Tag: poverty

The Cost of Living and Poverty

I’ve written a couple of articles about the Cost of Living Crisis and why we should care about it recently.  The other day, I saw this comment on twitter retweeting a list of actions that are required if we are to tackle poverty. Well, there is one small problem with the suggestion and that is… Continue reading The Cost of Living and Poverty

The cost of living crisis and the church

There was an old curse to the effect of “may you live in interesting times.” Well, we’ve certainly been living through interesting times! This is perhaps a shock to the system for millennials.  We lived through a period of unparalleled peace, security and prosperity from the 1990ss. Yes, there were terror events including 911 and… Continue reading The cost of living crisis and the church

Is food poverty real and do food banks help?

If you were to talk to people about the big needs in communities and how churches can help, you’ll find that they quite often settle on the assumption that a primary issue is food poverty.  Furthermore, it tends to be assumed that a major solution to food poverty is the existence of foodbanks (alongside things… Continue reading Is food poverty real and do food banks help?

We’re all in this together

I love the story of Ruth in the Old Testament. Not so long back we spent a few weeks working through it together as a Home Group. The story is of a family who leave Bethlehem during a famine for Moab. It’s a story about economic migrants. They settle in Moab and the sons marry… Continue reading We’re all in this together

Child Food Poverty – when will we stop to ask what the actual problem is?

There is a point in a crisis where people are rushing around trying to act to deal with it and not thinking that they have time to stop, observe and think.  They argue that this is because they think it is so serious. Ironically, all of their efforts to act suggest that they have not… Continue reading Child Food Poverty – when will we stop to ask what the actual problem is?

Free School Meals – The Elephant in the Room

In the summer, Marcus Rashford launched a successful campaign to get free school meal provision extended into the summer holidays. At the time, I wrote that whilst he should be congratulated, this was not in fact a long term solution to childhood food poverty. My argument at the time was that we should be asking… Continue reading Free School Meals – The Elephant in the Room

Happy people – the poor

Have you experienced abject poverty? Perhaps if you have not experienced it personally you have witnessed people living with nothing or very little. I’ve seen people in Cairo living among the garbage. I’ve also known people here in the West Midlands who have got themselves into such a mess that they are left homeless, on… Continue reading Happy people – the poor

Food from around the worldwide web (19/06/2020)

Grieving Well My Story practical advice on how to live through the immediate aftermath of bereavement. George Floyd and Me Hip hop artist Shai Linne writes movingly about how the death of George Floyd affected him. The problem of NRPF Free School Meals hit the headline this week through Marcus Radford’s campaign. Here is an… Continue reading Food from around the worldwide web (19/06/2020)