kdn004 – Page 3 – Spiritual Life @ Bucknell

Ludicrously comfortable – Sethumte Asamoah-Nani ’26

Posted on March 17, 2023 by kdn004

If I had to describe the sofa in the hall that’s how I’d do it. So velvety and soft; It’s like hugging a giant, prone panda. I digress. Aside from the sofa today had some extremely memorable events. The group headed to the Baltimore Food Policy and Planning (B.F.P.P) Office where we concluded weeks of study and buildup to understanding the reality of food security and interventions in Baltimore. They shared with us how they partnered with over 19 other agencies to implement policies that promoted food security for all people.

with the Baltimore Food Planning and Policy group.

Among their accomplishments were changing the name of food deprived areas from food deserts to Healthy Food Priority Areas (HFPA), created farmers markets and making land accessible to the people of Baltimore (which counteracts the root cause of the food divide).

A Cultural Reflection – Lamine Camara ’26

Posted on March 16, 2023 by kdn004

I had the opportunity to meet the Bread for the World Organization in Washington DC. Their goal is to tackle food insecurity and build healthy sustainable food systems national-wide. Hunger cannot be saved in one day. So advocating on a national level can create awareness for the Capital. Since the farm bill controls our food and farm programs, informing members of the Congress is ideal to establish change. This year, this organization is targeting the Farm Bill in order to increase access to healthy food options, and give SNAP benefits for marginalized communities. There was also a nice view on the top of the building, so that was a plus.

The rooftop of Bread for the World (with Lamine featured prominently peeking out from behind Rai’s head) with Rev. David Street, Strategist for NextGen at Bread.

Bread for the World – Rain DeLucia ’23

Posted on March 16, 2023 by kdn004

Today we traveled to Washington D.C. to speak with Rev. David Street from Bread for The World. The mission of Bread for The World is to end hunger at a national and international level through changing policies. Within the organization they adjust their focus on a yearly basis, alternating between the ending of hunger nationally and internationally. During this year the organization is focusing on one important piece of legislation at the national level known as the farm bill.

A Small Impact – Rai Carter ’26

Posted on March 16, 2023 by kdn004

Baltimore City presented a variety of possibilities on how nutritional foods can have a positive impact on the community, we are showered with wisdom and hospitality within the community of Baltimore. Individuals from outside Baltimore are given an opportunity to see a softer side of the city and not, as the story is often told in public, “Dangerous.” We were given the opportunity to feed the unfortunate and be able to make a small impact on the homeless community, expressing their drive to help even though they have so little they still try to help and be somewhat of a hand for others.

During our time serving food, I was given a chance to absorb some knowledge from a wise man who told us that “We are all the same, just because we have different skin color, religion and culture. We still bleed the same, sharing the same color of blood.” He spit out complete facts and once we can see that and learn from that, our world maybe will be a bit better.

Reflection on 3-14-23 by Risa Kanefsky ’25

Posted on March 16, 2023 by kdn004

I never knew where my life would take me. To Bucknell university or to be taking this class on how religion can connect people to issues like food insecurity. To Strength to Love farm II or to the Islamic Society of Baltimore. I am passionate about the Earth so maybe it isn’t a huge surprise that I would end learning how people tend to it. That’s how I ended up working as a student farmer, but it was a surprise how much I love farm work. Today, of course, I was not as surprised to find out how much I enjoyed helping out at Strength to Love II farm, where me and my colleagues chipped away at a project shoveling piles of stones and mats of thickly intertwined grasses. Our goal was to move this dirt off of a deeply buried sidewalk to return it to the sun and to the surface so that the farm could be accessible to those who use wheelchairs. So in exposing the old and forgotten sidewalk we were hoping to expose new people to farming and the work it takes to grow food. This work was exhausting yet rewarding. For every foot we advanced was easily half an hour of digging and scraping and hauling with all our collective might. We spent jut over 2 hours in work and then sat down to a lovely lunch and conversation with the those who working there (Shout out to Jade, Shay, Dorris and John – Sorry if I spelled any of your names wrong) we talking about the work that the farm did in the growing season sowing and harvesting and the work they wanted to be doing, foreign more connections between the community and urban farm that it surrounded.

Excavating an old sidewalk in the cold wind at Strength II Love II farm in Sandtown-Winchester

One for All: Serving Food – Warren Wang ‘24

Posted on March 14, 2023 by kdn004

Today we volunteered at the Our Daily Bread Employment Center’s meal service. It was not a particularly busy day, but there was a pretty good turnout of people. It was interesting to see the different types of people that come for the food. Many cleaned their plates entirely, while some did not seem to appreciate the fortunate opportunity that they have to get a full plate of food and wasted a majority of their plate. Nonetheless, I understand that whilst not 100% of our efforts are being translated into direct help to the people, we were able to put ourselves in a position to serve, observe, and learn about how organizations such as the Daily Bread and the Black Church Network that we got some exposure to the days before are trying to fight the problem of food apartheid.

Hairnetted up for meal service. Our Daily Bread will serve 200-300 meals a day.

Being Prepared for Your Promise – Da’Mirah Vinson ‘26

Posted on March 12, 2023March 16, 2023 by kdn004

Today I had the pleasure of attending a Sunday service at Liberty Grace Church of God, where the sermon today was about God always keeping his promise, we just have to be patient, in the meantime have faith and work to be prepared for your promise. Liberty Grace Church of God along with the other churches that they are partnered with are living proof of this message.

Following Sunday service, Terris King॥ gave us a tour of West Baltimore centering around some of the available green spaces in Baltimore that he and other collaborative churches and community members are using to create garden spaces, a place for children to have a sacred place, to grow food for the community through Temple X Schools.

With Terris King, outside Union Baptist Church in West Baltimore – envisioning a forested green space for youth.

GIVE PEOPLE POWER – Dependence vs Interdependence

Posted on March 12, 2023March 12, 2023 by kdn004

By Cindy Cortez ’24

“If you give a hungry man food, he will eat it. If you give him land, he will grow his own food.” ~Fannie Lou Hamer

Fannie Lou Hamer – one of the inspirations of the Black Church Food Security Network

I have always been very active in my communities but always questioned whether what I’m doing is what my community actually needs and whether I am doing it for the right reasons. From Rev. Dr. Heber Brown III, the founder of the Black Church Food Security Network, I answered part of my question: GIVE PEOPLE POWER. It’s not only about one-time charity, but rather a sustainable and empowering solution. A message which is better conveyed in the words of Fannie Lou Hamer, a Black American activist: “[On her Freedom Farm Cooperative:] If you give a hungry man food, he will eat it. [But] if you give him land, he will grow his own food.”

Critique What Is, Create What Should Be

Posted on March 11, 2023 by kdn004

By Gloria Sporea ’24

During our first day in Baltimore, we had the incredible honor of being introduced to the Black Food Security Network, along with the network staff, and founder, Dr. Rev. Heber Brown III. We were welcomed with open arms, warmness, and community; although we were stepping on grounds we had never been to before, we all left with an impacted heart and soul, and most importantly, an understanding that the vital work that is done by such organizations should be uplifted for the greater good of all. More specifically, we generated a broader comprehension that reliance for positive change should not be placed on the same structures that created such discrimination, rather, it begins with the individual and their community.

The 2023 FFJ Cohort with Rev. Dr. Heber Brown III, and founding members of the Church Garden at Liberty Grace Church of God in Baltimore

Lollipop Moment – Oluwasefunmi Oluwafemi ’25

Posted on March 22, 2022March 23, 2022 by kdn004

On our penultimate night of this immersive experience, a fellow student, Salina Musyaju, introduced us to a reflective exercise titled “Lollipop moment”. Within the context of this exercise, we discussed a moment from our week that has brought us happiness or changed our lives. When pondering this prompt, I fixated on the encounters from our first few days at Pleasant Hope Baptist Church. In remembrance of a sentiment shared by Dr.Brown along the lines of critiquing what is to create what should be, I shared my connection to other experiences from our trip. Such sentiment drove my innovative spirit to further analyze the needs of various organizations we have partnered with to create affinities and projects that will serve a communal purpose of encouraging the competence of food insecurity for residents and spectators.