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.

TAKE ACTION

In 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 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.

“For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”
– Matthew 18:20 (NRSV)

Bread’s Policy and Research Institute’s (PRI) nonpartisan analysis and identification of action steps help strengthen Bread as a trusted voice. Here are the highlights:

The reach of hunger is wide – but so is the movement against it. Every day, I am amazed by the faith, breadth, and diversity of Bread’s supporters. I see them praying, speaking, and writing alongside those who have been Bread partners for four or five decades. They have two things in common: a belief that hunger is solvable and the determination to achieve our mission.

As we look to 2024 and beyond, we are joined together by our mission to end hunger. What’s beautiful about this mission is that we know how bravery and conviction can often be borne from difficulty. Those we help today could very well be the ones leading this movement tomorrow. I know God emboldens and guides all of us in this journey.

Heather Taylor
Managing Director

In 2024, we are calling on all of Congress – especially the leaders of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees – to pass a healthy, equitable, and sustainable farm bill immediately. Part of this work involves educating these leaders on what is at stake for specific populations.

We are grateful for the generosity of the many people, churches, and philanthropies that help make Bread for the World and Bread for the World Institute’s work possible. Together, we share a vision that ending hunger in our lifetimes is possible. Your partnership through your financial gifts ensures that our staff and members will be present in the halls of power to advocate for the needs of those experiencing hunger. Your gifts are making a difference.

The financial overview is based on the 2023 audited financial statements. Bread for the World and Bread for the World Institute are recognized by Charity Navigator, Guidestar, and BBB for our exceptional commitment to financial responsibility, accountability, and transparency. Copies of the audited statements and the IRS 990 documents may be viewed at https://www.bread.org/reports.

Larisa Friesen Hall
Vice President for Development

Delma Plummer
Vice President for Finance and Administration

The progress we have made against hunger in 2023 could not have happened without the collaborative work and generosity of tens of thousands of our members and hundreds of thousands of advocates. As we enter a year of uncertainty – given elections, conflicts, and shifting economies around the world – our work becomes so much more important. We must continue speaking up for those who are vulnerable in these times. The good news is we have the resources and the know-how to end hunger in our lifetimes. We just have to decide as a society to do so. Thank you for being a vital part of this live-giving mission. May God bless our work together.

– 2023 Board Officers