USA (MNN) — What can ordinary people do to help end poverty around the world? Food for the Hungry is sharing ten creative approaches in a new e-book.
(Image courtesy of Food for the Hungry)
10 Creative Ways to End Poverty features the stories of those using their gifts and talents to support the ministry. Karen Randau, Content Manager for Food for the Hungry, says the stories are inspiring.
“We have a child who hosted an ice cream social at his church, and an artist who has used some of the proceeds from the sale of her art to sponsor a child.”
The e-book is the newest addition to Food for the Hungry’s vast array of free resources available on their website. Randau says, “We want to help people understand God’s heart for the poor, and the ways that work in ending poverty in people’s lives, and be inspirational to them; to know that one person can make a difference.”
For Randau, the stories are reminders of her personal testimony. She smiles as she reflects on her own journey. “We talk about how people want to help those people ‘out there’ in a third world country or a developing country, and so often we’re the ones who get changed – and that was me.”
Randaus’s is one of the ten stories in the e-book, as she has pledged a portion of the royalties from her new mystery novel to the ministry.
(Image courtesy of Food for the Hungry)
In addition to praying for and supporting Food for the Hungry, Randau says there is an important thing everyone can do to help the vulnerable.
“You can write letters to your representatives in Congress to let them know you want them to continue funding important programs that do help end poverty – not just put a band-aid over it, but end poverty in people’s lives. “
Randau says helping end physical poverty in the lives of the vulnerable has far-reaching, eternal impact and she asks that people pray for more individuals, churches, and businesses to heed the call.
She shares, “When they are being served by Christian people showing them, ‘Here’s how you can feed your children, here’s another way to farm, here’s a way you can have clean water so you can give your children water and not worry about it’ – that right there opens their mind and their heart for hearing the Gospel.”
Learn more about Food for the Hungry’s ministry efforts around the world, and download your free copy of 10 Creative Ways to End Poverty.
Karen Randau is very wrong. It is not the government’s job to tackle poverty. The church is to do it. The government should not be taking our money for that. The church should determine who to help because, as Paul said if they won’t work they shouldn’t eat. The church should know who is truly needy and who needs to spend their money better. Nowhere did God tell the kings to take things (food, money, clothing) from some people and give them to others. God said that individuals should leave gleanings but the government didn’t take them. The people had to do something to get the food.
Dear Sir;
You end poverity by teaching them “how to fish rather than giving them a fish”. Agriculture is on primary of helping the smallholder farmer to begin a better life for him and his/her family.
Will like to contact my area representatives in Congress (senators included). Like me there might be several who are interested to do so after reading this article to stop hunger and poverty.
I suggest you put together a write up on it and provide a link to the house of representatives and senators e-mails just like organizations such as American Society of Engineers (ASCE) government affairs department does. I believe your IT guys can figure it out.
Do you think this suggestion is doable?
Thanks and with blessings,
Abate
J’Ann, I can read you are passionate about your thoughts. But can we go back to Biblical times for just only one instance? When the Lord revealed the famine in Egypt through the dreams of the Pharaoh that was interpreted by Joseph, what was God’s words to the Pharaoh? That he organizes the church to feed the people in the upcoming drought? The State or th government was asked to save on the harvest and later feed the people of Egypt and other nations. Let us read and refer to the Bible in its entirety before we say someone is wrong. Your quote of Paul was for people who have a lot but refused to work. Have you ever experienced hunger in its fullness where you are even asking for a job to do or to farm on a dry land but cannot get the chance to do? The government represents us and we pay our taxes to it and through our representatives decide whether they will help alleviate poverty or create conditions for making it worse. The church will do its part but governments have to play theirs too. Close your eyes and look in the face of a child born under weight because the mother has no food to eat and the child grows up with no possibility of child care or health care or even education. Put yourself in that situation for one minute and you will feel the pain. I think if you want try and experience what Karen is talking about for one day and you will come out as a changed person. Until then lets pray that our governments don’t take the little piece of bread from the mouths of the children