Mission & Outreach: Support Farm Bill for healthy, sustainable food systems

We continue to pray for our brothers and sisters in the U.S. and around the world who struggle with hunger, for Bread for the World’s advocacy, and for our members of Congress, as we urge them to do all they can to pursue a world without hunger.

Ways we can act:

• Be ready to respond to Bread action alerts in the coming weeks, as we anticipate harmful bills and amendments to cut funding for nutrition assistance.
• Keep advocating for a nutritious, equitable, and sustainable Farm Bill by emailing Congressand connecting with your regional organizer about additional outreach.   (go.bread.org/page/48001/action/)
• Register for your next regional meeting(www.bread.org/events/) to hear updates from your organizer and to connect with advocates in your area!
• Get more information at www.bread.org.

In May, many of us wrote our members of Congress in support of renewing the Farm Bill. As the September 30 deadline nears, Bread for the World is asking us to specifically contact our U.S. Representative, Zoe Lofgren, urging her to sign the Lawler-Kamlager-Dove Food for Peace Letter. Food for Peace is part of the 2023 Farm Bill and has a 60 year track record of providing food assistance and resilience-building international programs.

You can contact Rep. Lofgren through her website: lofgren.house.gov or write a letter and mail it to her at the U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC 20515. Be sure to include your address to show that you reside in her district.

More information can be found on the Bread for the World website: Bread.org/FarmBill2023

If you have any questions, please contact Susan Armstrong.

The MHUMC Mission & Outreach Team has been developing exciting plans for projects to bring the love of Christ to our community and world.

The next project addresses hunger and malnutrition in the world.  Rather than asking for monetary funds, we are inviting you to join us in an Offering of Letters through Bread for the World.

Bread for the World is a Christian advocacy organization urging U.S. decision makers to do all they can to pursue a world without hunger.  The mission of this organization is to educate and equip people to advocate for policies and programs that can help end hunger in the U. S. and around the world.

In September 2023, our US Congress will be voting on the Farm Bill, which governs both U.S. and global agricultural and food policies and programs.  This legislation is renewed every 5 years and involves a huge amount of money. This year that amount is projected to be $428B, 76% of which involves nutrition — food for people here and abroad, plus equitable and sustainable farm practices. This legislation involves everything from extra benefits for fresh fruits and vegetables in the SNAP program to international food aid such as Food for Peace.

The Mission Team would like you to take part in this letter writing campaign to Congress in the coming weeks. Sunday, May 7, will be Bread for the World Sunday. On that day, there will be several ways you can participate:

• Stay after worship that day to write a letter to your US representative or senator.
• Take home information that day, and write a letter at home. (Here’s a downloadable sample letter.)
• Email a message that day from a computer we will have at church.
• Email a message from your home computer, tablet, or phone during the week.  (See information here.)

The following Sunday, May 14, we will dedicate those letters, or a card noting an email was sent, as part of our Sunday morning offering.

We hope you will join us to advocate for renewing food and farm programs, which will help build healthy, equitable and sustainable food systems.