The Global Food Crisis

In the midst of this recession (are we allowed to call it that now?), it's hard not to go internal. Not to curl up inside of ourselves, implode with a sense of entitlement and bitterness so that we can lick our financial wounds in peace. Don't read an ounce of sarcasm into that. I know it's hard. I know that people are losing their jobs and that we're scared. And we have a right to our feelings. Always have, always will.

But I'd like to take a moment to consider what we do have: a country where we can worship without persecution, access to all manner of services and programs to help us continue to put food on the table, a government that is working tirelessly on our behalf (whether or not we agree with their policies, at least we are not stuck beneath the cruel thumb of a dictator, despot, or tyrant), all manner of friends and family (by blood or by church, organization, or self-appointed community) to help carry the load, as well as clean water, a roof over our heads (even if it is not one that we own), food to eat (even if it comes from the ladle at a soup kitchen), and clothes on our bodies (hey, shopping at Goodwill is cool). And let's be honest here, for most of us, it's nowhere near that dire. Our IRAs are in the tank and we can't afford that little extra something we've been coveting. The extravagant lifestyle that most Americans enjoy is going to change. But maybe that's what had to happen.

The truth remains, we are blessed beyond belief, even when times are tough. We think the financial crisis is hard on us? It's devastating the rest of the world...

Today Compassion International is sponsoring Global Food Crisis Day. Partnering with media across the continent, they are trying to raise awareness about the food crisis that continues to ravage most of the world. I encourage you to stop by their site and see how you can help. Not interested in Compassion? Try World Vision, Save the Children, The Global Hunger Project, Bread for the World, Christian Reformed World Relief Committee, or even our own One Body, One Hope. A dollar a day won't buy you a coffee in the States. But it can feed, clothe, educate, and give a child in the third world access to medical care. Did you see the little sweetheart in the picture above? Her name is Princess and she's eating today because a family cared enough to give up $1 a day for her. I think she's worth every penny and so much more.

Hunger Facts

• One person in seven goes to bed hungry every day.
• One-third of the world’s population is undernourished.
• There are 25,000 starvation-related deaths each day.
• Each night more than 300 million children go to bed hungry.
• Every day, over 12,000 children (one every 7 seconds) die from hunger-related causes.
• Approximately 146 million or 27 percent of children under age 5 in developing countries are underweight.
• Nearly 17 percent of babies in developing countries are born with a low birth weight compared with only 7 percent of babies in industrialized countries.
• More than 4.4 million children die from malnutrition each year.
• Worldwide, 161 million preschool children suffer chronic malnutrition.
  

Sources: www.one.org, www.bread.org, www.unicef.org, www.who.int, www.unep.org