A 50-mile Crop Walk (Hike) in the Grand Canyon

Kansas City physician and Church World Service board member, Dr. Paul Chan, talks about his fourth annual Grand Canyon hike to benefit CWS. The round-trip hike begins at the South Rim to the bottom and up to the North Rim, back to the bottom and up to the South Rim, for a total of 50 miles!

The Food Tax (Again!?)

From Think New Mexico Web site

It's an easy way to obtain revenue. People have to eat. And unless they grow and raise most of their own food, they will be shopping at your local grocery.

The New Mexico Municipal League (NMML), the group that advocates for our cities in the state legislature, is looking for a way to compensate for the loss of state subsidies without having to raise local base tax rates. According to NMML Executive Director Bill Fulginiti, the proposal to impose the tax on groceries has nearly unanimous support from municipal leaders across the state, presumably Mayors Richard Berry of Albuquerque, David Coss of Santa Fe and Ken Miyagashima of Las Cruces.   Read more in Albuquerque Journal.

Guess what?  A food tax raises also involves raising taxes on local citizens, and it is likely to have the biggest impact on those who can least afford it. We've been down this path before.  The regressive tax on groceries was eliminated in 2004. In 2009, the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce launched a campaign to reimpose the tax, and the measure was approved in a special session of the State Legislature in 2010.  Thankfully, then Gov. Bill Richardson vetoed the measure.  "I am not willing to put this burden on working families in the form of an unfair tax on food. I agree with those who call this a cruel tax,” Richardson said in the release. “It is especially cruel during the worst financial crisis New Mexico has ever experienced.” 

Another attempt to reimpose the food tax was defeated in 2013. 

Gov. Susana Martinez also opposes the food tax, primarily because it helps her keep her campaign commitment not to raise any sort of taxes. “The governor does not support the reimposition of the food tax,” Martinez spokesman Enrique Knell said this week.

Think New Mexico Leads the Charge

Think New Mexico, an organization that worked to remove the food tax in 2004,has fought every effort to reimpose the levy on groceries.  The Santa Fe-based organiation is keeping an eye on the latest situation.  Think New Mexico wrote a comprehensive policy report in 2001 pointing out why a tax on food is bad idea.  Stay tuned for updates from Think New Mexico on the latest effort to reimpose the Food Tax.

Think New Mexico is also being proactive about the economic situation in our state.  The organization  has launched a new policy reform initiative designed to address our state's urgent jobs crisis, which has left 137,000 New Mexicans unemployed or underemployed.

So, having said no to the food tax, the question now is how we help municipalities make up for the reduction in state revenues?  The loss of revenues means that some essential services wouldl have to be cut.  That is an issue that cannot be swept under the rug, and one that legislators will have to consider seriously.

Presbyterian Church USA Invites You to Join Rev. Neal Presa in Taking the Food Stamp Challenge in November

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is encouraging families and individuals across the country to take the SNAP/Food Stamp Challenge on Nov. 17-23. Participants in the challenge pledge to use the average food stamp benefit — which varies by state — as their total budget for groceries for seven days.

PC(USA) leaders — including the Rev. Neal Presa, moderator of the 220^th General Assembly; the Rev. Gradye Parsons, stated clerk of the General Assembly; and Elder Linda Valentine, executive director of the Presbyterian Mission Agency — have committed to taking the challenge.

While living on a food stamp budget for just a week cannot come close to the struggles encountered by low-income families week after week and month after month, it does offer those who take the Challenge a new perspective and greater understanding.
 
Click on this link to register online

Choirs of Catholics, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, United Methodists

An Invitation to Celebrate All Souls Day on U.S.-Mexico Border

Picture from Teyepac Institute.  (See more pictures)

We celebrate our diversity, but we also especially celebrate our unity around the common table of communion, the table of the Lord who makes us all brothers and sisters, sons and daughters of the same father in heaven. We are one body of Christ, one People of God, one Temple of the Spirit even though divided but a human made, arbitrary fence that often tramples on our human rights and disrespects our humanity. -Diocese of El Paso

Since 1999, the Bishops of El Paso, Las Cruces, and Ciudad Juárez  have come together on November 2nd, All Souls Day or more popularly known as “Dia de los Muertos”, to celebrate a Mass right on the border fence between the U.S. and Mexico. This year again on November 2, 2013, the bishops (Renato Ascencio León of Juárez, ‎Oscar Cantú of Las Cruces, and Mark Seitz of El Paso) together with a multitude of about 300 faithful in each side will gather at 1:00 p.m. along the fence dividing Puerto Anapra near Juárez and community of Sunland Park, New Mexico, just outside El Paso.

“We have come to share our common dream,” former Las Cruces Bishop Ricardo Ramírez said in his sermon at the 2010 Mass. “Our common dream is the reign of God. The reign of God is the dream of God for the world, a new world of justice, love and peace.”

“But what do we see?,” Bishop Ramírez asked. “An ugly fence! We can’t even embrace in friendship and love because of this fence. Our dream is that one day there will be no fence and we will embrace in friendship and love. What else do we see? We see two tables. We cannot physically take the same bread and cup. Our dream is that one day we will share together the same bread and cup.”  Read article by Father John Dear, S.J., in National Catholic Reporter.

Poster for 2011 Mass

Remembering Deceased Migrants 
This Mass is directly connected with the hundreds of annual deaths of people in migration trying to cross the border in search of a better life for themselves and their family.

Each year, since early 90’s an average 400 to 500 individuals perish in the harsh areas they have been forced to cross trying to escape border patrol and apprehension. This is so due to the increase of immigration enforcement policies only approach to addressing immigration at the border and our broken national immigration laws. Operation Gatekeeper, Operation Hold the line, Operation Safeguard, etc consequences are the thousands of migrants – men, women, youth, and children – who have died in the most dangerous areas of deserts and rivers along the border, away from urban centers where they used to cross before these initiatives.

Catholic Relief Services Site Features Immaculate Conception Church's Bread and Blessings

“As people of faith, we are trying to live out the golden rule of loving our neighbors as ourselves and the call of Matthew 25 to ‘feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and welcome the stranger.”

– Father Rafael Garcia, Pastor, Immaculate Conception Church

During the Lenten season every year, Catholic Relief Services offers Roman Catholics across the country the opportunity to participate in Operation Rice Bowl. This is a chance to fulfill all three Lenten commitments of almsgiving, fasting and prayer. By giving to CRS, you help one of the organization's many projects. But in doing so, you consume less and you learn and pray about the projects and the people who are served and serve.

As expected, most of the projects are overseas: Kenya, Guatemala, the Philippines, Malawi, and Haiti. One domestic project is highlighted, and it is here in Albuquerque: The Bread and Blessings meal hosted on Sunday afternoons by Immaculate Conception Church.  Here is an excerpt of the write-up.

On Sunday afternoons in downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico, over a hundred people gather in the basement of Immaculate Conception Church to be served a Sunday dinner. Some are homeless. Others are newly unemployed, forced to decide whether to pay a utility bill or buy enough groceries to feed their families. No matter the circumstance, the parish community welcomes “anyone and everyone who is hungry to come and share a meal with us,” says Roberta Montoya, the coordinator of the parish’s Sunday Bread and Blessings meals, one of the projects in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe that receives a portion of CRS  Rice Bowl funds.

To read this great tribute in its entirety, Click Here

Justice...One Step at a Time

"We are called to seek justice, not to burn out seeking it. I am not going to fix the world by myself. I have to realize the fact that sometimes I try to do too much and end up doing nothing. ... My soul will be restored every time my efforts toward environmental, social, or economic justice are put into action, one step at a time. This restoration is also my rest. We must work to sustain the rhythm God has built into life. God worked and rested. We must do the same. Jesus taught and healed, then retreated. We can follow his example." 

-Diana Rodriguez

A Celebration of Local Food and a Vision for Santa Fe's Food Future

In honor of Food Day, the Santa Fe Food Policy Council, Cooking with Kids, the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Institute, and Farm to Table are co-hosting a free event: ‘Planning for Santa Fe’s Food Future’. This evening will be a celebration of local food as well as an educational opportunity exploring the reality and potential of our regional foodshed.

The event will feature an introduction to Santa Fe’s first ever Food Plan and a panel discussion relating to the major themes of food security and healthy food. Organizers will kick off subsequent outreach efforts and ‘community listening sessions’ which are associated with the Santa Fe Food Plan. When: Thursday, October 24, 6-8 pm Where: The Santa Fe Farmers Market, 1607 Paseo De Peralta #1 Santa Fe, NM 87501

Event Highlights:
6:00 pm Welcome from Councilor Bushee and Commissioner Holian
6:10 pm Featured speaker Janet Poppendieck  (author of Free for All: Fixing School Food in America, )
6:30 pm Introduction to Santa Fe’s Food Plan
6:45 pm Panel discussion on community food issues,including food security and healthy food
7:30 pm Reception with refreshments and conversation

(Please feel free to bring your own cups) There will be copies of the Santa Fe Food Plan for distribution.
Contact: Erin Ortigoza, Santa Fe Food Policy Council Coordinator
Phone: (505) 473-1004 ext. 16
E-Mail: lightningcalm@hotmail.com

Singer-Songwriter Carrie Newcomer (Supporter of Interfaith Anti-Hunger Efforts) to Perform in Corrales on Sunday

Singer-songwriter Carrie Newcomer--who will be performing in Corrales, New Mexico, on Sunday--is one of the more than a dozen artists who have joined the Bread for the World Institute and Women of Faith for the 1,000 Days Movement to educate communities and advocate for policy change in the U.S. to end hunger at home and abroad and give every child the chance to thrive.

Newcomer's piece, Breathe In, Breathe Out, (featuring Amjad Ali Khan), is one of 14 songs in the CD Songs for 1,000 Days. . 

In this clip, Newcomer sings the song "Work of Our Hands."


Benefit for Indiana Interfaith Hunger Initiative in 2011
Newcomer, a folk musician who started her career as a teenager singing in coffee houses and restaurants, also released the CD "Everything is Everywhere" in 2011 as a benefit for the Indiana Interfaith Hunger Initiative (IHI), an organization that includes faith leaders and laity of Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist and Sikh congregations.“As I’ve toured India, Africa and the Middle East, I’ve recognized a growing awareness that all of us are very much interconnected,”Newcomer told The Albuquerque Journal.“Everywhere I go, I sense and see how small a world we really live in.”  Read article entitled Hope isn't a Hallmark card.

"Yes, Carrie is wonderful.  She approached the IHI about working together on the Everything is Everywhere project,:" said David Miner, IHI volunteer executive director.  "Together we were able to get some foundation funding for much of her expenses for the project.  Then they did two concerts and donated from the CD sales."

Newcomer collaborated with the famous Indian family of sarod players, Amjad Ali Khan, Amaan Ali Khan and Ayaan Ali Khan, to create the album. "Music can be a language deeper than words. I love our differences. Cultures are rich, and what makes each culture unique should be celebrated, but I was also powerfully moved by what we share as a human family," she said. 

After the two benefit concerts, Newcomer traveled to Kenya to visit the Umoja Project, cosponsored b the IHI and  the Indiana-based Global Interfaith Partnership in the African country. The project supports a school lunch program in one of the poorest parts of Kenya. "In Africa she performed in primary and secondary schools, performed at spiritual gatherings, visited homes and met with guardian and educational groups," said her Web site.

Here is a clip of the title song for the album Everything is Everywhere.


Performing at Historic San Ysidro Church on Sunday
By coincidence, David Miner and Carrie Newcomer will be in New Mexico on the same weekend. Miner, former chair of the Bread for the World board of directors, will be spending time touring our beautiful state with his wife Robin. Before he goes on his trip up north, however, he will take a couple of hours in Albuquerque to talk about the Interfaith Hunger Initiative with representatives of several local faith organizations who are interested in forming an anti-hunger faith coalition in New Mexico. (Stay tuned for more details on this project).

Newcomer, for her part, will be performing in Corrales on Sunday.  If you have an opportunity, please take time to see her concert at the Old San Ysidro Church..

WHAT: Music in Corrales presents Carrie Newcomer
WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 27
WHERE: Old San Ysidro Church, Old Church Road, Corrales
HOW MUCH: $22 in advance, $25 at the door. For tickets call 877-287-0082 or go to brownpapertickets.com

Hunger, Poverty Need Public Policies (Ruth Hoffman's Op-Ed in Albuquerque Journal)

Many in the private and nonprofit sectors, as well as in faith communities, are working hard to address hunger through food banks, meal programs, food pantries and other direct service programs. Among the public programs working to address hunger are SNAP, WIC, school meal and senior meal programs. 

And yet, with all of these private and public efforts, New Mexico still has alarming numbers of people who regularly don’t have access to enough food. 

The private and nonprofit sectors, along with faith communities, will continue their work to help families to meet their food needs but their work alone cannot solve this problem. While public programs and policies are now part of the solution, there is more that public policy makers can do.

Excerpts from an opinion piece written by Ruth Hoffman,  director of the Lutheran Advocacy Ministry-New Mexico. in  the Albuquerque Journal on October 21, 2013

Read full Op-Ed, entitled Hunger, Poverty Need Public Policies 
(If you don't have a subscription, you can still see the full piece by answering a couple of questions from advertisers).

Imagine No Malaria: A 5K Run/Walk to Raise Funds for Bed Nets, Treatment, Education

For the cost of registration, you will save two lives

Imagine No Malaria is an extraordinary effort of the people of The United Methodist Church to end preventable deaths by malaria in Sub-Saharan Africa, especially the death of a child or a mother. This is a response to a crisis in the region, where malaria claims a life every 60 seconds.

The campaign aims to build on the success of recent years. Thanks to global efforts, the impact of malaria has been cut in half. However, there is still work to be done, and achieving the goal of eradicating malaria requires an integrated strategy. "Working side-by-side with local communities, national departments of health, other nonprofit organizations (like Nets For Life, UNICEF, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies) is precisely the way we will beat this disease," say the campaign organizers.

5K at Albuquerque Academy
UMC churches around the country are using a number of creative means to support this important effort.  In Albuquerque, Rev. Greg Henneman from Central United Methodist Church and others invite you to participate in the annual 5-kilometer Run/Walk to raise funds for Imagine No Malaria.  For the registration fee of $25, you can save at least two lives (For every $10 raised, a life can be saved through prevention, the purchase of bed nets, treatment, and education. Click here to see map of bed-net distribution sites)

If you cannot participate in this event, you can donate to the campaign at any time.

Where: Albuquerque Academy
6400 Wyoming Blvd Ne, Albuquerque, New Mexico
When: Saturday, November 16
9:00 A.M. 
Entry Fee: $25    Register Here

SNAP Cuts (Part 3): The Faith Perspective

(This is the third in a series looking at the conversations around the congressional cuts to food stamps. Part 1 featured the SNAP challenged taken by the CEO of Panera Bread, and Part 2 included comments from a Democrat and a Republican who opposed the drastic cuts approved by the House  in September).

"In the whole kind of Biblical frame, God made three provisions for hungry people," said Gary Cook, Bread for the World's director of Church Relations. "One was the tithe, which was literally a tax, because the government was the same as the religious order, and allowed widows and orphans to eat. The second provision was that there would always be Sabbath and jubilee, where every seven years and 50 years, there was land redistribution. This provision was to prevent class of people that were currently hungry."

The last, Cook said, was gleaning — where corners of the field were deliberately not harvested so poorer members of the community could gather the remainder and use it to feed themselves. "Here, hungry people have access to food as a matter of right, not as a matter of charity." 

Gary Cook was one two people interviewed by The Christian Post in an article that sought to present contrasting Christian positions on the efforts in Congress to cut funding for safety-net nutrition progams, primarily the Supplemental Nutration Assistance Program (SNAP).

The article appears to have given Cook a little more ink than  the opposing view of Ken Blackwell, Senior Fellow for Family Empowerment at the conservative Christian lobbying group, Family Research Council. Blackwell argues that  programs like food stamps have prevented people from being truly empowered. "I think through empowering others and creating self-sufficiency…there within lies the path to sense of worthiness," Blackwell told CP. "When I was growing up, there was fundamental belief, that there were times in people's life when they needed a hand up…there were temporariness to hose programs, where they were structured so that they didn't breed so that they didn't breed dependency."

A segment of conservative Catholics share Blackwell's view, including Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, who defends his position by pointing to the doctrine of subsidiarity, contained in an encyclical letter circulated by Pope Leo XII and expanded by Pope Pius VI. Ryan argues that if we allow individuals to thrive, then society will thrive and the common good will be served.  Read more about this debate in a post we published in this blog in September 2012.

The detractors seem to ignore a common theme present both in the Old Testament and the New Testament, which is the concept of caring for our neighbor. A common theme in the Middle East then and now is that society has a responsibility of taking care of everyone, including the most vulnerable members--widows, children and immigrants.  This "strong group" concept is in stark contrast to our western values of individualism, where each person is responsible for his/her own well-being.
 
"Over and over, I see church members and their families who work hard and even hold down two jobs but still have to choose between paying rent and feeding their kids," Rev. Fred Thelan, pastor of Cristo Rey Catholic Church in Lansing, Michigan, wrote in the Congress Blog, "Minimum wage jobs do not pay enough to lift people out of poverty. Cutting off the lifeline of food support is cruel and morally indefensible." The blog is published by The Hill, a new site that covers events in Congress.

Scriptures Misquoted
During the debate in Congress on reducing food stamps, detractors quoted many scripture verses to justify their position. The most often misinterpreted verse was a statement in Matthew 26:11, Mark 14:7, and John 12:8. The half sentence that is used is "the poor you will always have with you." If these legislators would bother to read the whole chapter in each of the Gospels, they would see that the message is to stop their activities for a moment (even helping the poor) to give glory to God.  For context, here are links to Matthew 26, Mark 14, and John 12.

Another misinterpreted scripture verse used by House members (specifically Kevin Cramer of North Dakota and Stephen Fincher of Tennessee) to justify their position is 2 Thessalonians 3:10: “For even when we are with you, we would give you this command: If you are not willing to work, let him not eat.”

"As North Dakota faith bloggers were quick to point out, Cramer was taking the passage wildly out of context. The author of 2 Thessalonians was not condemning the poor, but rather attempting to convince ancient Christians who had become idle in anticipation of Jesus’ Second Coming to get back to work, lest their neighbors 'look down on the new Christians with suspicion'," wrote Jack Jenkins in a piece entitled Preaching a False Gospel in ThinkProgress.  Here is a link to the full chapter of 2 Thessalonians 3.

"Many of the same lawmakers who tout the importance of “family values” and call themselves “pro-life” are advocating for these punitive policies that will undermine human life and dignity," said Father Thelan. "One lawmaker from Tennessee who voted for SNAP cuts even referenced the Bible to justify his vote and lectured the poor about handouts – while taking more than $3 million in farm subsidies from the government over the past decade. As a Catholic pastor, I find this moral arrogance and callousness stunning. Jesus spent his ministry warning about greed, challenging hypocrisy and commanding his followers to feed the hungry."

Churches cannot fill the void
Another point of debate is whether churches can fill the void created by the huge cuts in funding for safety-net nutrition programs. "We are not lacking in churches in church communities across this nation in making sure that basic human needs are met without creating another government program that establishes rules that have very low expectations for self-discipline," Blackwell told The Christian Post.

"The presumption that churches and private charities can somehow shoulder the massive burden of feeding American’s poor is also patently false," said Jenkins. "Many faith-based charities already rely on government funding to function. (Catholic Charities, one of largest charities in the country, gets almost 70 percent of its operating budget from federal funds)."

When Congress threatened to slash funding for SNAP last year, Bread for the World, estimated that the cuts would cost every church in America an extra $50,000 every year for the next ten years just to cover the additional charge of feeding more of America’s poor.

And in a letter to Congress, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops wrote that SNAP “helps relieve pressure on overwhelmed parishes, charities, food banks, pantries and other emergency food providers across the country who could not begin to meet the need for food assistance if SNAP eligibility or benefits were reduced."

Papercrete Blocks, a Solar Water Heater, and a Library for the Residents of Palomas, Mexico

Border Partners produced this solar water heater, a device offering great utility to local residents. Most Palomas citizens do not use gas water heaters due to the utility expenses incurred in their operation

Papercrete blocks were used to construct a library for the residents of Palomas in Chihuahua, Mexico, just across the border from Columbus, New Mexico. The lightweight, highly insulating building materials are produced in Palomas at a very low cost and with recyclable products.

In addition to books, media items and reference materials, what is the next most important thing in a library?  A restroom. The faucets in the sink provide both cold and hot water from a solar heater that uses gray water.

These amazing examples of sustainable development were on display in a recent open house hosted by Border Partners, sponsor of the project. "We were delighted with a turnout that included Mayor Angel Chacon and two of his staff members, Maria Sisneros, an environmental engineer from the US EPA, and Jorge Hernandez from the Border Environment  Cooperation Commission. The Secundaria Principal and teachers brought their students. Two representatives  from the Small Business Development Center at Western New Mexico University as well as many interested adults from both Palomas and Columbus," said Border Partners, which works directly with the Palomas community on several development and education projects.  Read more about sustainable development projects sponsored by Border Partners.

Haircuts, Bread for the World, and the New Mexico Faith Coalition for Immigrant Justice

Jack Curtain, Elva Thaemert at Bread picnic in the 1990s

Cutting $465 worth of dreadlocks

The late Elva Thaemert was a dedicated Bread for the World member in Albuquerque. She went to monthly meetings, organized Offerings of Letters at St. Luke Lutheran Church, and attended most, if not all, our local Bread activities. And she was a legacy member of Bread for the World, which means her financial donations supported the long-term needs of the organization.

Since she did not drive, I often gave Elva rides to Bread events, and we engaged in some great conversations. Elva spoke proudly of the opportunies she and her late husband Emil had to spend quality time with Art Simon in Colorado, where he was assigned as a pastor of a local Lutheran congregation.

Elva often mentioned that Emil was Art's barber!

And Art has not forgotten. "I remember her husband as my barber, and a good one, when I was in Denver for my first assignment as a parish pastor," said Bread for the World's founder.

Fast forward a couple of generations to June 2011. Elva had just passed away (see our tribute), and her grandson Justin, was looking for creative ways to honor his grandmother. So Justin decided to cut his his hair. "But he didn’t just go to a barber; instead, he asked his friends to donate money to his grandmother’s favorite justice organizations in exchange for the chance to cut off one of his dreadlocks," said a piece posted in the Bread blog in June 2011, entitled Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow: One Man Cuts his Dreadlocks for Hunger.  "He charged $5 per lock cut, or $20 for five locks."

Of the total of $465 that he raised, $105 went to Bread for the World.

So what if Emil Thaemert had been around?  "I'm sure his grandfather would have loved to cut those dreadlocks--but I bet he would be proud of the way it happened," said Art Simon.

Justin, who graduated from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, in 2010, was recently named director of the New Mexico Faith Coalition for Immigrant Justice (Check out the group's Facebook page). The passion for social justice in the Thaemert family has continued across generations. Justin's involvement in the immigration issue follows in the footsteps of his father Glen (Emil and Elva's son), who was very involved in the Sanctuary movement, a campaign in the 1980s to to provide safe-haven for Central American refugees fleeing civil conflict."Glen has a long and courageous record of peace-making and working for justice, so Justin comes by his commitment with lots of encouragement," said Art Simon.

Observing World Food Day Locally and Globally

The above banner is one of the images used to promote World Food Day in the United States and Canada.  The campaign in the two North American countries is described with a very simple Twitter hashtag:  #hungerto do more. "Host an awareness dinner in your home, donate to a local food bank, or join our social media campaign – the options to take action on World Food Day are truly endless," say the organizers.

There are, in fact, several local actions available to folks in New Mexico. Learn More about the U.S.-Canada campaign.  One is a community dinner sponsored by New Mexico Oxfam Action Corps this Saturday.  New Mexico Oxfam Action Corps is also encouraging patronage of restaurants that are promoting Oxfam World Food Day materials. To honor one of those restaurants, they are gathering this evening at Farina Pizzeria, 5:30-7:30.  You are encouraged to patronize the other participating restaurants: Artichoke Cafe, Flying Star, Green House Bistro, Jennifer James 101, Joes Dining, Marcellos Chop House, Rasoi, Revolution Bakery, Savoy,Slate Street Cafe,Slate at the Museum (Museum of Art and History),Thai Cuisine II, andYanni's Lemoni Lounge

Edible Santa Fe Campaign

Today is the actual date when World Food Day is observed. But Edible Santa Fe (actually Edible Santa Fe-Albuquerque-Taos) is promoting the Eat Drink Local Challenge throughout the month.

"Have you ever considered trying to source all your food from 100 miles or less? Our day-to-day diets involve dozens of ingredients that travel thousands of miles from their fields before they make their way to our plates. During the month of October we ask our readers and others to pledge to consider where their food comes from, and when possible, choose local ingredients grown in ways that support local community, environment, and economy," says the organization. Click here  to learn more about the campaign

FAO's Global World Food Day Campaign

Design by Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser

While the local actions and perspective are an important part of the big picture, it's even more important to realize that we are part of the global community, and that our actions have an impact around the world. Hence, we also want to highlight the Food and Agriculture Organization's World Food Day campaign for the rest of the world. The international campaign is entitled “Sustainable Food Systems for Food Security and Nutrition." This is how the FAO describes this year's theme.

Today almost 842 million people worldwide are chronically undernourished. Unsustainable models of development are degrading the natural environment, threatening ecosystems and biodiversity that will be needed for our future food supply.

Every aspect of the food system has an effect on the final availability and accessibility of diverse, nutritious foods – and therefore on consumers’ ability to choose healthy diets. What is more, policies and interventions on food systems are rarely designed with nutrition as their primary objective.

Addressing malnutrition requires integrated action and complementary interventions in agriculture and the food system, in natural resource management, in public health and education, and in broader policy domains.   Read More

SNAP Cuts (Part 2): A Perspective from Two Members of Congress Who Opposed Drastic Cuts

(Editors Note: This is the second in a series about the ongoing discussions around funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Program. In Part 1, we posted links to Panera CEO Ron Saich's experiences taking the SNAP Challenge)

In a closer-than-expected 217-210 vote in September, the Republican-dominated House stripped $40 billion from the Supplemental Nutrtion Program (SNAP) over a 10-year period. Democratic representatives were united in opposing the drastic reductions to food stamps, but 15 Republicans joined them in casting a Nay Vote.

Here are a couple of perspectives from House members who voted against the cuts, one from Democrat Brad Schneider from Illinois and the other from Republican Jeff Fortenberry of Nebraska.

Brad Schneider (from his Deerflied Patch blog): "During the debate over SNAP cuts, there have been a number of distortions and misleading arguments used. To set the record straight: nearly half of SNAP recipients are children; in Illinois, recipients receive a miniscule $1.55 per meal, $4.65 per day; and more than 90 percent of SNAP recipients are households living below the poverty line."  Schneider represents a district in Illinois that includes rural and suburban communities and small towns.

Jeff Fortenberry: "We do need a broader discussion of social welfare policy reform to move people in vulnerable circumstances into work opportunities more quickly," he said in a piece quoted by the (Lincoln) Journal-Star. "But I do not think this should be done in isolation, targeting the food and hunger programs of this country."

Next: The Faith Perspective

SNAP Cuts (Part 1): A CEO Takes the SNAP Challenge

I thought I knew a thing or two about hunger. I've met thousands of people who struggle to feed themselves and their families, visited dozens of soup kitchens, food pantries, homeless shelters and food banks, and worked closely with nonprofit organizations in trying to find new ways to end hunger. I really thought I understood the scope of the problem.  But let me tell you something -- I had no clue. My SNAP Challenge last week taught me that merely observing someone else's plight does not hold a candle to consciously altering your habits to better understand what it might be like to live someone else's life.  -Ron Shaich, founder and CEO of Panera Bread

Like dozens of members of Congress and countless other anti-hunger advocates, Ron Saich took the SNAP challenge, living on a food and beverage diet of $4.50 per day. I doubt many CEOs and captains of industry have set aside seven days to attempt to live on the average benefits of those who participate in the food stamp program. For Mr. Shaich, the decision to take the challenge was not as difficult; he was already an advocate of efforts to reduce hunger in our country. The great piece he wrote for CNN about his experience.

Better yet, you can hear from him directly in this video on The Huffington Post.

While the SNAP challenge is about saving vital funding for the food stamp program, the overriding message is that hunger and poverty exist in our country and should not be ignored. As Mr. Saich points out, "the debate we often hear in Washington leads to thinking that the issue can be seen in black or white, right or wrong, good or bad."  

By now, most of us have watched the documentary A Place at the Table  and have seen the reality of how hunger and poverty affects many families in our country. The movie not only exposes the problem, but also suggests that we can find a solution to hunger, malnutrition and poverty if we decide as a country that this should be a priority. "Watching the movie is a good start for people who want to see beyond political talking points about hunger, particularly in how it traces the near-elimination of hunger in America in the 1970s, as well as the increasing societal costs of dealing with food insecurity," Jason Dick wrote in the blog  Roll Call After Dark , which is published by Roll Call, a newspaper that follows the daily decisions of Congress.

Next: A Perspective from two House Members Who Opposed Cuts

Jeopardy, Wheel of (Mis) Fortune and Other Tools to Reflect on Hunger

On Wednesday, November 6, the The Commons Center for Food Security and Sustainability in Silver City, New Mexico, will be turned into a Game Show television studio. Okay, there won't be a full transformation into a studio, but a couple of games will be used to allow participants in The Fifth Annual Hunger for Knowledge Dinner to reflect on hunger.

The annual dinner, which is used to raise funds for The Volunteer Center of Grant County, is organized and sponsored by the Dr. Emma Bailey's Social Inequality and Sociology of Food classes at Western New Mexico University and by the volunteer center's staff. Tickets for the event, which will go from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. are $15.00. The Commons Center for Food Security and Sustainability is located at 501 East 13th and Corbin in Silver City. Please call the Social Science Department at WNMU at 575-538-6634 for reservations.

Reminder: Free Community Dinner a Week from Tomorrow

Hungry for change? To celebrate World Food Day, the New Mexico Oxfam Action Corps is hosting it's 2nd annual FREE Community Dinner at St. Thomas of Canterbury Episcopal Church,  425 University Boulevard NE, (across from the UNM campus), on Saturday, October 19, 6:00-8:00 p.m.

The meal will be entirely local, made by a community chef from the generous donations of farmers present at the Downtown Growers Market. This year's theme is "We stand on common ground." Hear a local farmer's take on access to land and growing food in New Mexico and gather in solidarity with people who grow the world’s food. Add to our discussion about where your food comes from, who cultivates it, and learn how you can take personal actions that will help protect farmers and farmland worldwide.

Join local advocates for for a night of fun, great food, and excellent discussion on how we can decrease hunger and poverty not only in New Mexico, but all over the world. 

Please RSVP via this link

A Place at the Table in Silver City

This past April, I posted a piece drawing comparisons between Mesa County Colorado, (which is one of the locations where the documentary A Place at the Table is set), and Grant County in New Mexico. While there are many differences, both are western rural settings with a high rate of food insecurity.  

A Place at the Table has shown at many venues in New Mexico, mostly in Albuquerque and Santa Fe, and the documentary will now be screened in Grant County. On Thursday, October 24, the Global Resource Center at Western New Mexico University in Silver City will show the movie as part of the statewide commemorations of Food Day. 

But before the lights are turned out and the projector is turned on, there will be a panel discussion, including:

• Melanie Goodman, a regional representative for Sen. Tom Udall,
• A.J. Sandoval, Project Coordinator at the Grant County Community Health Council; 
• Alicia Edwards, Executive Director of The Volunteer Center of Grant County

The panelists will discuss food insecurity, nutrition and other topics presented by the documentary.  Ms. Goodman will also talk about what impact a reduction in funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will have on southwestern New Mexico (and probably the state as a whole).

Showing at Central New Mexico Community College
A Place at the Table will be screening one more time in Albuquerque, after showing at the Hispanic Cultural Center and the University of New Mexico.  This time the movie will be presented at Central New Mexico Community College, Smith Brasher Hall, on Wednesday, October 23, 4:00-7:00 p.m.  Click here to join Facebook event.  This screening and the recent showing at the University of New Mexico are sponsored by Project Feed the Hood.

Also, the movie was presented last night (October 10) at St. Bede's Episcopal Church in Santa Fe, thanks to the efforts of Lydia Pendley, an advocate for RESULTS and Bread for the World. The documentary has shown a couple of other times in Santa Fe, at the Cinemathique Theater in March, and at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in August.

#FaithFilibuster: Justice Prayers and Scripture Verses during the Shutdown

Bread for the World Presiddent David Beckmann joined religious leaders again on Thursday, calling for an end to the shutdown as part of a #FaithfulFillibuster. The prayers are taking place across the Capitol Building. People of faith are pledging to read through the more than 2,000 verses in the Bible that refer to justice and to the poor every day until the shutdown ends. (Photo by George Lee / Sojourners)

Dulce Gamboa: Recortes en SNAP Sin Duda Van a Afectar a Comunidad Latina

Bread for the World's associate for Latino relations, Dulce Gamboa, speaks to CNN en Español about the nearly $40 billion in cuts to SNAP recently passed by the House of Representatives and the impact these cuts would have on the Latino community.

Read the piece she wrote for the Bread Blog

Agricultural Business Centers Help Farmers in Sierra Leone Combine Marketing Efforts

Bread for the World advocate Brendan Rice has worked for the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for the last few years. While his current assignment is at the FAO's headquarters in Rome, he previously spent a year working on a project to  develop  agricultural business centers in Sierra Leone. This concept of developing cooperatives or marketing clusters is also promoted by Catholic Relief Services in Malawi.  Here is a video that Rice made about the agricultural business centers in Sierra Leone.



Rice said cooperative efforts are exciting because they allow farmers to market their produce together and share storage and equipment-rental costs.  But the marketing process is just the beginning.  In Sierra Leone, there are many challenges, including a major obstacle to the final stage of the marketing process, which is getting the product to the consumer.  "No one can buy the products because the roads are so bad," said Rice.

This is a perfect example of where poverty-focused development assistance would come into play.
Funding the construction and repair of roads and other important infrastructure in rural sub-Saharan Africa would go a long way toward supporting the farmers in the region. 

Light Within

Art created by Linda Allison

People are like stained glass windows: They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light within. 

-Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

Eight Opportunities to Participate in Food Day

Food Day, a nationwide celebration of healthy, affordable, and sustainably produced food and a grassroots campaign for better food policies, is coming to New Mexico.

Organizations in Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Silver City, Anthony, and El Paso, Texas, have scheduled a commemoration around Food Day in October. Some of the events will beheld on October 24, which is the official date for Food Day. Others will take place a few days before or after the official date.

Below is a listing of events in our state and in neighboring El Paso, Texas. 

Saturday, October 19
World Food Day Community Dinner   6:00 PM
To celebrate World Food Day, the New Mexico Oxfam Action Corps is hosting it's 2nd annual FREE Community Dinner for 100 people. The meal will be entirely local, made from the generous donations of farmers present at the Downtown Growers Market.
St. Thomas of Canterbury Episcopal Church425 University Blvd NE
Albuquerque 

Marigold & Harvest Festival   10:00 AM
A a celebration of local, sustainable, and accessible food. La Parada Mercantile, Farm & Table and Sol Harvest Farm will be featuring lots of fun activities including: live music, produce stand, farm walk, hands-on crafts, workshops, games, yoga, food demonstrations, fun shopping, marigold garland-making, and more.
Farm & Table8917 4th St NW
Albuquerque

Thursday, October 24
Planning for Santa Fe's Food Future   6:00 PM
The featured Speaker Janet Poppendieck, author of Free for All: Fixing School Food in America
Santa Fe Farmers Market Institute
1607 Paseo De Peralta #1
Santa Fe

Public Screening of A Place at the Table    6:30 PM
Three speakers (details TBA), followed by the screening of the documentary 
Western New Mexico Global Resource Center
1000 W College Ave
Silver City

Cooking Demonstrations at Food Basket   10:00 AM
Food Basket
1220 N Hudson St
Silver City

Food Day 2013: Nuestro Desierto Delicioso    8:00 AM
Gadsden Middle School
1301 W Washington St
Anthony

Saturday, October 26

Farm2Chef Showcase   10:00 AM
Silver City Farmers Market
614 N Bullard St
Silver City

El Paso Texas Food Day Event   9:00 AM
Downtown Art and Farmers Market
117 Anthony St
El Paso, Texas

Conference in Taos to Examine Food, Agriculture and Empowerment

The Growing Food and Justice Initiative (GFJI)  has scheduled its sixth annual conference for Taos on Oct. 18-20.  The theme of the gathering in Taos, which is cosponsored by the Taos County Economic Development Corp. (TCEDC), is Food is Medicine, Water is Life.

These are two impressive organizations. The mission of the GFJI is to dismantle racism and empower low-income and communities of color through sustainable and local agriculture. The TCEDC's goal is to promote community food security, land tenure and preservation of water rights for communities in northern New Mexico.

Why was Taos selected? While most of us know this community as a destination for skiers, hikers and visitors seeking to experience a different kind of environment and culture, this is also  a very spiritual site.  "This exciting new location offers an exciting opportunity to explore this year’s theme, Food is Medicine, Water is Life, with a variety of local indigenous groups and growers, as well as to reinforce the learning and shar ing from previous gatherings to move toward a vision of “Community/ Unity/ Opportunity/ Equity/ Harmony,”said event organizers.

Several interesting workshops will be offered at the conference, focusing on such themes as

• Water for Growing Food;
• Taos Pueblo Moccasin Making; 
• Traditional Adobe Making & Horno Building; 
• Water is a Powerful Force - Challenging Struc tural Racism through Community - Based Action; and 
• The Role of Immigrants, Refugees and Farmworkers in Building Prosperity in Rural America.

Many New Mexicans are among the presenters, including our friend Pam Roy, director of Farm to Table. Pam will help lead the workshop entitled Has Capitol Hill Heard from You? This workshop aims to ensure that all communities are equipped to be heard - loud and clear! - on Capitol Hill. The workshop will be divided into two parts: activity and organizing & social action . Presenters and participants will c ollectively 1) discuss how people in the room have engaged in federal policy in the past, 2) brainstorm ideas for future policy engagement, and 3) work to develop individual "farm and food stories" so that participants are equipped to talk with legislators . 

For more information see the  Schedule of Events  and the  Gathering Program

Buy tickets here ($350 for full conference, $125 for students).  Registration closes on Oct. 16

State Rep. Moe Maestas Keynote Speaker at Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Conference

Rep. Moe Maestas

The Lutheran Advocacy Ministry-NM cordially invites you to its annual advocacy conference on Saturday, October 19, at All Saints Lutheran Church, 4800 All Saints NW, Albuquerque (map). The conference begins at 9:00 a.m. and concludes at 1:00 p.m.  Registration cost is $15 including lunch.

Rep. Antonio "Moe" Maestas, who has represented District  16 (Albuquerque) since 2006, will be the featured lunch speaker.  Maestas earned a B.A. in Economics and a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Washington in 1995 and a J.D. from the University of New Mexico, School of Law, in 1998. His professional experience includes working as a lawyer at Moe Justice Law Office from 2003 to the present, and as an Assistant District Attorney for the Bernalillo County District Attorney's Office from 1998 to 2003.
  
Topics for breakout sessions will include advocacy basics, hunger, health care and wage theft.
 Register now by sending your name, congregation/organization and contact information to info@lam-nm.org. Registration deadline: Friday, October 11

Pastriology, a Movie About Food, Eating and World Hunger, to Show in Santa Fe on Oct. 17

The Santa Fe Independent Film Festival  is presenting dozens of films about a impressive range of topics during a a four-day period on Oct. 16-20. One documentary, Pastriology, offers an interesting premise: a broad contrast in our attitudes toward food. "Five years in the making, Pastriology runs the full range from the pleasures and dangers of overeating to the tragedies of world hunger," say the documentary producers.

Pastriology will be showing on Thursday, October 17 at The Screen, 1600 St. Michaels Dr., at 7:00 p.m. Click here to purchase individual tickets, which are $10. The movie will be shown just once in a theater that holds 120 people. Click here to obtain a full pass ($150) for the entire festival.  

The screening will be followed by a panel discussion and reception. The panelists include staff members from Farm to Table,  an organization led by Pam Roy.


Pastriology - Trailer 1 from Katey Bright on Vimeo.

The 2012 Trailer for the Santa Fe Independent Film Festival

A March for Immigration Reform in Albuquerque on Saturday