Seeds of Hope is a ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, founded by the Rt. Rev. J. Jon Bruno who established a diocesan food policy in his Bishop’s Address at the 2013 Diocesan Convention:
Resolution Regarding a Diocesan Food Policy
Be it Resolved that the One Hundred Eighteenth Annual Meeting of the Church in the Diocese of Los Angeles create a diocesan policy on the production, distribution, and commitment to food; and be it further
Resolved that the churches, schools, and other institutions of the Diocese commit to fully use all of their resources, or offer them up to community partners to use, for food production and distribution to our neighbors in need; and be it further
Resolved that whenever food is served or distributed — at food pantries, feeding programs, social gatherings, coffee hour, Sunday school, youth activities, etc. — the churches, schools, and other institutions of the Diocese commit to offering fresh, nutritious food; and be it further
Resolved that the churches, schools, and other institutions of the Diocese commit to refrain from serving or distributing food or beverages with little or no nutritional value that contribute to obesity and poor health.
Explanation: Within the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles four and one-half million people are living in poverty; three million people, including one quarter of all the children, suffer from hunger or food insecurity, and two thirds of the people, including one fifth of the children, are overweight or obese. Obesity rates are fifty percent higher among those suffering from poverty and food insecurity due to a lack of affordable access to fresh, nutritious food. Obesity causes or exacerbates numerous health conditions, thereby increasing healthcare costs, decreasing income, and shortening life spans for those affected. We are compelled by our baptismal covenant to seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbors as ourselves, and to respect the dignity of every human being. Because our churches, schools, and other institutions possess land and facilities with the capacity to produce and distribute food, and are populated by people willing to offer up their time, talents, expertise, experience, and labor to produce and distribute food, this resolution has been offered as a policy for the Diocese. We encourage Vestry members of each church in the Diocese to hereby adopt this policy and commit to implementing it to the best of their ability moving forward.
Resolved that the churches, schools, and other institutions of the Diocese commit to fully use all of their resources, or offer them up to community partners to use, for food production and distribution to our neighbors in need; and be it further
Resolved that whenever food is served or distributed — at food pantries, feeding programs, social gatherings, coffee hour, Sunday school, youth activities, etc. — the churches, schools, and other institutions of the Diocese commit to offering fresh, nutritious food; and be it further
Resolved that the churches, schools, and other institutions of the Diocese commit to refrain from serving or distributing food or beverages with little or no nutritional value that contribute to obesity and poor health.
Explanation: Within the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles four and one-half million people are living in poverty; three million people, including one quarter of all the children, suffer from hunger or food insecurity, and two thirds of the people, including one fifth of the children, are overweight or obese. Obesity rates are fifty percent higher among those suffering from poverty and food insecurity due to a lack of affordable access to fresh, nutritious food. Obesity causes or exacerbates numerous health conditions, thereby increasing healthcare costs, decreasing income, and shortening life spans for those affected. We are compelled by our baptismal covenant to seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbors as ourselves, and to respect the dignity of every human being. Because our churches, schools, and other institutions possess land and facilities with the capacity to produce and distribute food, and are populated by people willing to offer up their time, talents, expertise, experience, and labor to produce and distribute food, this resolution has been offered as a policy for the Diocese. We encourage Vestry members of each church in the Diocese to hereby adopt this policy and commit to implementing it to the best of their ability moving forward.
