ELCA World Hunger Celebrates 50th Anniversary With World Food Day Event

10/8/2024 3:50:00 PM

​CHICAGO — The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) will celebrate World Food Day and the 50th anniversary of ELCA World Hunger during a special online event, Tuesday, Oct. 15, at 7 p.m. The event will be hosted by the Rev. Amy Current, bishop of the Southeastern Iowa Synod, and Imran Siddiqui, ELCA vice president.

"ELCA World Hunger is a great example of how we are church together and church for the sake of the world," said ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton. "I have witnessed firsthand the impact of ELCA World Hunger on communities around the world. During a trip to the Yunnan province of China, I had the opportunity to visit with the Lisu people at a farm where they grew crops to help support their families with food and clothing. The partnership with ELCA World Hunger changed traditional farming methods to help lift people out of poverty."

"ELCA World Hunger is one of the best things we do as a church," Siddiqui said. "For 50 years, we have embodied 'God's work. Our hands.' by feeding those who are hungry around the world, and we have made a real difference. I look forward to 50 more years — and beyond that — of feeding the hungry and fighting poverty in our country and the world."

During the event, participants will hear stories from ELCA World Hunger partners — including Educación Popular en Salud (EPES), a community health organization in Chile founded over 40 years ago, and more recently established ministries including Tapestry Farms, a Midwestern urban farm system in the Quad Cities of Iowa and Illinois. These partners will talk about their work with ELCA World Hunger and the impact of their ministries on the communities they serve.

"We are grateful for the ministry of welcome and dignity Tapestry Farms provides the refugees who make the Quad Cities their home," Current said. "The partnership with World Hunger strengthens their capacity to invest in the lives of the refugees and their families as they seek to build meaningful lives in our community."

The world has experienced a decline in hunger since ELCA World Hunger was founded in 1974, but now, 50 years later, the number of people affected by hunger globally is increasing because of rising costs, global conflict, the effects of climate change and the lingering effects of COVID-19.

"We are grateful for the generosity of ELCA members and others who have responded to God's promise of a just world where all are fed," Eaton said. "We look forward to the next 50 years of transformational work through ELCA World Hunger."

Register here to receive reminders, event information, World Food Day resources and the event recording.

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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 3 million members in more than 8,700 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands.," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.

For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org