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ConnectionP R E S B Y T E R I A N
PRESBYTERIAN WORLD SERVICE & DEVELOPMENT
Sharing Food,
with Faith
By Guy Smagghe, PWS&D Director
Is such the fast that I choose, a
day to humble oneself?... Is it not
to share your bread with the hun-
gry, and bring the homeless poor
into your house; when you see
the naked, to cover them, and not
to hide yourself from your own
kin? (Isaiah 58:5, 7)
October 16 is World Food Day,
a day when we are reminded that
access to food is a fundamen-
tal right for all. Article 25 of the
Universal Declaration of Human
Rights states: “Everyone has
the right to a standard of living
adequate for the health and well-
being of himself and of his family,
including food, clothing, housing
and medical care and necessary
social services, and the right to
security in the event of unemploy-
ment, sickness, disability, widow-
hood, old age or other lack of live-
lihood in circumstances beyond
his control.”
Food is to be shared. We invite
our siblings around the world to
share in the abundance of food
that God has provided on this
earth. Unfortunately, it is not as
abundant everywhere and for
everyone. Our challenge is to
provide new avenues to meet
people’s basic needs where food
access is lacking.
As a member of Canadian
Foodgrains Bank, we can cel-
ebrate the fact that we are part
of a great story of food sharing.
Last year alone, the Foodgrains
Bank contributed nearly $75 mil-
lion worth of food assistance and
food security projects with finan-
cial support from the Government
of Canada. PWS&D was part of
In Haiti, malnourished children are
receiving life-saving treatment with
support from PWS&D and other Cana-
dian denominations.
Growing projects, like this one supported by the ecumenical Danforth Grow Hope
initiative, grow crops to sell in Canada and use the funds to help end hunger
around the world.
that story as we led initiatives
with partners in Haiti, Malawi,
Afghanistan, Pakistan and Guate-
mala—providing food in times of
distress, along with training and
support for farmers to improve
their harvests on their small plots
of land.
Jesus loved to share food, and
we are provided with examples
of him multiplying small quanti-
ties of food to help as many peo-
ple as possible. Remember the
story of the loaves and fishes,
and how much was left after all
had enjoyed their fill? Remember
the fishermen who saw their nets
miraculously filled at a time when
they had lost hope?
“When he had finished speak-
ing, he said to Simon, ‘Put out
into the deep water and let down
your nets for a catch.’ Simon an-
swered, ‘Master, we have worked
all night long but have caught
nothing. Yet if you say so, I will
let down the nets.’ When they had
done this, they caught so many
fish that their nets were beginning
to break. So they signalled their
partners in the other boat to come
and help them. And they came
and filled both boats, so that they
began to sink” (Luke 5:4–7).
In faith, we too can listen to
Jesus’ voice to guide us as we
seek both to find and to share the
bounty of abundance around us.
Here in Canada, abundance is
found in the fields that produce
grain and beans in the Prairies
and across the land. It is on fields
like these that farmers work to-
gether as part of growing pro-
jects. Crops are sold and the pro-
ceeds are provided to Canadian
Foodgrains Bank, which in turn
supports PWS&D projects over-
seas. Those funds are multiplied
up to four times and contribute to
projects to help alleviate hunger.
Through growing projects,
abundance is shared as it should
be. God’s table is brought to
Earth, and we are all guests at
the table. It’s an inclusive “we,”
where the first invitation goes to
those who are most hungry.
In the past year, PWS&D, with
the support of other denomina-
tions, helped to save children’s
lives in Haiti through a therapeutic
feeding project. A food assistance
project in Afghanistan helped
many women and children have
enough nutritious food to live
fuller lives. Thanks to ecumeni-
cal collaborations and against all
odds, PWS&D has provided food
assistance in Gaza, despite barri-
ers to aid delivery.
God calls us to share our food
with the hungry. How will we take
what we have and multiply it to
reach as many people as possi-
ble? PWS&D, with the Canadian
Foodgrains Bank, offers a prag-
matic way to be part of this story
of multiplication: last year, the
Foodgrains Bank reached nearly
a million people in 35 countries.
This is faith at work. And it all
begins with the act of sharing, as
Jesus did.
Gaza Aid Brings Relief
By Stephanie Chunoo,
PWS&D Communications
Ibrahim Atallah is one of many
Palestinians in Gaza whose life
has been severely affected by the
conflict that worsened after Oc-
tober 2023. As a father, Ibrahim
now looks after his three-year-
old son, who has a disability and
highly specific dietary needs. His
son eats only a few simple items,
mainly biscuits and milk, which
have become nearly impossible
to obtain due to shortages and
rising prices in the market.
Like many families in Gaza,
Ibrahim has struggled to find
enough food to meet even the
most basic needs. As the hu-
manitarian situation worsened,
access to safe shelter, water and
food became increasingly limited.
In response to widespread dis-
placement and food insecurity,
PWS&D supported a Canadian
Foodgrains Bank project, which
distributed ready-to-eat and
mixed food parcels to displaced,
conflict-affected families across
Gaza City and North Gaza. These
parcels were designed to meet
the immediate needs of individu-
als without access to functioning
kitchens, cooking fuel or stable
incomes.
Ibrahim was among the par-
ticipants selected to receive this
assistance in Gaza City. When he
received a parcel, he said it made
a significant difference, not only
in easing his financial stress but
also in boosting the health of his
young son. “This parcel will alle-
viate his suffering and provide my
child with the necessary food,”
Ibrahim shared. The ma’amoul
(date) biscuits included in the kit
brought immediate comfort to his
son and helped decrease the fam-
ily’s dependence on expensive,
hard-to-find goods in the local
market.
“I felt happy when I received
the message that I would be a
participant of the aid distribu-
tions,” he shared. “[The partner]
cares about the opinions and
challenges of the participants…
[and] that makes us feel that
we have rights. We do not feel
embarrassed or insulted when
receiving the parcels,” remarked
Ibrahim.
PWS&D’s Gaza response
As violence continues in Gaza and
the Occupied Palestinian Territo-
ries, humanitarian needs on the
ground only increase, while the
ability to deliver aid remains an
ongoing challenge.
Despite the challenges, PWS&D
continues to respond through our
ecumenical networks and part-
nerships at ACT Alliance and Ca-
nadian Foodgrains Bank to pro-
vide food and other humanitarian
assistance where and whenever
possible. Yet, the need is still im-
mense, and we need your help to
Food distributions in Gaza City. PHOTO CREDIT: CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES
respond.
Your support will enable
PWS&D and our partners to pro-
vide cash and food assistance,
access to water and sanitation
services, shelter, primary health
care, and mental health support.
As a result, families like Ibrahim’s
will be able to meet their basic
needs.
To learn more and support
PWS&D’s Gaza response, please
visit WeRespond.ca/Gaza.
* With files from Development
and Peace (Caritas Canada).
Ibrahim collecting his ready-to-eat
food parcel from a distribution point
in Gaza City. PHOTO CREDIT: CATHOLIC
RELIEF SERVICES