Fill the Bowl | Letter from the president

Dear Friends,

Why a stark, empty bowl?

Simply put, hunger is not dramatic. The slow starvation of a family is not noisy. And if headlines are any indication, the hunger pangs of millions are seemingly soundless.

A global food crisis — called a silent tsunami by some — is swelling with such deathly urgency that we could not ignore the need. Now is the time for action, not apathy.

The global food crisis, as represented by the empty bowl on our cover, has the potential to cause the starvation of a million people in the next year. That’s a million people not previously considered at risk — a million people in addition to the nine million who die of hunger and poverty every year.

In the countries where LWR works, the price of staple foods like rice and corn has doubled, and in some cases tripled, over the past months. For families barely making ends meet and spending over 60% of their income on food, these kinds of prices threaten to destroy countless lives.

The filling of this empty bowl, and the millions like it throughout our world, should be our utmost priority. That’s why LWR is urging you to help Fill the Bowl this summer.

Despite the enormous potential for global suffering this food crisis brings, there is hope. That hope begins with our communal actions. Between now and Thanksgiving, we invite you to Fill the Bowl and help feed our neighbors by raising $500,000.

The bowl is a dish we’ve all used — this summer, let’s use our bowls to end the food crisis. Perhaps your congregation will begin using bowls to collect a special offering, host a Fill the Bowl dinner or sell bowls made by local artisans to support the campaign. You are limited only by your imagination.

The money given to Fill the Bowl will save countless lives. By giving people the tools and resources they need, LWR helps them plant their fields, water their crops and nourish their families.

As our bowl begins to fill, we’ll record the progress on our website and post your ideas, plans and successes. Visit lwr.org/ftb to make a donation and for action ideas, pictures and stories of how LWR has helped communities develop lasting solutions to food shortages.

Spread the word this summer and help LWR Fill the Bowl.

In Christ,

John A. Nunes
President and CEO