Bread for the World is a Christian advocacy organization working to end hunger—both in the U.S. and around the world.
Since 1974, Bread has won major victories. Through nonpartisan advocacy, we’ve helped expand and protect national nutrition programs, cutting hunger in the U.S. We’ve also strengthened U.S. international aid, supporting progress against hunger across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
This progress proves: hunger can end in our lifetime.
The policies Bread champions have improved the lives of 320 million Americans and impacted over 7 billion people worldwide. One voice can help change the world. Bread helps people raise theirs. What if a simple letter could change someone’s life? At St. Luke’s, we believe it can.
For years, our church has partnered with Bread for the World, joining voices across the nation to advocate for policies that protect and uplift those living in hunger and poverty. Through Offering of Letters, we’ve empowered our congregation to turn compassion into action—pen to paper, hope to Capitol Hill.
This year is more than just a campaign. It’s a milestone, as Bread for the World celebrates 50 years of relentless advocacy. And we—guided by the legacy of Fikirte Mariam Mengistie, now Vice Chair of Bread’s Board, and the fresh leadership of Saniye Kazan, our Director of Missions Development—stand ready to carry that legacy forward.
My own journey with Bread began four years ago. Rev. Eugene Cho had come to speak at St. Luke’s, and I’ll never forget what he said: We are called to speak when others cannot. One voice matters. One letter matters. I walked away that day forever changed—with a renewed sense of urgency and a deep calling to act.
Since then, I’ve seen it up close—through Circles families, through stories in East Winter Garden—what it means to advocate, not just for someone, but with them. To raise your voice not out of charity, but out of shared humanity. At St. Luke’s, we don’t just believe in service. We believe in justice. In dignity. In showing up—for our neighbors, for our children, for our elders. We believe that our faith is not passive. It moves. It speaks. It writes. It acts.
Though our formal Offering of Letters has ended, the work is not done. You can still make a difference. Write. Call. Show up. Visit Circles West Orange. Join our Missions team—here and around the world. Use your voice. Because now, more than ever, the world needs people who will rise with purpose, speak with love, and believe that change is possible—one letter, one story, one life at a time.
-Bonita Thomas, St. Luke’s Bread for the World Advocacy Team Member