Hidden Hunger: A Christian Response to Hunger in America (A Multi-Part Series)
What does it mean to love our neighbor when our neighbors are hungry—not because there isn’t enough food, but because they can’t access what they need to thrive?
In this multi-part series, Hidden Hunger exposes the unseen realities of food insecurity in America and around the world. From college students skipping meals to families facing empty pantries after COVID disruptions, from the quiet malnutrition that stunts lives to the global crises we rarely see in headlines, these essays invite us to look at hunger through the lens of justice, faith, and community.
Written by scholars, students, pastors, and advocates, Hidden Hunger reminds us that food is never only a physical need—it is a moral and spiritual one. And the church has a vital role to play in making sure our neighbors are fed, body and soul. This series originally ran in 2023.
Part 1: How Hunger Hides in Plain Sight in the United States
By Nikki Toyama-Szeto
More than enough food is currently produced to cover the hunger gap around the globe. Yet hungry people exist in many communities. When people see that, they wonder if God keeps God’s promises. After all, Jesus tells his disciples not to worry about what they’ll eat because God provides (Matthew 6:28-33). So why are there so many people in the world? Read Part 1 >
Part 2: How Hunger Hides on College Campuses in the U.S.
By Julie Golingan Roberts
Many people will fondly remember the summer of 2021 as their “hot-vaxxed summer”: COVID-19 vaccines became more widely available, and thus a semblance of freedom and fun not felt for over a year was finally within reach. My “hot-vaxxed summer” consisted of reviewing countless articles, research, and data about food insecurity among college students. Read Part 2 >
Part 3: How the COVID Pandemic Exposed America’s Hunger Problem
By Sarah String
I remember in the early days of the pandemic, when it felt like the Hunger Games just going grocery shopping and supply chain delays caused shortages and long wait times for some grocery stores items. Panic set in, making the shortages worse as people stockpiled toilet paper, water, and pantry items—that is, those who could afford to do so. Read Part 3 >
Part 4: What the Bible Says About Hunger
By Nancy Neal
“This is my body, broken for you. This is the cup of the new covenant, sealed in my blood, shed for the forgiveness of sins. As Christians, we say some version of these words as we gather around a table to remember Jesus’ saving death and resurrection…. Read Part 4 >
Part 5: The Worst Famine Today Is Largely Out of Sight, Out of Mind
By Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon and Dr. Benjamin Norquist
One of the most devastating food crises in the world is mainly out-of-sight-out-of-mind for Americans. Most Americans probably could not easily find Yemen on a map, let alone know about the devastating impact of ongoing war and civil violence…. Read Part 5 >
20 Minute Takes Podcast: Jeremy Everett & Hidden Hunger
On this episode, we chat with Jeremy Everett, Executive Director of the Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty. We talk about the state of food insecurity in the United States, who it affects, and how churches and faith communities might begin to engage creatively with this solvable problem.
Listen here >