The 30th annual World Food Day is coming this Saturday, and there will be good news as well as bad news to reflect on as we turn our attention to global hunger.
The good news is that the number of hungry people in the world has fallen by nearly 100 million from last year’s all-time high of 1.02 billion. The bad news is that this leaves us with 925 million people still hungry.
How much is 925 million? Enough that if you lined them all up, one person per foot, they would lap the earth’s circumference seven times!
No one person can feed 925 million people, let alone transform them all into self-reliant, economically-productive individuals who are able to feed themselves. But each one of us – the other 5.7 billion people inhabiting this planet – can do something small to help.
The theme of this year’s World Food Day is “United Against Hunger.” As Catholics, we share a special kind of unity that empowers us to do great things. We are members of the Body of Christ, and our love for others flows from our connection to him. Every believer has a role to play in bringing Christ’s love to the world.
“There are many parts, but one body,” Paul wrote to the Corinthians. Cross International Catholic Outreach is a part of that body. We are partnering with Catholic men and women around the world who have dedicated their lives to feeding the hungry and aiding the destitute. We know that not everyone can do full-time mission work, but there is always a way to help, whether by contributing financially or even simply offering your prayers.
Click here to view our complete list of Cross Catholic feeding projects.