Hunger Action Month

Not by Bread Alone
An Interfaith Dialogue on Hunger

As part of Hunger Action Month, a national call-to-action coordinated by Feeding America and its member food banks throughout the month of September, the Atlanta Community Food Bank and Faith Alliance of Metro Atlanta invite you to join us on Twitter for a very special first-time event.  On Monday, September 14th beginning at 1:00 p.m. EDT, some of the most influential voices from a variety of faith traditions will convene at the Food Bank for Not by Bread Alone, an interfaith dialogue revolving around the meaning of food and the critical issue of hunger. As the discussion unfolds inside the room, we invite the world to listen and take part in the conversation simultaneously via Twitter.

Rabbi Josh Lesser (@rabbijosh) of Congregation Bet Haverim will be acting as our Twitter online host and moderator while Atlanta Community Food Bank Executive Director Bill Bolling facilitates the discussion inside the room.

How to Participate in our Twitter Dialogue:

1. Just want to listen?  Listen to the conversation by following the #notbybreadalone hashtag on Twitter Search or Twitterfall.  Click on either link beginning at 1:00 PM EDT Monday, September 14th and keep track of the conversation in real time.
2. Have something to say?  Join the dialogue by logging in or creating a free account on Twitter. You can post your own comments and/or questions, and comment on other tweets. It’s meant to be interactive. In fact, we hope comments and questions from our Tweeters will spark new levels of discussion amongst the faith leaders in the room.

   Include the hashtag #notbybreadalone in your related tweets on Monday, September 14th, beginning at 1:00 PM EDT and we’ll be able to follow them on our twitter stream.

   Note:  New to twitter chats? We recommend using TweetChat to make simultaneously following the conversation (#notbybreadalone) and posting your own thoughts easier.

3. Follow the @ACFB Twitter account.  Stay up to date on other Hunger Action Month opportunities.
4. Continue the conversation afterwards.  Share your new insights and reflections on hunger by including the hashtag (#notbybreadalone) in relevant tweets – we’ll be listening!

   Note: We kindly ask that if you join our conversation you do so in a spirit of respect, partnership and cooperation.  Hunger does not discriminate and neither can those of us who work towards its alleviation.

If you have questions about how to participate via Twitter please email Jon West at jon.west@acfb.org.  In the meantime, we have included a preliminary list of questions to get people thinking prior to the dialogue:

Questions

1. What is the "meaning" of food from your faith perspective?  What place does it hold in your community?  How is it held sacred?
2. What are your food/faith traditions? How have they changed through the years?
3. How has food been used to bring your faith community together, as a community building tool?
4. What role does fasting play in your faith tradition?
5. How do you hold the tension between teaching about food/faith/service and practicing your faith?
6. Food & Health - How does your faith tradition hold these two polarities?
7. What does your faith call you to do for those without enough food and basic needs?  What are examples of how you carry out your call?
8. What should we pass to our children and young people about the importance of food in their faith journey?