Summer 2001

Sister Jane Remson aids the fight against local hunger

by Erin Alexander, A'99, Research Analyst in the Office of Advancement Research

Sister Jane Remson, Director of Bread for the World, often refers to the book of Matthew 25 when spreading her message of hunger aid: "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink" (Matthew 25:35), and "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me," (Matthew 25:40).

Remson is a firm believer that this final question is all that matters in life: "How did you treat each other is the final question we will all be asked and it's not going to matter how much you had, how popular or pretty you were," she says.

This year celebrated the 20^th anniversary of the New Orleans' chapter of Bread for the World's "Walk for the Hungry." The five-mile walk is a chance for people to make a "pilgrimage" against hunger. Most importantly, it is an exercise for students to stand up and be counted; demonstrating that there is no need for hunger in a world of plenty. Remson points out that the action often reinforces what the students learn through hunger education and makes the issue more personal.

The success of the event is not only measured monetarily, but in spirit. Groups of teenagers and children, who might not have otherwise met, unite for the same mission. "They're all wearing the same shirt and they're all there for the same reason," Remson says. She also states that she's seen common misconceptions about students in the suburbs and inner-city breakdown.

The walk itself is metaphorically likened to the early days of the church, when people made pilgrimages to spread and hear the word of God. Remson says that some students even fast to keep with the faith commitment and show the solemnity of the event.

The problem of hunger in New Orleans is larger than many might think. In a 1997 survey, 33,000 people in the metropolitan area were surveyed and it was found that 75 percent depend on food kitchens or food banks on a weekly basis. Sixty percent of these people were permanently employed and 38 percent were working full-time.

Remson says the problem is that New Orleans is a service town where many people are laid off and later hired back on according to season. Many of these jobs pay minimum wage, which at $5.15 an hour is dramatically lower than the $10.36 calculated living wage. While the minimum wage may barely be enough to support an individual, a family can not survive on such limited funds.

This limited income then leads to problems of hunger in children. The numbers on children's hunger are staggering. Today the United Nations reports that 200 million children under the age of five are afflicted by hunger. Studies have shown that children who are hungry function poorly in school and often times are deemed as hyperactive due to a high sugar diet. This then leads to a label of "discipline problem" and the child spirals into a vicious cycle of negative thinking and self-doubt.

Bread for the World hopes to combat hunger with activities such as the "Walk for the Hungry" as well as lobbying for measures on restoring food stamps to legal immigrants and increasing the minimum wage by $1.50.

Locally, Remson and Bread for the World have joined forces with Grammy Award-winning artist Aaron Neville and two-time Grammy nominee Allen Toussaint, founding members of the New Orleans Artists Against Hunger & Homelessness. N.O.A.A.H. brings together New Orleans musicians for concerts to benefit the hungry and homeless of metro New Orleans.

In addition, the New Orleans chapter of Bread for the World will be launching an interactive website in August. This site will allow citizens around the world to discuss human rights issues such as hunger. It will ask those participating if poverty reduction measures are happening in their areas and, if so, are they working. In May, Remson traveled to the United Nations office to learn more about the power of this site. As citizens of the United States, Remson stresses that, "We have to be responsible for our citizenship. We have an obligation as a family to take care of one another."

For more information on Bread for the World, and to find out ways you can help, check out Bread for the World's official site at www.bread.org.