Hunger Action Congregations Covenant

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*** As disciples of a loving God who inspires us to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with our God, we commit to faithful action to end hunger and address its root causes. ***

The purpose of the Hunger Action Congregation process is to --
(1) acknowledge and celebrate the faithful work of Presbyterians happening around the country to alleviate hunger and end its causes, and
(2) to encourage these ministries to be even more holistic and justice-oriented.

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STEP 1: FORM A HUNGER ACTION TEAM (if you don’t already have a similar team or committee to steward this work)

A) Gather church members – including children and youth – who are passionate about addressing hunger, poverty and related injustices. Decide how often you'd like to meet to assess and grow the church’s practices in this area.

B) Together, review the Covenant below. You will likely want a record of your application, so please download the Word version of the Covenant at https://www.pcusa.org/hacprep and fill it out. This will be your church's copy of the Covenant.

C) Then, you will be ready to cut-and-paste from your Word document into the form below, which is the official application that PHP receives.

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STEP 2: COVENANT TO BECOME A HUNGER ACTION CONGREGATION
There are two levels: 1 - Covenanting and 2 - Certified

1 - COVENANTING: If you are doing hunger-related work in one or more of the six areas (see below), check the activities you are currently doing. Be sure to invite children and youth to participate. You can submit the covenant anytime, and September 15 is the annual deadline so the Hunger Action Congregations can be announced in time for World Food Day on October 16.

You will be recognized on the PHP website as a Covenanting Hunger Action Congregation for three years. PHP will communicate with you periodically with updates, opportunities, and stories from other congregations to encourage you to increase or broaden your hunger ministries into other areas.

2 - CERTIFICATION: If you are doing activities in all six areas, after submitting the completed Covenant, you will be certified for three years as a Certified Hunger Action Congregation and will receive a certificate to post in your church. We will send you a reminder before the 3 years have expired, so you can renew.
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Ending Hunger and Its Causes: Six Areas

1. Hunger Alleviation: providing food in a dignified way with an eye to long-term structural solutions
2. Development assistance: addressing the root causes of hunger and poverty through equitable and sustainable development
3. Hunger Education: learning about systemic causes of hunger, leading towards faithful action that is informed and directed by directly affected people and partners
4. Lifestyle Integrity: adopting sustainable personal and corporate lifestyles to restore justice and protect all of God’s creation
5. Corporate and Public Policy Witness: advocating and campaigning for changes in policies and practices to end hunger and its causes, promote self-development, and care for creation
6. Worship: incorporating prayer, education, and preaching about ending hunger and its causes into worship
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* If you have questions, contact PHP at php@pcusa.org or (800) 728-7228 x.5832

Is this the first year you are applying to PHP to be recognized as a Hunger Action Congregation? *

Yes

Hunger Alleviation

*** Providing and/or sharing food in a dignified way with an eye to long-term structural solutions ***

Indicate any activities your church is doing

Raise funds to end hunger around the world; give to the Presbyterian Hunger Program, to Cents-Ability, or other.

Support a feeding program with volunteers and/or financial support, or run one yourself. [Start/operate a soup kitchen | Find a food pantry | Meals on Wheels | Backpack Program]

Host or support (financial and/or volunteer) a Summer Food Service Program

Start or participate in a Community Garden or host a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)

Partner with another church in your area to support their hunger ministry

Other (briefly describe below)

Please tell us more about the above activities, add activities in this area, and/or send comments or questions. [You can find activity links and resources on the Word doc you downloaded here]

Development assistance

*** Addressing the root causes of hunger and poverty through equitable and sustainable development ***

Indicate any activities your church is doing

Support the Presbyterian Hunger Fund, which provides grants to organizations in the United States and around the world doing this work.

Support a development and/or training initiative overseas that builds local power, equity and long-term prosperity.

Become a Jubilee Congregation and work for economic justice locally and globally.

Run a shelter for the unhoused, or support one with volunteers and/or financial support.

Join or create a local food policy council.

Support an existing cooperative grocery or get one going in your community.

Organize a job training program, or support one with volunteers and/or financial support.

Other (briefly describe below)

Please tell us more about the above activities, add activities in this area, and/or send comments or questions. [You can find activity links and resources on the Word doc you downloaded here]

Hunger Education

*** Learning about systemic causes of hunger, including racial, gender and economic injustices ***

Indicate any activities your church is doing

Use the Just Eating? Practicing Your Faith at the Table curriculum (adult or middle school version, or both. Also available: Spanish, Latin American, and African American Congregational versions.)

Invite someone from a local anti-hunger or anti-poverty program, particularly a person who is directly impacted, to speak at a study session or during worship.

Host a Hunger Banquet, Simple Meal, or Local Foods Potluck

Christian education, such as a Bible study or topical seminar.

Do a book study. [See list of recommended books at http://bit.ly/hungerbooks]; The PC(USA) co-moderators recommended Waking Up White for 2017, and for 2018 they are recommending Always With Us? What Jesus Really Said About the Poor.

Show a film or film series on hunger, poverty or injustice, and follow with discussion; contact php@pcusa.org if you need ideas.

Go on a Presbyterian Hunger Program Reflection-Action Trip.

Participate in World Food Day / Food Week of Action or participate in or organize other hunger root cause events.

Volunteer (See opportunities for short-term service, internships, and mission work trips on the OGHS Engagement Map).

Join with another congregation in a hunger-related mission work experience.

Participate in listening projects and dialogue about the current and historical context of race and privilege, learning and practicing sensitivity about power dynamics and these issues.

Send representatives to Ecumenical Advocacy Weekend in Washington, D.C. and have a report-back event or church newsletter article about it.

Other (briefly describe below)

Please tell us more about the above activities, add activities in this area, and/or send comments or questions. [You can find activity links and resources on the Word doc you downloaded here]

Lifestyle Integrity

*** Adopting sustainable personal and corporate lifestyles to restore justice and protect all of God’s creation ***

Indicate any activities your church is doing

Become an Earth Care Congregation.

Join the Presbyterian Coffee Project and offer fair trade coffee, tea, chocolate and more.

Do another Fair Trade activity (describe below in 'Other')

Host a fair trade/alternative market. Contact Jessica.Maudlin@pcusa.org

Use Eco-Palms on Palm Sunday.

Use pitchers of water or other environmentally-friendly options at all church events rather than bottled water.

Recycle.

Study lifestyle issues and have individuals take actions in their own lives. [Lent 4.5 curriculum is available from PHP; contact php@pcusa.org for information.]

Other (briefly describe below)

Please tell us more about the above activities, add activities in this area, and/or send comments or questions. [You can find activity links and resources on the Word doc you downloaded here]

Corporate and Public Policy Witness

*** Advocating and campaigning for changes in policies and practices to end hunger and its causes, promote self-development, and care for creation ***

Indicate any activities your church is doing

Do an Offering of Letters on the Bread for the World priority for the year.

Advocate for more livable wages.

Call on Wendy’s and/or Publix to join the Fair Food Program.

Ask Congress to raise the minimum wage.

Advocate for just and sustainable food systems.

Learn about seeds, GMOs and food sovereignty, and ask food companies to support mandatory FDA labeling of GMOs.

Advocate for an end to hunger and its causes by contacting Congress through the PC(USA) Office of Public Witness (see advocacy guide).

Visit elected officials and/or their staff.

Other (briefly describe below)

Please tell us more about the above activities, add activities in this area, and/or send comments or questions. [You can find activity links and resources on the Word doc you downloaded here]

Worship

*** Incorporating prayer, education, and preaching about ending hunger and its causes into worship ***

Indicate any activities your church is doing. Focus on the biblical and theological grounding for hunger and poverty work, and incorporate these into worship through:

Sermons on hunger, poverty and injustice

Prayers, litanies, minutes for mission on hunger

Music and hymns on these topics

Video, skits and other activities during worship

Other (briefly describe below)

Please tell us more about the above activities, add activities in this area, and/or send comments or questions. [You can find activity links and resources on the Word doc you downloaded here]

Future action(s) you are considering:

Please share a STORY about a hunger ministry or particular action! It can be a few sentences or a long story. Or share the URL (web link) to a recent article about your hunger response work from a newspaper, blog or other publication. Also, we would appreciate receiving at least one photo (email to php@pcusa.org with photo credits and captions) to illustrate the story. We may share the story and photos on social media and blogs. (Stories from HACs who are re-applying after 3 years are highly encouraged to send this story and photo!)

PHP has our permission to share any of our stories and photographs, with credit to the HAC. (PHP does not share photographs of ministry participants, unless you have their permission.) *

Yes

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