Americans Reaching Out

Bread for the World created a wonderful series of reports in 2012 under the umbrella name Development Works.  I posted a link to the first paper last week.  The second paper, which is linked at the top of this post, is called Americans Reaching Out.  In it, the organization notes, “Concern for those who are less fortunate is a value that resonates with Americans. Many of us, aware of all we have, are very willing to help people in need. Using common sense, being practical, can be considered an American value as well. A quick “reality check” to be sure the assistance is needed and wanted is important to many people who are motivated to help.”

I recommend the entire paper to you, but here is a snapshot of the key points:

Americans agree that helping hungry people is a high priority for our country. Both today  and in the past, policies and resources that fight hunger earn the support of people across traditional lines—political, religious, economic, generational, and a range of others.

The United States can use its history of successful development programs and emergency relief efforts to help make lasting progress against hunger and malnutrition.

Building on past experiences is more important than ever as new factors, such as climate change and unpredictable changes in food prices, further complicate the efforts of poor people to feed their families and improve opportunities for their children.

U.S. international development efforts are now guided by both a new understanding of the importance of nutrition, particularly in early childhood, and a renewed appreciation of agricultural development as a vital ingredient in the “treatment” of global hunger.

I feel a bit guilty (certainly not very creative) in sharing these links and quotes from the Bread for the World Institute, but frankly they provide the best materials to educate us, in my opinion.  Bread for the World Institute provides policy analysis on hunger and strategies to end it. The Institute educates its network, opinion leaders, policy makers and the public about hunger in the United States and abroad.  Nobody does it better.

I urge you to read the full paper here:  Americans Reaching Out

I’ll also warn you that I plan to do these articles every Sunday for a while.

And sometimes, I will probably urge you to support Bread for the World.  Cash contributions are great, but letters and phone calls help too.

Related articles

• Effective Development Assistance Works (tbolto.wordpress.com)
• Bread for the World Applauds New U.S. Commitments to Scaling up Nutrition at London Nutrition for Growth Conference (prnewswire.com)
• San Francisco and Washington, DC Food Gurus Partner to Empower Consumers and Fight Childhood Hunger (prweb.com)