Earlier this month, I celebrated Thanksgiving with friends and family. For all of us, Thanksgiving is a time to take stock of what we’re most grateful for. It’s a time to reflect on the positive things in our lives, even in the midst of hardship.
And yet, when there are an overwhelming 783 million people globally not knowing where their next meal may come from, it can be difficult to be positive. As I work with our international programs team, members and local partners around the world on this mission to end hunger, I want to share a few of the things currently on my desk that are giving me hope.
Firstly, as I reflect on the global hunger crisis which became significantly worse during the pandemic, I’m proud of the response we’ve been able to mount against it. The unique nature of our network is our strength, and that’s what has allowed us to rapidly scale up and respond with practical solutions in the communities around the world most impacted by hunger. Our ability to ease suffering in the moment for more people caught in the grip of hunger and poverty is life-saving work in places like Somalia and Haiti, and I feel very grateful to play my part.
At the same time, we continue to work on addressing the root causes of hunger with our long-term development work in 23 countries around the world, and by increasingly integrating humanitarian assistance with long-term food security programming. As our 30-month Humanitarian, Early Recovery and Development program comes to a close in December, we’re looking forward to generating and sharing many lessons on how best to link relief and development work to sustainably end hunger.
Lastly, what gives me hope is the ongoing, committed support of people like you, who generously join us in this mission. Without your donations, as well as additional funding we receive from the Canadian government and organizations like the Humanitarian Coalition, we couldn’t do the work we do.
Your support is helping to achieve an end to hunger in places around the world where it has been an everyday reality, and that is what I’m most thankful for.
This story was written by Barbara Macdonald, director of international programs, and originally published in the 2023 Fall edition of Breaking Bread. Download or order your copy here.
