Confronting Hunger: Faith and Advocacy

Hannah Robillard

Waking up at 5:00 a.m. may be the usual schedule for a politician, but it certainly isn’t common for this political science student. Nonetheless, I managed to get out of bed and outside to wait for my ride to the local train station, where a 7:30 a.m. train waited to take me and two dozen other college students and staff to D.C. for a two-day public health advocacy trip.

Two weeks before, over a hundred students spent a day learning from NGO leadership, policy makers’ staffers, and community religious leaders regarding efforts they take to mitigate suffering both domestically and internationally because of the global food insecurity crisis. Heading back to my dorm that night, I felt equally disheartened and motivated.

Think of nine people you truly care about. Now, imagine one of those people going to bed at night without having eaten all day. That scenario happens worldwide, and three of those nine people suffer from malnutrition. Next, imagine three children you know under five. Per the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, if they represented their global counterparts, one of them would be stunted, never having the resources necessary to develop a healthy body.

Christian Connections for International Health (CCIH) taught me these statistics, but they refuse to let those facts overwhelm them. Instead, they partner with 450 individuals and 180 organizations to educate the public, share resources, and advocate for good policies that support their mission.

CCIH was “founded in 1987 to promote international health and wholeness from a Christian perspective,” but they are not the only religiously-motivated charity fighting food insecurity. In fact, Americans of every faith fund one and a half million services and constitute seven and half million volunteers. And forty percent of the largest charities in the U.S. are religiously motivated, which makes it very likely that you and those nine special people you thought of earlier have all been touched by somebody’s love, time, and sacrificial giving at some point in your lives.

Because of my political science background, I felt most comfortable talking to the staff members about the economic benefits provided by public health efforts. After all, preventative efforts can help mitigate major health crises that strain the resources of the United States and other countries.

However, the part of our presentation that resonated the most with me, and apparently with the staffers, was the faith-based encouragement to continue efforts to assist the neediest among us. Connecting material charity efforts to a purpose larger than each individual is incredibly meaningful, both for the giver and the receiver.

My advocacy trip may have occurred in the wood-paneled, air-conditioned offices of the Senate and House Representatives’ offices, but I hope that the result of what I did and what I will do in the future has implications for people whose idea of luxury consists of their children having a nutritious meal and receiving a yearly health check-up. Riding back on the train, surrounded by students and teacher who sacrificially love people half a block or half a world away, I felt hope growing in my heart.

James says, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress” (James 1:27, NIV). If individuals and religious charities work together, millions of disadvantaged people could be assisted. And that’s worth getting up early for.