Hunger Offering

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Transformation in West Dallas: Hunger Offering gifts feed the hungry, promote holistic change

Jun 22, 2018

By Jaclyn Bonner

The traditional American narrative boasts that anyone can make it if he or she works hard. But the social systems and economic stratum one is born into can often exclude a person from having an opportunity to attain the “American dream.”

West Dallas denizens face a challenging situation. Generational poverty is commonplace in the 11 square miles of Zip code 75212. “More than one of every three families lives below the federal poverty level,” reports Brother Bill’s Helping Hand, a Texas Baptist Hunger Offering ministry that has worked in the community for 75 years.

Unemployment in West Dallas is at 10.5 percent, double the Texas unemployment rate, and 45 percent of West Dallas households earn less than $25,000 annually. More than half of West Dallas adults did not complete high school. The average pre-K child has a vocabulary of 1,500 to 2,000 words, compared to the 5,000 to 7,000-word vocabulary of children living in more affluent Dallas neighborhoods.

Moreover, a health crisis, job loss, and/or family tragedy can drastically change a household’s economic status, creating food insecurity and leading directly to poverty.

In 2015, Elaine Rodriguez* took a medical leave of absence from her work. Dealing with health complications and less income, Elaine and her husband, Jacob*, members of Bill Harrod Memorial Baptist Church, had difficulty putting food on the table.

Hunger separates families, Hunger Offering keeps them together

Jun 4, 2018

By Jaclyn Bonner

My late grandmother, Edna Wood Bonner, grew up during the Great Depression. She sought to emulate the strength and selflessness she saw modeled by her own mother, Maggie Wood, who became a single parent of seven shortly after my grandmother and her twin brother were born.

It does not require statistics from the 1930s to understand the difficulties Maggie faced. She labored under the hot sun daily as a cotton picker, but this did not provide an income adequate to raise two sets of twins and three other daughters alone.

Like many mothers who desire the best for their children, Maggie made the difficult decision to place her children in institutionalized care. In 1932, at the age of eight, Edna and her twin brother were sent to the local orphanage, joining their siblings and other children whose parents were deceased or unable to care for their primary needs.

While the current economic situation of our nation does not rival that of the Great Depression, hunger is still hurting families today.

Feeding Texas reports that a study released by the United States Department of Agriculture found that 1.4 million Texas households were food insecure from 2014-2016. One in seven families in our state, 14.3 percent of households, are unable to put food on the table every night.

Hunger in Texas is higher than the national average*, but it is only a microcosm of the pervasiveness and severity of global hunger. The World Food Programme announced that 815 million people, one in nine, go to bed hungry every night. One in three people in the world are malnourished.

“Greeted with hope”: North Texas ministry empowers, serves mothers

Apr 30, 2018

By Abby Hopkins

In 2017, 123 young women considering abortion came to a ministry in Decatur. After receiving loving assistance from Wise Choices Pregnancy Care Center, 103 of these “abortion-minded” women chose life, and the Texas Baptist Hunger Offering is playing a role in serving these new families.

“These girls are absolutely heroes. Choosing to love the child, even when it’s hard – it’s what motherhood is all about,” said Connie Wyatt, CEO of Wise Choices.

Wise Choices is a Texas Baptist Hunger Offering ministry that seeks to empower families throughout a woman’s pregnancy and for the first year of the baby’s life by giving hope.

“We meet them where they are. When they make the choice for life, they’re not in it alone,” Wyatt said.

Bless This Meal: A Biblical Perspective

Apr 16, 2018

By Ali Corona

He may have felt insignificant -- a young boy walking home with a basket of lunch for his family -- five small loaves and two fish.

With a glance toward heaven and a heartfelt prayer, Jesus multiplied a few parcels into a lavish feast for a crowd that was hungry for spiritual and physical nourishment.

All four gospels recount this important moment in history. The sight of the unseen Kingdom colliding with the world must have made a deep impression on each of their hearts and minds.

Today, an estimated 795 million people around the world are undernourished. In Texas, 1 in 6 families are unable to put meals on their tables everyday. Hunger, both physical and spiritual, is devastating.

North Texas Ministry Provides Home, Healing, and Hope for Victims of Sexual Abuse

Feb 7, 2018

By Abby Hopkins

Home. A place meant not only for shelter but for shared meals, deep conversations, big dreams, and lots of laughter. A place many are accustomed to, never knowing what it would be like to not have one, or to have one corrupted by abuse.

However, for many children, this is what they are accustomed to. The Poiema Foundation assists those who have faced this reality. It starts by educating the public and raising awareness on sexual abuse, sex trafficking, and other methods of sexual exploitation.

Hope for the Holidays In Central Texas

Dec 19, 2017

When thinking about the holidays, our initial thoughts are often of joy and warm feelings. Time with family and friends and moments to reflect on the person of Jesus Christ naturally bring about peace. However, sometimes we may fail to recognize that many do not consider the holiday season a time of hope and rest if they struggle to meet physical needs of both themselves and their families.

Hunger Offering partnering with Refuge and Hope for #GivingTuesday

Nov 15, 2017

Love, peace, and hope embody the character of the holiday season for believers in Christ. It is a wonderful reminder to those who long to embody those same qualities in their personal character. 

After the flood: Hunger Offering ministry serves victims of Hurricane Harvey

Nov 8, 2017

Widespread panic, fear, and uncertainty erupted in the days after Aug. 25, when Hurricane Harvey made landfall and surpassed expectations of its potential destruction in Texas. Many experienced devastating loss as the state and country were forced to face the lurking question — what next?

Thank you for dinner, Texas Baptists -- from Uganda

Oct 31, 2017

As a former Texas Baptist Hunger Offering intern, I can swiftly list the statistics of how many people are malnourished worldwide, how many families in Texas are food insecure, and how many ministries the Hunger Offering helps fund.

By This Everyone Will Know

Oct 26, 2017

His name is Pedro — the man on the picture.  I had the pleasure of meeting him outside an industrial refrigerator on a bright Tuesday morning in Cerdanyola, Spain. 

A valley of redemption

Sep 11, 2017

Brenda Bermudez and her family are just a few of many who have experienced the Lord’s redemption in their lives in the modest colonia of Mi Sueno in the Rio Grande Valley.

More than a Meal: Hunger Offering Ministry in Irving Transforms Lives

Aug 18, 2017

He came with a humble grin, $60, and one request – “pray for me.”

Short-term Project, Long-term Investment: Hunger Offering provides hope, healing for Ebola orphans

Jul 31, 2017

Abandoned, isolated, alone -- this is the fate of thousands of children in Sierra Leone who have been orphaned by the deadly Ebola virus. Although the Ebola scare is no longer prominent in international headlines, the devastating effects of the outbreak have changed a surfeit of lives.

A Christian response to hunger: How church ministry is distinguished from cultural trends

Jul 24, 2017

Lately, I have been thinking about culture and faith.

Finding hope on the side of the road

Jul 19, 2017

Baby Benjamin was abandoned on the side of the road wearing nothing but a small white blanket and bearing a note saying that anyone who wanted him, could have him.

Texas Baptist church lives out Isaiah 58

Jul 12, 2017

Welcome Neighbor: Hunger Offering Meets Needs, Fosters Community Among Refugees

Jul 6, 2017

Living water brings hope in Southeast Asia

Jun 6, 2017

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