Bread For the World

When I first became interested in letter-​writing activism in the late ‘90s, Bread for the World’s was one of the first email lists I joined. Every once in a while, I would receive an action alert providing me with a simple, concrete way to contact an elected official (usually my US Representative) about supporting legislation to alleviate hungry either domestically or internationally.
Ten years later, Bread for the World’s message is just as urgent, and its action alerts are just as simple. My only qualm with the organization is that its focus is a tad too incrementalist or reformist for my political tastes. This wouldn’t be so bad if the Bread for the World’s goals were less bold, but they’re not; Bread seeks to end hunger. Period. That’s a worthy and, yes, workable goal. And they don’t pull punches in calling for solutions that go against the free-​market fanatics who got us into the current financial crisis we’re in, but in appealing to such a wide base of support, I think Bread for the World sells itself and its prophetic mission just a tad short.
I still love what they do, and they’re a great organization for any Christian who is interested in putting his or her faith in action but who hasn’t yet thought about how economic issues can be just as important as so-​called social issues.