Millenium Development Goal #1

It is scary to realize 925 Million people worldwide do not have enough to eat (source: World Food Programme). In case you haven’t been paying much attention to international news in the past few years, the MONSTROUS project right now is the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs). They are eight anti-poverty goals to be accomplished by 2015, and here is a list of them:

As you can see, hunger is the MDG#1. If we were all being honest, the MDGs are like a recipe. The results of each goal will affect the success of the others, and in effect, the success of the entire project. Here’s why hunger is so important. With a meal, someone can be healthier, thus have more energy to go to school, get a job, be empowered, educate others, and promote economic growth. Hunger is a foundation for the other MDGs...hence it being #1.What is so beautiful is that the goals don't stop there- they create a stable balance in all areas of growth and development.

Kenyan girl. Photo courtesy of World Food Programme

The World Food Programme has created a Hunger Map to show the impact of hunger in every country throughout the world. It is a well designed map (and I LOVE the colors!), but also terrifying when you realize how detrimental hunger is to our global community. Take the time to check out the map because it is vital to know what we are fighting against, and what we are fighting for in these next few years.

World Food Programme is an amazing organization doing amazing things with their resources. Check out the rest of their website, it is a fantastic resource for each and every one of us to stay on task and to see the progress to eliminate poverty...starting with hunger.

Today, I am thankful for organizations like the World Food Programme who are an example of living grace to those in need of a simple meal. Enjoy the pictures, and check out their website to know how to get more involved. Also... here are a few pictures of hunger projects the World Food Programme is conducting around the world. All photos are courtesy of World Food Programme.

Children in Colombia awaiting their meal.

Beautiful Haitian girl with her meal. LOVE the smile!

Pakistani children sharing a meal. Gastronomy at it's best!

In Pakistan, a pile of food is created for flood victims.

~Linbrooke

Free Rice

World Food Programme has a non-profit website, freerice.com, that is both interactive and conclusive. By taking a very easy and enjoyable vocabulary quiz, you can donate rice with every correct answer. It is truly a revolutionary idea, and for people like myself, a fun way to create small change.

According to their website, FreeRice has two goals:

• Provide education to everyone for free.

• Help end world hunger by providing rice to hungry people for free.

 You can sign into the website through your Twitter or Facebook account, and from there, you can track totals, join groups, and find other ways to fight hunger.

I LOVE THIS WEBSITE. Perhaps you’re unemployed, perhaps you’re bored, perhaps you’re schedule doesn’t allow you to do more for the poor….or maybe you are getting ready to take the SAT. J Regardless, check out this website! Help your vocabulary and help the hungry! 

Click here to begin feeding the world

~Linbrooke

Freedom from Hunger

A healthful hunger for a great idea is the

beauty and blessedness of life. 

-Jean Ingelow

Freedom from Hunger(FFH) is a wonderful organization doing amazing things worldwide to alleviate poverty and hunger. As a four star charity, FFH started as Meals for Millions which developed a high-protein powdered food still used in today's aid efforts. Here is a rundown of the organization, then we'll get into the meat of their greatness:

Where They Work: Asia, Africa, Americas

What They Do: Taken from their website, they "bring poor women in Africa, Asia, and Latin America a powerful combination of microfinance, education, and health protection to help them achieve a sustainable, self-help end to world hunger." To do so, they partner with local organizations to educate these women in hopes that they will be self-sufficient at some point. It is not simply through feeding, but also through health, financial and other daily skills needed to empower them.

A Few Projects to Note (according to me): 

1. Consumer Protection: Balancing Rights and Responsibilities is a program to educate microfinance clients and their lenders to make sure the clients are getting the information they need and are asking the right questions. In light of the the recent controversy over microfinance institutions allegedly taking advantage of those they are supposed to be helping, I love this transparency. It provides resources for both ends to be sure intentions are still good, and clients can discern for themselves what they should expect in a microlender.

2. Mexico City: They are providing a combination of financial services, life-skills training and health education to those in rural areas through a training center in Mexico City. In their own words,

"By collaborating with existing organizations, we double the effect of our technical knowledge and donor support by leveraging the contributions of local, highly committed and knowledgeable people. Our objective is to transfer our skills, knowledge and capacity to local organizations so they provide services for the long term and, ultimately, without our assistance."

Here's why I like them...

• First of all, they ONLY work with women. I find this really interesting, and in their own words, "We don't exclude men: we focus on women." They understand that in many cultures, the mother is responsible for feeding the household, and thus, they are targeting these women and empowering them. They have a wonderful part of their website which documents the stories of women all over the world: click here

• I really admire their comprehensive approach to poverty and hunger. They do not use one avenue to solve one goal, but blend many development issues to address not only hunger, but the needs beyond that. Their website is incredibly informative, I could have a heyday on there! 

• They have an awesome FAQ page

• They do not stand alone, but rather collaborate with as many organizations as possible to achieve their goals to truly diminish hunger, and hopefully, poverty. 

If you have never heard about this organization, truly take the time to browse their web page and find out ways you can GET INVOLVED. They are truly worth watching as they courageously take on incredibly difficult global issues. Know that FFH neither endorses nor sponsors this post. All thoughts are my own unless otherwise stated.

I just think this is a pretty fantastic organization, and so should you!!!

-Linbrooke

The Girl in the Park

"Grace isn't a little prayer you chant before receiving a meal. It's a way to live."  -Jackie Windspear

This morning, I took Wrigley to an arboretum to meet up with my new friend, Megan. The more I learn about her, the more I admire her, and today, she blew me away. As we took the dogs to a little area on the lake, there was a young woman sitting on a bench. She had a bag, a gallon of water, some music, and a box full of cigarettes, lighters, and other little things. It was very clear she was getting ready to do some kind of drug, though it was hard to say which one. 

The girl was so sweet and asked about our dogs and struck up a conversation with us. After a few minutes, Megan stepped forward and touched the girls arm. "Are you ok?" 

The girl simply said,"oh yeah...I'm fine. I just like to come out here in the mornings."

"Are you sure? Because I see you have a bag, and it is really cold, and I just want to make sure you are ok. Do you have any food or gloves?"

"Yeah yeah, I live close by. It is cold, but I try not to stay here too long."

Megan, "Ok, I am not trying to be annoying, but I have been a social worker and a mother for a long time, and I have been 22 and with no money, and I just want to make sure you have help if you need it." 

The girl paused and looked at us and said, "Oh my God. There are still people like you that exist? This is so good to know around Christmastime. Thank you so much, but I am really ok." 

We said we would leave her to her alone time and to have a great day, and we left.

Not only was she absolutely beautiful, but she was friendly and sweet. What a beautiful girl that I would have passed by, if not for Megan. I was silent for a few seconds after we walked away. Megan turned to me and said, "Sorry, I was trying to figure out how to make sure she was ok without making you feel awkward. It's just that I have seen that too many times, and I can't overlook it." She was worried about making me feel awkward when she was reaching out to someone who seemed to need help!! Unreal...but so inspiring. 

I am left feeling inspired, impressed, and if I were being honest...ashamed. If Megan hadn't been there, I know that I would not have approached that girl, much less be sure she had everything she needs. Isn't that so common for us to do? At times, we don't know what to say, we are afraid of offending them, or we are too scared, perhaps, of what it means to reach down into their lives and extend grace. Or, we are so caught up in our own lives that we are blind to the suffering of the person sitting next to us in a park, in a coffee shop, in our family. 

It was the most beautiful reminder to show compassion, and to do it fearlessly. Would it be better for me to feel less embarrassed than to ask someone if they need a meal or a place to sleep? Let's all remember to never be too busy to ask someone if they need a meal, if they needs gloves, if they need to talk. It is easy to walk past and go about our day, but let us show GRACE to each and every person, and when we have an opportunity, to seize upon it.

Thank you, Megan, for reminding me how important it is to look at every person as an opportunity to show grace and compassion, whether a millionaire who is lonely, or the poverty-stricken person who is hungry. Thank you for showing me what it means to live a a life of grace.

-Linbrooke

p.s. I watch this show, and if ever there is an example of living grace, it is in this series: