Kathy Hillman: #LoveMomEndHunger one action at a time

How do we teach our children about hunger? How can they grasp the disparity between themselves and nearly 12.5 million hungry children in America or 805 million chronically undernourished worldwide? We wrestled with those questions as we planned a children’s mission study.

Kathy HillmanA family serving in Africa who lived in Columbus Avenue Baptist Church’s missionary house suggested using small chocolate candies to illustrate the disparity between hunger and plenty. The distribution of candy among the bags paralleled the distribution of food around the world. We modified the exercise so every girl and boy received at least one piece of candy, with a few getting 50. Most sacks were sparse.

The first- through sixth-grade Girls in Action and Royal Ambassadors arrived, randomly got their treats and received instructions not to open the bags. The missionary told stories and used the candy to demonstrate how one in four Texas children, one in five American children, and one in nine people around the world are hungry. Finally, he gave permission to eat. 

Out of the corner of my eye, I incredulously saw the smallest boy sharing his huge bag of candy—not just with boys, but with everyone. When asked why, he said, “Because I had so many, and they had so few.” 

Volunteers make healthy snacks for students at a program hosted by the Texas Hunger Initiative. (Photo: Kathy Hillman)We had never seen anyone share in a similar setting. However, knowing the boy’s parents, I wasn’t surprised. His mother especially helped others whenever she could. 

Whenever we can, Texas Baptists work with Baptist partners in our state and around the world to aid others. We show God’s love by meeting immediate hunger needs and helping families escape devastating poverty through the Texas Baptist Hunger Offering. The Mother’s Day Hunger Offering augments fifth-Sunday collections because “Every mother deserves a day, and every child deserves a meal.”

However, a Campus Kitchen hunger volunteer explains, “You can’t end hunger with food.” In 2009, the Texas Baptist Christian Life Commission and the Baylor School of Social Work created the nonprofit Texas Hunger Initiative. The organization works “to end hunger by initiating collaboration, sharing innovative ideas … and informing public policy in Texas and beyond.”

Children participate in a summer meals program sponsored by Waco Regional Baptist Association. (Photo: Waco Regional Baptist Association)I recently attended a women’s club program hosted by the THI. We washed hands and donned hairnets and gloves before helping prepare healthy snacks for children. Then we guiltily ate lunch as director Jeremy Everett told us Americans waste nearly 30 million tons of food annually—enough for each family of four to feed an additional person. He then introduced new terms, explained issues and suggested options for engagement.

I never had heard of food deserts, although 29.7 million Americans live in what the U.S. Department of Agriculture defines as “urban neighborhoods and rural towns without ready access to fresh, healthy and affordable food,” generally meaning more than one mile from a supermarket in urban areas or 10 miles in rural settings. Food-insecure people have inconsistent access to adequate food, so hunger can be related to low income and/or low access. Twelve Texas cities have established food-planning coalitions, bringing together local businesses, churches, government and school districts to address hunger issues.

Jeremy Everett, director of the Texas Hunger Initiative, speaks about hunger issues to a women’s club event. (Photo: Kathy Hillman)The scope of the problem in Texas affects all of us:

• Texas ranks second nationwide in food-insecure households. 

• Twenty percent of Texas households are food-insecure; 25 percent of our children live in these households. 

• Only 12 percent of children who eat free or reduced-price meals at school participate in the summer. 

• Just 32 percent of eligible students take part in breakfast programs.

• Food-insecure seniors are at higher risk for diabetes, depression and high blood pressure.

Everett stated: “Hunger isn’t going to be solved by one or two groups. We can win the battle, but only together. We can all do something.”

• Learn about the problem and community efforts.

• Assess how you and your church can help. Boxes of food ready for distribution. (Photo: Texas Christian Life Commission)Teach shopping and nutritional cooking, host a summer program, provide space for a community garden, deliver Meals on Wheels, collect food and/or pack backpacks, or offer supermarket transportation.

• Be sensitive to those needing help—acquaintances who lose work hours or jobs, seniors who skip meals to pay for prescriptions or live in virtual food deserts because they no longer drive. 

As we left, my thoughts returned to that little boy and his big heart. Hunger seems overwhelming, but not when we take it one piece of candy or one action at a time multiplied by Texas Baptists across the state partnering to do something. I’m starting with a gift to the Mother’s Day Hunger Offering in memory of my mother and grandmothers who did something to combat hunger in their corners of Texas.

Note: To learn about and give to the Texas Baptist Mother’s Day Hunger Offering, click here. For more information about Texas Hunger Initiative, click here. 

Kathy Hillman is president of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. She also is director of Baptist collections, library advancement and the Keston Center for Religion, Politics and Society at Baylor University.