Hunger Advocacy
For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me. – Matthew 25:35
Hunger connects deeply to our Lutheran faith, mission, and understanding of justice. Lutheran congregations engage in feeding ministries in various ways, including hosting food pantries and Backpack Buddies programs. ELCA World Hunger and other Lutheran organizations assist in relief and development projects domestically and globally.
Advocacy for public policies that promote biblical values of peacemaking, hospitality to strangers, and support for people struggling with hunger and poverty is another key part of the ELCA’s hunger ministry. As the ELCA Social Statement Sufficient, Sustainable Livelihood for All highlights, “…we live in light of God’s promised future that ultimately there will be no hunger and injustice. This promise makes us restless with less than what God intends for the world.”
Hunger in Wisconsin
More than 694,000 people in Wisconsin – including over 202,000 children – face hunger and food insecurity. This crisis touches every corner of our state, from urban neighborhoods to rural communities.
The Lutheran Office for Public Policy in Wisconsin (LOPPW) advocates for policies that address hunger and food insecurity, as well as ensure dignity, opportunity, and justice for all Wisconsinites.
Current Action Alerts
February 2026: Tell Your Representatives that SNAP/FoodShare Funding Matters!
Last summer, Congress made cuts and changes to the SNAP program (FoodShare program in Wisconsin) that will require more paperwork for more people, more work for the state, less federal funding to run the program, and a potential penalty of up to $205 million in additional costs if Wisconsin’s error rate rises too much.
Wisconsin’s Department of Human Services needs additional state funding to help Wisconsin comply with the new requirements, but state lawmakers have not acted to provide the needed funding.
Call or email your state senator and representative to tell them that this issue matters to you. A sample script/text is below, as well as a link to find your elected officials’ contact information.
Find your representative and senator’s contact information here.
Sample call script:
“Hi, my name is [your name]. I’m a constituent who lives in [your town/city]. I’m calling to ask [name of senator or representative] to support funding for the Department of Human Services to enable them to effectively administer the FoodShare program. Without this funding, federal changes to the program risk delays for Wisconsinites getting access to food and could increase Wisconsin’s error rate, which could cost the state millions. Please, support the DHS request for $69.2 million to pay for new FoodShare costs.”
Sample email script:
Dear [name of your senator or representative],
I’m a constituent in [your town/city] who is concerned about people’s access to food through the FoodShare program. Federal changes to FoodShare mean that there is less federal funding for the program, new requirements for the state to follow, and the risk of up to $205 million in additional costs if the state’s error rate rises too much.
Please support the Department of Human Services’ request for $69.2 million to pay for new FoodShare costs. Without this funding, people could face delays in accessing food assistance, and Wisconsin could be fined millions of dollars.
Thank you for your attention.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
