September is Hunger Action Month — a month that invites us to look beyond the statistics and see the people behind them: children arriving at school hungry, parents choosing between groceries and rent, seniors deciding whether to buy food or medicine, and neighbors quietly carrying the weight of not knowing where their next meal will come from.
The need in Texas is significant and growing. According to the latest data from Feeding Texas, 19.4% of Texans — more than 6 million people — experience food insecurity, meaning they do not have consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life. More than one in four Texas children experience food insecurity.
The picture in North Texas is equally sobering. The North Texas Food Bank’s 12-county service area includes approximately 796,000 people experiencing food insecurity — about one in six of our neighbors. Nearly 291,000 children, or one in four in the service area, experience food insecurity.
For people of faith, hunger is not simply a statistic or a social problem. It is a spiritual concern. Throughout Scripture, God’s vision for the world is one in which people have enough. The Israelites receive manna in the wilderness. The prophets call God’s people to share bread with the hungry. Jesus feeds crowds, eats with those on the margins and tells his followers that when we feed the hungry, we are feeding him.
Everyone deserves a place at the table.
And our faith calls us to more than charity. We are called to compassion and action — to feed our neighbors while also asking why so many cannot afford to feed themselves. Hunger is connected to wages, housing costs, transportation, healthcare and access to resources. Ending hunger requires both generosity and a commitment to justice.
This September, may we remember that the table is one of our most powerful expressions of faith. We give. We serve. We advocate. We welcome. And we work together toward a community where no one is left hungry.
Because the gospel we proclaim is not simply about setting a table for ourselves. It is about making the table wide enough for everyone.
Action Item: Stock the pantry at Empowering the Masses
Join us during September as we help our mission partner Empowering the Masses stock its new pantry location in Pleasant Grove. Empowering the Masses provides for basic needs, delivers educational resources, and provides access to careers that are stable and lucrative, paving a path for sustainable success in life.
shop via this Amazon wishlist and have items shipped directly to Empowering the Masses.