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1 October 2004
“HUNGER NO MORE”
DOCUMENTARY
TO AIR STARTING OCT. 24 ON ABC-TV AFFILIATES
The Society of St. Andrew’s nationwide work
to eradicate
hunger is featured
"Hunger No More: Faces Behind
the Facts," a new TV documentary, takes an unflinching look at the
persistent problem of hunger in the 21st century – and offers solutions.
The hunger relief work of the Society of St. Andrew, along with clips
from an interview with SoSA Executive Director Ken Horne, is featured in
the documentary. The Society of St. Andrew’s tens of thousands of
volunteers and supporters can be very proud of the job the organization
does in responding to the problems of food waste and domestic hunger.
A program of the National Council of Churches USA for the ABC-TV “Vision
and Values” series, the one-hour, closed-captioned special will begin
airing on ABC affiliates on October 24, 2004. (See EDITOR’S NOTE at the
end of the story.)
Most of us don’t often ask where our next meal is coming from. But for
millions of Americans and nearly a billion people worldwide, such food
insecurity is a daily reality.
“Hunger No More: Faces Behind the Facts” approaches hunger from the
perspective of faith, declaring that hunger is more than a social issue.
“It is a moral issue that needs immediate resolution,” says Burton
Buller, President of Mennonite Media, who produced the program for the
NCC. “The program brings to life the moral dimension of this thorny
issue, and offers up a vision for a new day when hunger is eradicated
from the face of the earth.”
Featured interviewees include:
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Senator Elizabeth Dole,
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former Senator and
presidential candidate George McGovern,
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renowned ethicist
Jeffrey Sachs of The Earth Institute at Columbia University,
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Bread for the World CEO David
Beckmann,
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Church World Service
Executive Director John McCullough,
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NCC General Secretary Bob
Edgar,
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Joan Holmes of the United
Nations-related Hunger Project,
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Ken Horne, CEO of the Society
of St. Andrew,
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Joe Young, Director of
Community Development, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America,
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June Kim, Executive Secretary
for World Hunger of the United Methodist Committee on Relief,
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and leaders from several
other hunger programs mobilized by NCC member communions.
These key figures in the
movement to end hunger in America and overseas provide insight on the
political, economic and cultural factors that allow hunger to grow, and
conclude that the problem can be solved if enough people take action.
NCC General Secretary Edgar said the TV special is being produced as
part of the National Council of Churches' commitment "to address
significant issues of faith and public policy and to pursue concrete
solutions to the persistent challenge of poverty in a time of great
wealth and capability in our society."
Former Senator McGovern says in the program, “Every religion in the
world instructs its adherents to feed the hungry.” A multitude of
faith-based efforts to end hunger enact this teaching – everything from
community gardens to campaigns for equitable agricultural trade
policies. The documentary highlights specific programs, including the
Society of St. Andrew’s gleaning ministry, that point the way out of the
hunger crisis.
After airing, the program will be available on DVD and VHS video, along
with a study guide. Call 800-999-3534.
In addition to Mennonite Media, the NCC’s sponsoring partners for the
production are the United Methodist Committee on Relief, the World
Hunger Program of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the
Society of St. Andrew, and the ecumenical humanitarian agency Church
World Service, with cooperation from Bread for the World and United
Methodist Communication.
For more information, contact: Shirley Struchen (212-870-2574) or Pat
Pattillo (212-870-2048).
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