2023 was a difficult year for many. In the U.S., millions of households struggled to put food on the table. Globally, we witnessed the escalation of conflict in many places with already fragile food systems — Ukraine, Sudan, Tigray, Gaza, and more.
While grappling with these global hunger crises, Bread for the World members around the country mourned the passing of our founder and first president, Rev. Arthur “Art” Simon, who fifty years ago responded wholeheartedly to God’s call to put faith into action. He left behind a powerful legacy. In reflecting on Art’s life, we are reminded that a better future is possible.
Proof of that is all around us. Brave and altruistic people have mobilized to feed and care for families who have been displaced. Policymakers in the U.S. and other countries are investing in strengthening food systems to adapt and moderate the impact of climate change on hunger. Every day, Bread members are contributing to this movement to end hunger. Thank you for walking alongside Bread, each other, and our neighbors — near and far — who are experiencing hunger and poverty.
“In the work I do with Bread, I see the human face of hunger and, with joy, its end. I encourage you to celebrate the victories we accomplish on this journey, knowing that one day our children will be able to see the goals we have achieved by working together.”
Rev. Eugene Cho
President & CEO
July 28, 1930 – November 14, 2023
In 1972, Arthur Simon, a Lutheran pastor from Oregon, developed the concept for a national, nonpartisan Christian movement aimed at combating hunger. By May 1974, despite lacking staff and with almost no funds, Bread for the World was established with the goal of ending hunger by motivating Christians to voice their concerns to elected officials in Washington, D.C. Art assumed the role of its first president, a position he would hold for 16 years. Art’s vision, expertise, and foresight positioned Bread for the World as a leading advocate for ending hunger, significantly impacting the lives of hundreds of millions of people globally. You can read more about Art Simon’s legacy here.
Watch Olivia's StoryIn 2023, Olivia Bowles, a student at Tuskegee University, volunteered with Bread for the World to help end hunger in her community and around the world. Specifically, she advocated to increase food access on college campuses through initiatives such as the Farm Bill and expansion of SNAP benefits.
The Power of Youth Advocacy
“I’m a senior at Tuskegee University. I’ve been partnering with Bread for the World for the past several years to help end hunger in my community and around the world. I organize a letter-writing campaign to encourage students at Tuskegee to write to our representatives. This past year, we advocated for them to pass the farm bill and make SNAP benefits more accessible to minority communities.”
2020 marked a spike in world hunger because of the pandemic, which undid much of the progress that had been made against hunger in recent decades. We are still working to recover the ground we lost. But we keep our eyes on the long-term mission, knowing that, having made great progress once, we can do it again.
Approximate number of people around the world facing chronic hunger (FAO).
Families who earn this amount or less per day are considered to be living in extreme poverty. About 670 million people were estimated to be living in extreme poverty in 2022 (UN).
The number of 2023 SNAP recipients (USDA).
The number of U.S. households that struggle to put food on the table (USDA).
The number of children around the world who suffer from wasting, meaning they are dangerously thin for their height. Roughly one million children die each year from wasting (UN).
The number of children around the world who live in extreme poverty (UNICEF).
The average after-tax annual income of the bottom 20% of U.S. households in 2022 (USDA).
The annual amount these individual households spend on food (USDA).
Bread’s bipartisan network includes hundreds of thousands of people and churches that are active in every congressional district. Our network engages digitally, in person, and through prayer to achieve remarkable policy impact and legislative victories.
The number of people who were part of Bread’s network in 2023. Bread’s network includes individuals, churches, congregations, parishes, and partners who are motivated to pray, act, and give for an end to hunger.
The amount of federal funding Bread’s network prevented from being cut from Food for Peace, which in 2022 reached 53 million people in 21 countries with critical food and nutrition aid.
The number of Bread constituent letters to Congress, reaching 98% of the House and Senate.
The number of Bread’s engaged supporters on college campuses across the nation.
The number of local congregations who were fully engaged with Bread in 2023 (a 15% increase from 2022).
The number of advocates attending Bread’s strategic events around the country, including 447 Offering of Letters events at 426 different congregations and campuses.
The number of Leader Activists, those who took on leadership roles to engage others in their communities in anti-hunger advocacy with Bread.
The U.S. Farm Bill is a package of legislation reauthorized by Congress every five years, and it provides nutrition assistance to millions of Americans. Bread for the World advocated for a fair, equitable, and sustainable farm bill in 2023 when the bill was scheduled to be reauthorized. In November 2023, Congress successfully passed a one-year extension of the 2018 Farm Bill, including SNAP, the U.S. flagship nutrition program. An extension that amounts to “more of the same” may not seem like a victory, but this came in a year when most of the Bread-supported programs in the farm bill were threatened with drastic cuts during the appropriations negotiations process.
We have been working with the Puerto Rican faith community to ensure that Puerto Ricans have equitable access to SNAP. Bread also advocated for the farm bill to enhance global maternal and child nutrition through the Food for Peace and McGovern-Dole Food for Education programs.
In 2023, Bread for the World participated for the first time in the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 28), the most influential world gathering on climate change. Rev. Eugene Cho was invited to accompany a youth delegation, advocating to make food security and nutrition central to the global climate agenda. Finally, Bread is part of the Zero Food Waste Coalition and worked with them in 2023 to build support for the Food Date Labeling Act to standardize food labels.
