Wednesday, April 20, 2022

Faith based organizations fuse a moral framework around some of the most challenging issues facing our world, making them invaluable allies in the movement for food justice. Across faiths, leaders are mobilizing their communities to tackle food insecurity from all angles—from local efforts to distribute food and resources to families in need, to advocating for more equitable social and economic policies that can move the needle on poverty and increasing calls for climate justice. This work is nothing new for communities of faith, who have long played a role in shaping social policy and community activism.

In this session, we will explore how faith communities are working alongside environmentalists, the labor movement, animal rights activists, community organizers, charitable organizations, and health advocates to make our food systems more just, equitable, and sustainable.

Download Full Report

Speakers

  • Eugene Cho President & CEO, Bread for the World

    Rev. Eugene Cho is President/CEO of Bread for the World, a collective Christian voice of individuals, churches, non-profits, and other partners who work together to urge our nation’s decision makers to end hunger and extreme poverty at home and around the world by changing the policies and programs that allow hunger to persist.

    Eugene’s passions involve leadership, justice, the intersection of faith and public life, and the pursuit of God’s Kingdom here on this earth. He travels throughout the world to encourage churches, non-profits, pastors, leaders, missionaries, and justice workers.

    Before coming to Bread for the World in 2020, Eugene founded and for 18 years served as senior pastor of Quest Church, an urban, multi-cultural and multi-generational church in Seattle, Washington. Eugene is also the founder and visionary of One Day’s Wages, a grassroots movement that invites simple giving (one day’s wages) to support sustainable, anti-poverty relief work with small organizations in developing regions.

    Eugene has written two books: Thou Shalt Not Be a Jerk: A Christian’s Guide to Engaging Politics and Overrated: Are We More in Love with the Idea of Changing the World Than Actually Changing the World?

    Eugene and Minhee have been married for nearly 25 years and have three children. Together, they live in Seattle, Washington and will be making a move to the Washington, DC area.

  • Abby Leibman President & CEO, Mazon

    Abby J. Leibman is the President & CEO of MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, a national advocacy organization working to end hunger among people of all faiths and backgrounds in the United States and Israel. Prior to joining MAZON in 2011, Ms. Leibman co-founded the California Women’s Law Center, which she directed for 12 years. Prior to founding the California Women’s Law Center. Ms. Leibman has a distinguished record of community leadership including service on multiple boards of directors and on government commissions. Ms. Leibman has her J.D. from Hastings College of Law and a B.A. in Political Science from UCSD.

  • Preet Singh Founder & Managing Director, Khalsa Food Pantry

    Preet Singh is the Director at Khalsa Food Pantry. With a background in technology, he is passionate about bridging together technology and non-profit work. As a young adult he always found interest in working on projects to serve people in need and organizations making a difference by providing food assistance and shelter. By working with mentors, partners and mobilizing the youth throughout the Sikh Community of Los Angeles, he was able to cofound the Khalsa Food Pantry in 2012 which is one of many projects and programs aimed to serve communities in need. The youth that has worked with this foundation over the last decade have been inspired to start service projects throughout the nation and continue growing their local communities with leadership and compassion.

  • Simran Jeet Singh Executive Director for the Aspen Institute’s Religion & Society Program

    Dr. Simran Jeet Singh is Executive Director for the Aspen Institute’s Religion & Society Program and author of The Light We Give: How Sikh Wisdom Can Transform Your Life. He is a Soros Equality Fellow for the Open Society Foundations, a Visiting Professor at Union Seminary, and a Senior Adviser for Equity and Inclusion at YSC Consulting. Simran holds multiple degrees: a PhD, MPhil, and MA from Columbia University, an MTS from Harvard University, and a BA from Trinity University. He contributes regularly to a number of outlets, including CNN, TIME Magazine, and The Washington Post, and he is also a regular columnist for Religion News Service. Simran was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, and he now lives with his family in New York City.

More Conversations