June 24, 2002
Hunger hits home and away
___By Kyle Armstrong
___Staff Writer
___From Russia and Romania, all the way to Palo Pinto County, hunger affects every part of the globe, and Texas Baptists are there to help.
___"Many people do not realize the severity of world hunger, but it's a very real problem," said Nathan Porter, hunger consultant for the Baptist General Convention of Texas.
___In Texas alone:
___One out of every six residents lives below the poverty line.
___
___
___In a comparison of hunger and poverty state-by-state, Texas' percentage of poor working families with children ranks more than 30 percent higher than the national average. The percentage of unemployed Texans who receive unemployment benefits falls 50 percent below the national average.
___However, the Texas Baptist Offering for World Hunger provides food for thousands of needy people. By participating in the offering, Texas Baptists can alleviate hunger and target their contributions to specific ministries.
___The offering was created in 1996 to allow Texas Baptists to direct hunger funds to relief ministries and organizations across Texas and around the globe. In the 2003 projected plan, the offering will send money to organizations in 37 countries.
___The offering allocates $215,000, or 20 percent of the expected receipts, to be distributed to 15 organizations throughout Texas.
___"We do place priority on meeting hunger needs in Texas by designating one-fifth of the offering to organizations across the state, then distributing the other four-fifths to the United States and other countries," said Joe Haag, director of program planning and special moral concerns for the BGCT Christian Life Commission. "We want to meet as many hunger needs as we can in Texas, while still meeting all the hunger needs we can nationally and internationally."
___In addition to the 20 percent spent on fighting hunger in Texas, 20 percent is allocated for alleviating hunger throughout the United States, and the final 60 percent is allocated internationally to 36 countries.
___Among the many organizations supported by the offering are New Haven Ministries in Mineral Wells and Providence Baptist Church in Bucharest, Romania.
___New Haven Ministries has become the major emergency food supplier for Palo Pinto County, rated the second-most-poverty-stricken county in the state. The ministry serves 600 families a month, according to New Haven Ministries Director James Rhodes. The ministry also operates the New Haven Family Center, a shelter for families that provides GED classes for parents, job training and placement, as well as lodging and meals.
___"Without the prayers and financial support of the (Palo Pinto Baptist) Association and Texas Baptist churches, our work would be greatly hindered, and there would be a lot of hungry people turned away," Rhodes said.
___Meanwhile, half a world away in the country of Romania, Gypsies struggle to make a living in Ferentari, a destitute suburb of Bucharest where they often squeeze eight people to a room in homes without running water. But their children benefit from Texas Baptist care. They attend classes at the Ruth School, sponsored by Providence Baptist Church and partially funded by the Texas Baptist Offering for World Hunger. The church also provides the children a meal every day. This is typically the only meal they receive.
___ Texas Baptist Offering for World Hunger program packets will be distributed in early August, and the annual program emphasis takes place on the four Sundays prior to Thanksgiving. This year's goal is $1 million.
___For more information regarding the offering, write the Christian Life Commission at 333 N. Washington, Dallas, 75246 or contact Haag at haag@bgct.org.
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