Help Reduce Hunger

As part of Bread for the World’s advocacy efforts, Elise Fuller and Jessica Ryan visit with staff of Rep. Frank Broomell Photo: Joseph Molieri/Bread for the World

There are two key ways in which you and other people in the United States can help reduce hunger and poverty: understanding– this implies learning– and action. Action can take three key forms: influencing public policy, contributing financially, and working directly with poor people.

Learn about hunger and poverty. What are the situations confronting poor people in the United States and in the world, and what are the underlying factors causing their hunger and poverty? A key step to helping poor people is to increase your understanding through learning. For more information, please see the Hunger Notes department Learn More About Hunger

Take action:

Hunger advocates talk to the Speaker of the House, Congressman Paul Ryan. Photo: Bread for the World

• Influence public policy to support poor people. Governments play a key role in allocating resources and adopting policies that influence the lives of poor and hungry people. Use your U.S. citizenship and self-empowerment to influence the nation’s voice including changing government policies. Hunger Notes strongly suggests that you join one (or more) U.S. anti-hunger advocacy/public policy organizations or other organizations that deal with key issues affecting poor people.
• Contribute financially to reducing hunger and poverty. While it is, in general, not possible to support individual poor families, it is possible to contribute to organizations that do support poor people. See our list of some of those organizations below.
• Work directly with poor people.

Influencing Public Policy to Support Poor People

Key advocacy and public policy groups in the United States include key hunger organizations and a larger number of other organizations that work to benefit poor people.

Bread for the World is a national Christian grassroots organization that seeks justice for the world’s hungry people, including people in the United States, by lobbying Congress and other U.S. decision makers.

RESULTS is an international citizens’ lobbying group whose purpose is to create the political will to end hunger and poverty. In the United States, its volunteers have campaigned for programs that combat domestic poverty, as well as for international programs such as microenterprise lending.

The Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) is a leading national organization working to improve public policies to eradicate hunger and undernutrition in the United States. Founded in 1970 as a public interest law firm, FRAC is a nonprofit and nonpartisan research and public policy center that serves as the hub of an anti-hunger network of thousands of individuals and agencies across the country. It is not a membership organization.

• Amnesty International There is an incredible amount of injustice and oppression in the world. Perhaps the key way in which governments suppress ‘their’ people is by imprisoning, torturing, and killing people who speak up and become leaders for human rights. Amazingly, Amnesty International keeps track of a large number of those imprisoned and launches international letter and legal campaigns for their release.
• Center of Concern Through research, analysis, networking, public education and advocacy, the Center works to advance more just, sustainable and authentically human development for all, especially for the marginalized and those in poverty.
• Children’s Defense Fund is the leading advocacy group in support of poor children in the United States.
• The Hunger Project is a movement that works to eradicate hunger by fostering global citizenry.
• Jubilee USA is the U.S. organization that is a key part of a global movement seeking to cancel the debts of the world’s poorest countries. (website: http://www.jubileeusa.org/home.html)
• NETWORK is a national Catholic social justice organization.
• One is a campaigning and advocacy organization of 3.5 million people taking action to end extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa.
• World Hunger Year (WHY) seeks to promote partnerships for empowerment and community building.

Contribute Financially to Other Organizations That Are Reducing Hunger and Poverty

• Adventist Development and Relief Agency International (ADRA) is the worldwide humanitarian arm of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church.
• Catholic Relief Services is the humanitarian arm of the U.S. Catholic community.
• Church World Service is a coalition of 36 Protestant, Anglican, and Orthodox communions in the United States, cooperating worldwide in programs of long-term development, emergency response and assistance to refugees.
• Feeding America is the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity. Its mission is to feed America’s hungry through a nationwide network of member food banks and engage US citizens in the fight to end hunger.
• Freedom from Hunger is a nonprofit, nongovernmental, international development organization dedicated to ending chronic hunger and poverty through self-help programs that serve women.
• Heifer Project International
• InterAction A coalition of more than 150 non-profit organizations. Check here if you do not see the organization you are looking for on our website.
• Lutheran World Relief works in overseas development and relief.
• Mennonite Central Committee is the relief and development arm of the North American Mennonite and Brethren in Christ churches.
• Oxfam International is an international group of independent non-governmental organizations dedicated to fighting poverty and related injustice around the world. There is a United States Oxfam.
• Presbyterian Hunger Program

Work Directly with Poor People

• Congressional Hunger Center develops new and existing anti-hunger leaders through various programs including its Mickey Leland Hunger Fellows Program, which are one- year programs with stipends.
• Peace Corps
• Build a “Little Free Pantry” in your neighborhood to provide food to those who need it: http://www.littlefreepantry.org/frequently-asked-questions
• For more information and ideas see our jobs page.
• Or start your own nonprofit! Here is information from the US government on how to get started: https://www.usa.gov/start-nonprofit