Methodist Men's congress was
important because it raised awareness of hunger issues, as well as farming
and agricultural issues, said Del Ketcham, national hunger relief advocate
for the Society of St. Andrew.

The project also shows that men in large or small churches can do something
about hunger, he said. "Two men can do things about hunger."
# # #
*Tanton is news editor for United Methodist News Service.

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United Methodist News Service
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