Resources

Resources for reducing poverty

No one person can eliminate poverty, but each can do his or her part to reduce poverty in the United States and around the world. If you've ever wondered what you can do, this is your resource for making a difference.
 

Face the facts: Understand how poverty impacts the world

Poverty is a global problem, but exactly how significant is it? Check out these links for more about how big the problem of poverty is:

• The Face of Poverty - A collection of statistics from the U.N. Millennium Project
• Children of the Code: A Social Education Project - This project explores children and poverty
• The Reality of Aid: Achieving the Millennium Development Goals within a human rights  framework -Learn about the need for holistic approaches to reducing poverty
• U.S. Census Data - Learn how the federal government defines and measures poverty. Find definitions, reports, publications and poverty trends
• People affected by disaster - Natural disasters often affect the poor the most
• Understanding Global Issues - A resource on social, political, economic and environmental issues that affect the world

Using your influence: Fighting poverty through public policy

As citizens, we have the right to engage elected officials. We can advocate for our representatives to endorse legislation that will benefit the poor, who often are not heard at the policy-making level. Encourage your elected representatives through letters, phone calls or e-mails.

• Bread for the World's Offering of Letters - Write a letter to your congressional representatives urging them to pass legislation that helps the poor
• Why should Christians be involved in advocacy? - Faith and advocacy
• Public Advocacy by Nonprofits:  The Right Thing to Do  - Learn about a charity's right to lobby representatives
• Civic Engagement in Public Policy - Principles and practices 
• U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops - Learn from their political policy guidelines 
   

Making a difference: Things you can do

When we all do something small to help reduce poverty, it can have a big impact. Try one or more of these ideas:

• Fair Trade and You - Learn about how buying fair trade helps give poor people a fair chance at bettering their life
• Buy coffee, tea, sugar and other fair trade products from Equal Exchange
• Lessons in Racism and Poverty - Use this Bible study as a personal challenge to do something for the poor
• Share - Consider giving to CBF, who has many ministries that aid the poor around the world
• Serve - What better way to do something than to serve among the poor. CBF ministries offer numerous opportunities for groups and individuals
• Spread the word - Post your ideas about poverty and how you and other Fellowship Baptists can make a difference

Empowering others: Fighting poverty by focusing on assests and community development

CBF - particularly through Together for Hope, its rural poverty initiative - addresses poverty through community development principles that enable and empower.  Learn more about this unique way of doing ministry:

• From Poverty to Hope - A CBF resource for addressing poverty
• Operation Inasmuch - This book by David Crocker provides congregations with a model for "hands-on" ministry that is both relevant and renewing.
• Community Development - Learn more about the practice of community development
• Christian Community Development Association - This group inspires and trains Christians to bear witness to the Kingdom of God by reclaiming and restoring under-resourced communities
• Community Development Academy - Consider attending a training session    

Suggested book list for further reading

Share your ideas

Organizations and groups that fight poverty

Micah Challenge
The ONE Campaign 
Together for Hope, CBF's rural poverty initiative  

Partners

Baptist Center for Ethics
Baptist Joint Committee
Baptist World Alliance
Center for Christian Ethics
Christian Churches Together
Christian Life Commission (BGCT)