I Was Hungry: Cultivating Common Ground to End an American Crisis
Ebook
Hunger is one of the most significant issues in America. One in
eight Americans struggles with hunger, and more than thirteen
million children live in food insecure homes. As Christians we are
called to address the suffering of the hungry and poor: "For I was
hungry, and you gave me food . . ." (Matthew 25:35). However, the
problems of hunger and poverty are too large and too complex for
any one of us to resolve individually.
I Was Hungry offers not only an assessment of the current
crisis but also a strategy for addressing it. Jeremy Everett, a
noted advocate for the hungry and poor, calls Christians to work
intentionally across ideological divides to build trust with one
another and impoverished communities and effectively end America's
hunger crisis. Everett, appointed by US Congress to the National
Commission on Hunger, founded and directs the Texas Hunger
Initiative, a successful ministry that is helping to eradicate
hunger in Texas and around the globe. Everett details the
organization's history and tells stories of its work with
communities from West Texas to Washington, DC, helping Christians
of all political persuasions understand how they can work together
to truly make a difference.
From the Back Cover
"I was hungry and you gave me food . . ."
(Matthew 25:35)
"Jesus taught us that how we treat the least among us is how we
treat him. 'It was me,' Jesus says very directly. Everett, a
respected advocate for the hungry, does what few do well: he
connects faith to public policy."
--Jim Wallis, New York Times bestselling author of
America's Original Sin; president of Sojourners; editor in
chief of Sojourners magazine
"Nothing beats the influence of a great story, and Everett has a
powerful one to tell. His insights into the issues of poverty and
hunger, his journey to the founding of the Texas Hunger Initiative,
and his combination of humility and faithfulness make him a
captivating author."
--Ambassador Tony P. Hall
"A call to action for one of the most pressing issues facing our
nation. In one of the most polarizing eras in our history, Everett
points us toward unity for the common good. May it be so!"
--Frank Wolf, former member of the US House of
Representatives
"This is a must-read, and my hope is that we all allow it to speak
to us, to challenge us--despite our many different walks of life,
political persuasions, and perspectives--to participate together in
'bending our universe towards justice.'"
--Heather Reynolds, Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic
Opportunities, University of Notre Dame
"This book is Everett at his best. Part prophetic call to action,
part how-to manual--with plenty of encouragement as we face the
challenges ahead--it is deeply theological, profoundly practical,
and intensely hopeful."
--Victor J. Hinojosa, Honors Program, Baylor
University
"If it feels like the solutions to hunger and poverty have always
seemed to elude, it won't feel that way after you've read this
book. It is a blueprint for a more inclusive, prosperous, and
compassionate America."
--Billy Shore, founder and executive chair of Share Our
Strength
"Everett's book will appeal to Christians looking to give back to
their community, as well as any reader interested in the plight of
America's poor."--Publishers Weekly
Contents
Foreword by David Beckmann
1. Disaster: What I Learned from a Hurricane about Tackling the
Hunger Disaster in America
2. Broken Streetlights: Finding Our Commonality amid
Crisis
3. A Priest and a Prostitute: It Really Does Take Nearly Losing
Your Life to Find It
4. The People: Finding Citizenship in the Right
Kingdom
5. The Desert: Moving from Mind-Sets of Scarcity to
Abundance
6. Organize: How a Shared Response Can Create Scalable Solutions
to Our Communities' Greatest Social Challenges
7. The West Side: Once You Engage a Community, Fear Cannot Hold
Out against Love
8. Politics: Searching for Consensus amid a Landscape of
Contention
9. Together at the Table: The Texas Hunger Initiative's Story of
Organizing a Systemic Response to Hunger
10. Justice: Our Cultural Moment to Find Common Ground for the
Common Good
Index
Product Details
- Title : I Was Hungry: Cultivating Common Ground to End an American Crisis
- Authors:
- Everett, Jeremy K.
- Beckmann, David
- Publisher: Brazos Press
- Publication Date: 2019
- ISBN: 9781493418305
Jeremy K. Everett (MDiv, Baylor University) is the founder and executive director of the Texas Hunger Initiative, an organization that partners with the United States Department of Agriculture, Texas state agencies, the corporate sector, and thousands of faith- and community-based organizations to develop and implement strategies to alleviate hunger through policy, education, research, and community organizing. A noted advocate for the hungry, he served on the National Commission on Hunger, has spent over two decades ministering to the poor, and frequently speaks on poverty, hunger, community development, and social entrepreneurship. Everett regularly writes for HuffPost and has been featured in PBS documentaries, in newspapers such as the Dallas Morning News, and on talk shows.