Early in a new year, many people are thinking about how to enhance their lives or set resolutions around their goals. It makes sense that this happens in January as, for many, it feels like a fresh start and perfect opportunity to set the tone for the kind of year that they wish to have. Perhaps you’ve created some resolutions for yourself this year or maybe you’re looking for ideas regarding what you could focus on over the next month, six months or twelve months. If so, I’d like to offer a suggestion. I’d like for you to consider becoming an active supporter of The Black Church Food Security Network this year. If you’re already active with us, consider deepening your engagement with our mission to further food justice in the country. To help feed your imagination and give some direction, here are five ways to support us in 2023:
Pray For Us
The word “church” is in our organizational name because I recognize that there is a spiritual component to what we do. The challenges around food apartheid are not just political or economic. To create this kind of global suffering related to hunger, malnutrition, and food insecurity, there must be dynamics at play that are not as easily observable by the naked eye. We are facing very powerful giants and need to be covered in prayer as we work this year. Please pray for our staff and their families, our volunteers, our funders and most importantly – the communities and churches where we are organizing. Add us to your church’s prayer list, speak our name during your weekly prayer call or mail us written prayers from time to time to encourage us. You can send prayers to P.O. Box 66028, Baltimore, MD 21212
Volunteer With Us
An old proverb says, “many hands make light work.” In 2022, we were blessed with the resources to be able to hire a number of new staff members. However, what quickly became clear is that even with additional staff there was still so much more to be done. If we are going to be successful in creating a world where no one is made to be hungry, then we must organize and mobilize thousands of people who are deployed in lanes that align with their area of expertise or genius. Click here to join our volunteer force this year. (If you have Volunteer Coordinator experience, please let us know!)
Help Fund Us
We are so grateful to be in partnership with Foundations that see the significance of our work and appreciate the unique approach that we’re taking to advancing food justice and food sovereignty in African American communities. Our past and present foundation funders include The Town Creek Foundation, The Claneil Foundation, WhyHunger, Kataly Foundation, The W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Meyer Foundation, Thrivent Charitable and Schwab Charitable. Our partnership with these foundations are truly that – partnerships! However, we also realize that this movement cannot be funded by foundations alone if we are to be sustainable for the long run. Therefore, we ask that you please consider becoming a Freedom Funder with us this year. Click here to make either a one-time donation or if you have the means sign up to become a recurring giver; donating to us on a consistent basis at an amount and frequency that makes the most sense for you.
We also invite churches to consider adding us to their annual budgets. Our work can easily be classified under a church’s outreach or missions-related line item. For those churches interested in learning more about how to partner with us in this way, please contact us!
Join Us
We are erecting a big tent that includes churches of all denominations, racial compositions and communities. We are called the BLACK CHURCH food security network, in part, because this is the place where God originated this vision, however, ALL churches – in fact – all faith-based organizations are welcome to join this movement. We’ve worked with mosques, synagogues, temples, and organizations of all stripes whether they had religious affiliation or not. With a mission and vision this big, we need all hands on deck! For churches that are ready to join us click here. For non-Christian groups that want to connect, please click here to send us a message.
Become An Ambassador
You know people and organizations that can help us to grow and further mission. Maybe it’s a relative, a coworker, a Bishop or pastor, a funder, an elected official or community-minded business. We have been so blessed because of those that talk about our work in the right circle, at the right time with the right people around. We’re looking for more people to become ambassadors to our organization and mission. We have so many exciting things on deck for 2023 like our new youth program and a few capital projects. We’re looking to meet contractors, experienced grant writers, super connected church people and other “bridge-builders” that can help us to connect with circles of people that we don’t know yet. As you go about your work, please consider sharing about BCFSN. If you need brochures, want to buy merchandise to represent, want a short video to play or something else, just let us know! Click here to send us a message.
