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Other alarming statis- ing hunger nationally and tics: 36 million individuals are food abroad descended on our insecure; 13 million of those are chil- nation's capital to provide one voice dren; less than 2 percent of the govern- for the 36 million hungry Americans ment's annual budget is directed to who aren't being heard. food programs that address food-inse- The "One Table, Many Voices" con- cure families; 1 out of 4 individuals ference, held June 4-7, drew represen- served by a soup kitchen is a child; 90 tatives of 40 organized religions. percent of families receiving Sponsors were Second Harvest food stamps live at or below (the largest charitable hunger poverty level. relief organization), Bread for A conference highlight was the World (a Christian move- the interfaith convocation at ment that seeks justice for the the Washington National world's hungry) and Mazon: A Cathedral. Representatives Jewish Response to Hunger from 40 religions combined in (which does support and advo- prayer, song and dance. More cacy work on behalf of the LEA L UGER than 1,700 people listened to hungry). guest speaker the Rev. Joel Jacob, a staunch hunger Corn munity Njongonkulu Ndungane, fighter from the Detroit Vi ew archbishop of Cape Town. He Jewish community, invited me encouraged attendees to exer- to join him in Washington to cise their faith. speak for the 2,500 Jews in Metro In preparation for meeting with Detroit served by Yad Ezra. Paul lawmakers, we were reminded that we Finkel, president of our kosher food were providing a voice for those in pantry, joined us. need. We were instructed to ask our We first met with a group of Knesset representatives to: members (representing the Likud, • Renew their commitment to the Labor, Shinui and Arab political par- goal of cutting food insecurity by half ties) at the conference to discuss set- in the U.S. by 2010 to and set a new goal to end U.S. hunger by 2015, • Strengthen the efforts of local and statewide groups and programs that provide food, action or outreach to help people overcome hunger at a local level, and • Authorize research to improve and strengthen the policies that help fight hunger. We met with Undersecretary of Agriculture Eric Bost, whose job includes managing a budget of $50 billion for government programs that deal with poverty. He had heard about Yad Ezra from Joel Jacob and agreed to visit our operation when he visits ting up infrastructure in Israel to Detroit this summer. address hunger. Most telling was when Joel Jacob, Agostinho Fernandes Jr., one Knesset member remarked that in president of Gleaners Community Hebrew, there is only one word for Food Bank in Detroit, and I strate- hunger, which literally translates as gized before we convened with U.S. starvation. The word carries no Reps. Joe Knollenberg, Mike Rogers, nuance. The lack of alternate adjectives to describe the state of hunger caused a Dave Camp and Thaddeus McCotter. Having the opportunity to speak pri- gap in comprehension about hunger in vately with these congressmen was a Israel. A new word has been added to thrilling experience. They promised to the Hebrew lexicon to describe a state give serious consideration to our con- of hunger that people can now grasp. cerns and thanked us for our efforts. We learned from journalists that What an amazing two days! I came most American voters don't think the home feeling pride in the work that U.S. government is doing enough to help people in need and don't want the we do, in the country that we live in and in the efforts of so many so that everyone's voice can be heard, regard- Lea Luger is development director of less of the language. O A A new word has been added to the Hebrew lexicon to describe a state of hunger that people can now grasp. Berkley-based Yad Ezra, Michigan's only kosher food pantry.