Hunger & Homelessness

Unfortunately, the struggle to feed and house the poor that those dedicated millions dared to confront continues to this day. The homeless and hunger issues are once again front page news and we want to take this the opportunity to use the attention of the 30th Anniversary of Hands Across America to remind everyone of the importance of refocusing efforts to reduce or even eliminate these issues.”

Hunger and Homelessness has new faces as people across America and globally struggle to find and maintain shelter and food for themselves and their families. We now have senior, veterans, families, teenage and mentally ill homelessness to go along with the the chronic homeless that already existed.

Just as 30 years ago, the question is still being asked today? What can I/we do? Here are a few suggestions for how you can help?

• Get involved with a group or organizations in your local community that are working with the homeless or hunger.
• Organize an event in your community to raise funds to help support the work of a local charitable organization, along with raising awareness of the issues.
• Contact your local elected officials(city,state and national), ask them what are they doing to help address these issues?
• Get others that you know involved family, friends, others from your community Everyone has a stake in making their community a better place.
• We can all do something to make a difference.What are we doing?
• We are using this HANDS milestone to again raise awareness about the hunger and homeless challenge that we have here in the US. USA for Africa will make available on behalf of Hands Across America ten (10) grants.
• We have identified five (5) groups working on homeless issues and five (5) groups working on hunger issues that will each receive $5,000 in recognition of the hard work, their tireless and creative efforts to help address these issues.

Organizations Combatting Homelessness

Shelter Partnership, Los Angeles, CA

Shelter Partnership, Inc. is dedicated to alleviating, preventing and ending homelessness by assisting in the development of short-term and transitional housing programs, affordable housing, and supportive services for the homeless and potentially homeless throughout Los Angeles and Los Angeles County. Since its founding in 1985, Shelter Partnership has been a leader in the fight against homelessness in Los Angeles and Los Angeles County.

National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH), Washington, DC

The National Alliance to End Homelessness is a leading voice on the issue of homelessness. The Alliance analyzes policy and develops pragmatic, cost-effective policy solutions. The Alliance works collaboratively with the public, private, and nonprofit sectors to build state and local capacity, leading to stronger programs and policies that help communities achieve their goal of ending homelessness. We provide data and research to policymakers and elected officials in order to inform policy debates and educate the public and opinion leaders nationwide.

US Vets, Los Angeles, CA

U.S.VETS Initiative is a private non-profit organization providing housing, employment and counseling services to our nation’s veterans, the men and women from all branches of the armed forces who have served their country from World War II to the current conflict in Afghanistan. With 21 residential sites and 9 service centers in 14 cities across 6 states, the District of Columbia and the territory of Guam, U.S.VETS personnel go into the local community to find homeless veterans and guide them to crucial services that might help alleviate the challenges they face as a result of their homelessness.

OPCC-LAMP Community Los Angeles, CA

OPCC and Lamp Community Are Now! OPCC-Lamp achieves one of the highest success rates in the nation for ending homelessness – more than 95% of the people we house stay housed for one year or more.We help people living with severe mental illness move from streets to homes. Lamp offers immediate access to affordable, safe and permanent housing without requiring sobriety or participation in treatment. Once settled in their home, new tenants are surrounded with customized services such as mental health treatment, drug recovery, healthcare, budgeting, visual and performing arts, job opportunities, and other supports to help them achieve their goals and become a part of their community. www.lampcommunity.org –

JWCH Institute, Inc

JWCH is a major provider of homeless health care services, ranging from medical examination to laboratory services for the communities of Los Angeles County. The agency’s current mission is to improve the health and wellness of under-served segments of the population of Los Angeles County through the direct provision or coordination of health care, health education services and research. The mission is being accomplished through a variety of programs and activities, such as: medical outreach and referrals for medical care, HIV services and drug treatment; health education; psychosocial assessment and intervention; primary medical care; family planning services; and research.

Hunger Organizations

WHY Hunger, New York, NY

WhyHunger is not just another organization with a mission statement tucked away on its website. We are on a mission. Together, we are building a world where everyone has the right to nutritious food. WhyHunger is a leader in building the movement to end hunger and poverty by connecting people to nutritious, affordable food and by supporting grassroots solutions that inspire self-reliance and community empowerment.

National Black Food and Justice Alliance, New York, NY

National Black Food and Justice Alliance is a coalition of Black-led organizations working towards cultivating and advancing Black leadership, building Black self-determination, Black institution building and organizing for food sovereignty, land and justice. The Alliance seeks to achieve this by engaging in broad based coalition organizing for black food and land, increasing visibility of Black led narratives and work, advancing Black led visions for just and sustainable communities, and building capacity for self-determination within our local, national, and international food systems and land rights work. Our areas of focus include black food sovereignty , self-determining food economies, and land . We approach food sovereignty, land and self-determining food economies via the lens of healing, organizing and resistance against anti-Blackness.

Elijah’s Promise, New Brunswick, NJ

Elijah’s Promise strives to break the cycle of poverty in our community of New Brunswick, NJ. We envision a community where no one goes hungry for lack of food or funds; where a good meal is a nutritious meal; where our community learns to steward natural and financial resources wisely; and where we make opportunity available to those who seek it. Elijah’s Promise doesn’t simply provide meals to hungry people — we use food as a tool for change. We fight to end hunger through promoting good food for all, providing education and job training for the food industry, and creating social enterprise food businesses that help build a better world.

Rooted in Community, Berkeley, CA

The Rooted In Community National Network (RIC) is a national grassroots network that empowers young people to take leadership in their own communities. They are a diverse movement of youth and adults working together and committed to fostering healthy communities and food justice through urban and rural agriculture, community gardening, food security, and related environmental justice work.

Florida Association of Farmworkers, Apopka, FL

FWAF’s long-standing mission is to build power among farmworker and rural low-income communities to respond to and gain control over the social, political, workplace, economic, health, and environmental justice issues that impact their lives. FWAF’s guiding vision is a social environment where farmworkers’ contribution, dignity, and worth is acknowledged, appreciated, and respected through economic, social, and environmental justice.