A Church’s Genesis to Rise Against Hunger
By Revs. Rochelle Andrews and Jennifer Gillyard, 2nd Episcopal District
James 2:14-17 says, “What good is it, my brothers and sisters,if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,’ and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.” On Saturday, May 18, 2019, under the leadership of Pastors Harold and Kellie Hayes,the AMOS Social Justice Ministry at Real Power AME Church in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, partnered with Rise Against Hunger in the global fight against world hunger.
Rise Against Hunger is an international hunger relief organization responsible for educating farming communities and distributing food and aid in some of the world’s poorest regions. The organization is just one of many working to meet the UN-backed goal to eradicate hunger by 2030. They provide fun and educational Meal Packing Events for all age groups to demonstrate how anyone can help meet a critical need and have a global impact on hunger.
According to the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), an agency in the United Nations system, approximately 821 million people go to bed hungry every day due to food insecurity and undernutrition, particularly in developing countries. Rise Against Hungeris creating sustainable solutions to hunger and poverty around the globe.
In assembly-line fashion, we packed dried soy, vegetables, and rice into packages with a dash of love for a stranger we may never meet! Over a three-hour period, while packing meals we sang loudly to music from different eras and genres and a spirit of unity engulfed the room. For every 1,000 bags, a gong would ring to signal we were 1,000 bags closer to our goal. Real Power AME Church pledged to complete 10,152 bags which required a fundraising goal of $3,452 (34 cents per meal) to cover abroad shipping costs. We successfully met our goal! One participant said, “Originally, I was only going to donate and call it a day but then I decided I wanted to see what the process really was, so I signed up to volunteer. I’m so glad I did. I had a ball and it felt amazing to know that I was helping others! The energy in the space was phenomenal.”
Partnering with Rise Against Hunger was a form of ministry expansion that allowed us to extend our voices and hands locally and globally. For example, during the planning of the event, the AMOS Social Justice Ministry worked with a UNICEF representative and Interfaith partners to understand global hunger as a social ill and the ways sacred places of worship could engage the issue.
As noted in James, the act of giving something tangible like a meal is a byproduct of faith, an act of worship, a demonstration of discipleship, and a way to honor God that can occur outside the four walls of the church or within. Moreover, we were able to give to a stranger without factoring in one’s gender identity, race, ethnicity, religion, type of living conditions, or health status. We are doing God’s work by first seeing God in every human across the globe. This is the first step to recognizing that everyone deserves basic human rights which includes access to food.
Two participants attending the Rise Against Hunger event observed that it was a heartwarming and uplifting experience. They said, “It was especially gratifying to have two of our young grandsons working diligently along with us at their selected tasks. Giving and supporting others is a principle of life we want them to learn and live. This was a great opportunity to reinforce that belief and be a blessing to others.”
If your church, job, or organization would like to host a Meal Packing Event, start by going online to Rise Against Hunger to signup and a representative will set you up with a local director who will work with you in creating the event. The organization will also create a host page website to track attendees and a donation link for social media purposes. For further questions contact the Rev. Rochelle Andrews and the Rev. Jennifer Gillyard of the AMOS Social Justice Ministry at amos524sac@gmail.com.
