May is hunger awareness month. Here's some interesting things that I thought I knew, but ended up being surprised by the actual facts...


The primary cause of hunger is NOT overpopulation, third world debt, trade imbalance, racism, war, environmental degradations, AIDS, or drought (although these are all prime contributors). It's poverty.

Out of the 6.55 billion people on earth today, 854 million go hungry every day. 35.1 million of those people live in the UNITED STATES.

The US has MORE THAN DOUBLE the child poverty rate than any other industrialized nation.

Women and children are first to suffer from hunger and malnutrition, and 70% of childhood deaths are associated with malnutrition and preventable diseases. (That's 16,000 children a day).

The GOOD NEWS is that there are actually FEWER hungry people in today's world compared to 25 years ago! (If you can call 854 million starving people good news).

However, 1 in 5 people on earth still exist on less than $1.00 a day. (That wouldn't buy most of us a cup o joe). And Sub-Saharan Africa has the most people who go hungry on a per capia basis.


Get the facts. Find out how you can help. Make a difference.


[Just so I don't get accused of not practicing what i preach, I've decided to donate $10 a month to World Hunger Offering through the BGCT which finances clean drinking water, food, school supplies for children, waste management, rural poverty relief, etc. to countries (including the US) needing help.] My socially minded church helped me learn tangibly about this great need and great opportunity. Where can you help?