Virginia Baptist Hunger Ministries

The Virginia Offering for World Hunger was established at the Baptist General Association annual meeting in 1982. Since that time, Virginia Baptists have given tremendous support to this offering, with contributions totaling over three million dollars.

The hunger offering that is collected by Virginia Baptist churches is very truly a "World" Hunger Offering because funds are distributed through our many partners here in Virginia and around the world to alleviate hunger.

Helping the Hungry

Last year we collected a total of $260,668.02 giving us a total of over $3.9 million since 2000.

Fifty percent of these funds leaves our state and is used both nationally and internationally through our many partners, such as the Southern Baptist Convention, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, Baptist World Alliance, and others. The remaining fifty percent is used by Baptist General Association of Virginia churches, district associations, and other partnering agencies and ministry centers.

Below is a breakdown of needs and ministies served with these funds:

International

• Vegetable Farming in Rubaya (Democratic Republic of Congo)
  Fighting in areas of the country have forced many people to flee to unaffected towns and cities such as Rubaya. The growth in population has reduced the area of land available for farming. The only areas left to farm are marshy areas that can only support certain types of vegetables. These funds will help the local people learn how to grow cabbage and aubergine which can feed their families and be sold for profit.
• Egg Chickens, Cassava, and Milk Cows (Rwanda)
  The Church of CECA Cyegera Parish is home to over 20 orphans who have lost their parents to HIV/AIDS. These funds will purchase chickens for egg production, plant 5 hectares of cassava and purchase two cows for milk. All of these will provide food for the children and any extra food product will be sold to support these children in other manners such as health and education.
• Bedouin Ministry and Hunger Relief (Lebanon)
  This project aims at assisting the Bedouin community with food and medicine. It also assists with the "After-School" program in the community of Bedouin children in the Kasr area. This program started last year with 36 children and has now more than 150 children. The program makes sure that these kids get at least one meal a day.
• Micro-irrigation, Food Security, and Income Generation (Zambia)
  Kazungula District is extremely poor and severely affected by persistent drought, and consequently low harvest of traditional food crops. In fact the Kazungula area has the harshest climatic conditions, rainfall less than 800mm, and a short crop-growing season. This project will focus on rural peasant farmers in the Kazungula District in the Southern Province of Zambia, and will enable the focus communities to break through to higher levels of net income of at least $0.50 per annum per square meter of farming area. As well as tackling food insecurity the people will also be able to increase assets, purchase necessary medications, improve nutrition status and invest in further production initiatives.

National

• Shelby Baptist Association (Alabama) – Feeding 2,000 affected by tornadoes.
• Silent Hope Ministries (Arizona)
• Feeding Those Who Feed Us (California) – Migrant ministries throughout state.
• Crossroads Community Baptist (Kentucky) – Church plant feeding 750 weekly
• The Mustard Seed (New England)
• Graffiti 2 (New York)
• Tri-City Hope Center (Oklahoma) – New hunger ministry in Newcastle.

Virginia

• $90,117 in funds were distributed to 54 Virginia Baptist churches, ministries or other organizations within the state in 2010.
• About 30,000 individuals in 7,000 families were assisted with these funds

Ways You Can Support

While we have no official goal for this offering, we are thrilled by its revival and ability to exceed our 2010 giving! We anticipate distributing over $300,000 during 2011, and challenge Virginia Baptists to rise up and face the giant we call "Hunger."

You can view the policy and procedures we follow, and request funds on Hunger Resources.

And, help collect funds by participating in Change Matters (new gifts added).

We need your help with our Hunger Ministries!

Please contact Dean Miller, VBMB Virginia Missions Coordinator, or
Maria Lynn, WMUV Adult Missions Coordinator, for details.