Presbyterians for Efforts to Increase Maternal and Child Nutrition | WPN World People News

Bread for the World applauds the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) for affirming the importance of maternal and child nutrition at its General Assembly last week in Detroit. In a resolution to its governing body, the denomination voted to uphold and advocate for nutrition for women and children during the critical 1,000-day window between pregnancy and a child’s second birthday.

“Presbyterians have long been leaders in the fight to end hunger and poverty worldwide,” said Rev. Nancy Neal, interim director of church relations at Bread for the World. “This vote is a tremendous victory, as it recognizes the necessity of proper maternal and child nutrition and solidifies the denomination’s promise to help end hunger by 2030.”

Presbyterian Women organized a 1,000-Days roundtable to highlight all of the work that the church is doing on maternal and child nutrition. The passage of the resolution is largely attributed to their hard work, signaling a strong commitment to educate Presbyterians on the importance of fighting hunger and poverty through nutrition.

The resolution also acknowledges the importance of domestic and international anti-hunger programs in increasing nutrition for women and children. The resolution authorizes the stated clerk of the denomination to write letters on behalf of the church’s 1.8 million members to Congress and President Obama in support of post-2015 nutrition goals, urging them to prioritize ending hunger by 2030.

“Presbyterian Women have taken the fight to end hunger to the next level through their support of the 1,000 Days Movement,” added Neal. “This overture opens the doors for Presbyterians to advocate on behalf of hungry people.”

Through the Women of Faith for 1,000 Days movement, Bread for the World engages denominations in advocacy and action to support efforts to scale up nutrition worldwide. PCUSA is a dedicated partner in this effort, joining the Episcopal Church and other organizations such as the National Latino Evangelical Coalition in endorsing this movement.

Source: Bread for the World