RESOURCES

• Soup's On! Newsletter
  - February 2010 edition (PDF)
  - November 2009 edition (PDF)
  - July 2009 edition (PDF)
  
  
• IHI covenant
  (download covenant—PDF)
  
  
• Want to make a donation? Make your checks payable to “Interfaith Hunger Initiative” and
  mail it to: Interfaith Hunger Initiative
  c/o Dawnielle Alden, Christ Church Cathedral,
  125 Monument Circle, Indianapolis, IN 46204.
  
  
• Indianapolis Star Newspaper Articles
  — Spotlight on hunger. October 17, 2008 (PDF)
  — Thinking about those harder hit by hard
       times. October 18, 2008 (PDF)

Download graphic poster (PDF, see left) or informative flyers (PDF, see below) to reproduce yourself, or contact Dave Miner at dminer145@aol.com to request printed versions to distribute.

• Half sheet facts distribution flyer
• 2-page full information flyer

FACES OF HUNGER—STEVEN

I met Steven (not his real name) on a cold and rainy night at an outdoor feeding site located in a church parking lot. A dedicated group of church folks from congregations beyond the host site have provided dinner here outdoors in all weather for many years. The staff are welcoming and truly serve those that come. In better weather as many as 300 will come. Tonight there are about 110. Most but not all are men, of widely varying ages, with a surprisingly large contingent of young men.  Many of them are homeless, some spending nights at area shelters and some just living on the street.

Steven is one of those younger participants. At 29 years old he is tall, lean, and good looking. Wearing a hooded sweatshirt he has a mobile phone microphone dangling at the side of his face. He is very well spoken and I quickly find out why. He completed a Bachelors degree and was earning $20,000 a year as a telemarketer until he got laid off 6 months ago.  Over the last month he has had no income at all. He no longer has a working automobile. Similar to most of the others we will talk with this on this evening, he has no health insurance and has unpaid medical bills. He lives alone in an efficiency apartment but cannot hold out there for much longer.

Without any income or assets Steven has been receiving “food stamps” for the last three months. Like most SNAP (food stamps) participants the food he can obtain with the debit card only lasts about two weeks. (The night of my visit is in the last week of the month; perhaps that is why so many have come out in the weather to get a meal). He often finds himself not having money to buy food. As a result he doesn’t eat balanced meals, frequently skips meals and on occasion has had to go a whole day without eating.