Black Lives Matter.
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

NC Council of Churches

Strength in Unity, Peace through Justice

  • Voices
  • About
    • Overview
    • Staff
    • Members
    • Covenant Partners
    • Issue Statements
    • Governing Board
  • Programs
    • Ecumenical Immigration Alliance
      • Ideas for Action
      • Sign Our Statement
      • The NC Sanctuary Coalition
      • Immigration Bible Study
      • Contact
    • NC Interfaith Power & Light
      • NCIPL Overview
      • Faith in Action NCIPL
      • NCIPL Articles
      • NCIPL Resources
      • Upcoming Events for NCIPL
      • Contact NCIPL
    • Partners in Health & Wholeness
      • PHW Staff
      • Mini-Grants
      • PHW Collaborative Pledge
      • The Overdose Crisis: The Faith Community Responds
      • PHW Articles
      • FAQs
  • Priorities
    • Racial Justice
    • The Overdose Crisis: The Faith Community Responds
    • Gun Violence Prevention
    • Public Education
    • NC Sanctuary Coalition
    • Farmworkers
    • Legislative Advocacy
    • Christian Unity
    • Peace
    • NC No Torture
  • COVID-19 Resources
  • Events
  • Resources
    • Publications & Reports
    • Raleigh Report
    • Lectionary
    • Sermons
  • Donate
  • Council Store
  • Show Search

Search NC Council of Churches

Hide Search

Food, Fairness and Faith

Willona Stallings, Former Program Coordinator – Partners in Health & Wholeness · July 28, 2014 · Leave a Comment

“How is this equal?!” I often articulate this simple phrase whenever I take a look at the world these days. Sometimes I mutter the sentence under my breath in disbelief, and sometimes I exclaim it with disgust or utter shock. The question of equality always surfaces whenever I acknowledge the issues we humans face, particularly with simple necessities like food.

Although I personally have had some hard times, I never once worried about where my next meal would come from during my childhood. I grew up under a household where sharing a meal was an important way people expressed their love towards one another. Whether it was supper with my grandmother or covered-dish dinners after Sunday service, good food was how you measured love. After all, it was Jesus himself who cemented this bond of dining and care during the Last Supper and rooted Christian faith and the church in this ideology. The ritual of the Eucharist is the very reminder of love and equality uniting. For years, the church has been known to help those who are hungry with food pantries, weeknight suppers, and soup kitchens. What is a better way to show someone you care than sharing a meal?  It’s a basic human intimacy that has been long overlooked by modern society.

I can honestly say that my interest in health and faith started at home. My mother was a victim of poverty during her childhood and good, wholesome food only came her way if someone generously served it in a free meal she received. I was fully aware of the daily fight between good food and income, but didn’t know where to jump into the battle to support those who needed equal food opportunities the most. Between my home life and upbringing, my academic studies in college, and my general interest in community action programs, my passion for whole-food initiatives skyrocketed when I visited the Franklinton Center at Bricks in Whitakers, North Carolina in March 2014.

During my week-long internship with the Franklin Center at Bricks, my small college group was able to learn and experience what the deprivation of good food to low-income families truly meant and how community gardens and fair-priced markets could make a difference. The Franklinton Center had just started a summer program where students could learn to grow fresh produce and take home an equal share of their home-grown veggies. Whether it was eating a healthy lunch with the students at their elementary school or helping till soil, it was amazing to see how the students improved in a mere week. Maybe I’m sappy and think it was cute how each student in my host class wanted to be like Ms. Courtney and have a banana with their lunch each day, but I believe something as small as sharing a healthy meal can make a huge difference.

Now in my twenties, I am grateful for my mother’s dedication to provide me with healthy food options. It is a love I want to continue sharing with the rest of the world. Healthy food is not only needed for physical sustenance, but for spiritual wellness as well. Just like wholesome love, I believe every human should have an equal opportunity to wholesome food.

– Courtney Ward, PHW Volunteer

Courtney Ward is a summer intern with the Alliance of Baptists, working with Pullen Memorial Baptist Church and lending her aid to the Partners in Health and Wholeness Initiative. Born and bred in Frederick, Maryland, Courtney received a Bachelor’s degree in History and a Bachelor’s degree in Religion (both concentrating in American Studies) from Hood College. Looking forward, Courtney anticipates attending seminary in 2015 to earn a Master of Divinity degree and become an ordained minister. If you would like to contact Courtney directly, please send an email to ctward1992@gmail.com. 

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Come to the Table, Food, Health, Housing

Willona Stallings, Former Program Coordinator – Partners in Health & Wholeness

About Willona Stallings, Former Program Coordinator – Partners in Health & Wholeness

Partners in Health and Wholeness (PHW) connects congregations with existing resources in the community and provides them with the tools necessary (sometimes in the form of mini-grants) to implement healthier practices, policies and programs. I live in Raleigh and enjoy good food, area greenways and bargain shopping.
Learn more about PHW and our efforts to improve the health of God’s people: healthandwholeness.org

Reader Interactions

More Like This

Concord UMC: Planting Seeds and Watching Hearts Grow
Supporting a Sustainable Race Workshop
Dignity Through Food

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Anonymous comments or comments that target individuals will not be posted (please include your first and last name). All comments must be on topic and respectful. Comments will not be posted until they have been reviewed by a moderator. Comments do not reflect the positions of the NC Council of Churches.

Footer

Contact

NC Council of Churches
27 Horne St.
Raleigh, NC 27607
(919) 828-6501
info@ncchurches.org

Facebook

Partners in Health and Wholeness

Featured

Food, Fairness and Faith

Latest Tweets

Just last week, our Governing Board adopted a resolution calling for the removal of Confederate symbols in public squares. As people of faith & conscience, we believe such monuments are a constant reminder of prejudice against black and brown people. >> ncchurches.org/2021/… pic.twitter.com/iGCX…

About a day ago

"Amanda Gorman in her inauguration poem 'The Hill We Climb' begins with the lines: 'When day comes we ask ourselves where can we find light in this never-ending shade?'" Read more of this 2nd Sunday lenten reflection from Elizabeth Brewington >> ncchurches.org/2021/… pic.twitter.com/pgge…

About a day ago

"Perhaps it’s the pandemic that offers a fitting analogy to the condition of our politics as Americans try to recover from the trauma of Jan. 6 – when we came dangerously close to the onset of an anti-democratic Trump-ocracy." Read more from Steve Ford >> ncchurches.org/2021/…

About 2 days ago

FACT: Countries where maternal mortality rates have significantly dropped (~ -50%) in the past few decades (e.g., France, Germany, Sweden), have generous paid leave laws. #BlackHistoryMonth #Paidleave #BlackHealth pic.twitter.com/PgWW…

About 2 days ago

Call your Member of Congress and tell them paid leave is crucial to public health and economic recovery. Text paidleave (one word) to 844-955-2880 or visit bit.ly/39PWQde to begin. #AmericanRescuePlan #PaidLeave #BlackHealth

About 2 days ago

Follow @ncchurches

Latest Tweets

Dr. Satcher questioned the structures that have upheld health disparities in our communities. By laying the foundation for this work, we can continue taking meaningful action towards promoting a society where we can all thrive. #BlackHistoryMonth @HHSGov @Surgeon_General pic.twitter.com/zrw2…

About 2 days ago

Amen! #MindfulTogether twitter.com/cornerpr…

About 2 days ago

RT @MAHECwnc There has never been a better time to quit smoking and vaping. Protect your health by keeping your lungs healthy! #quitlinenc #covid19 #asheville pic.twitter.com/bKlC…

About 2 days ago

Check out this new resource from @DrugPolicyOrg challenging us to dig deeper and work together to uproot the drug war. uprootingthedrugwar.… #harmreduction #mindfultogether

About 2 days ago

Dr. Julian's work was instrumental to the public health community. We carry his passion as we continue reckoning with our past so that we may continue building the beloved community. Learn more about Dr. Julian's legacy at pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ju…. #BlackHistoryMonth @novapbs pic.twitter.com/JJsm…

About 3 days ago

Follow @healthandfaith

Latest Tweets

RT @greenthechurch Be sure to read Green The Church's COO Kim Noble's op ed, "#EnvironmentalJustice in Focus this #BlackHistoryMonth", in the Texas Metro News! @Kimrenay22 #Austin #DFW #Houston #Texas #SanAntonio #EJ ow.ly/mOtw50DGQnN pic.twitter.com/IPOO…

About 2 days ago

RT @ActionAidUSA To build a truly just, equitable & sustainable world, we need to fight for a new #socialcontract. That means: ✔️ Defending democracy ✔️ Fighting for climate justice ✔️ Building equitable food systems ✔️ Supporting women’s leadership. Learn more: bit.ly/2M8xT40 pic.twitter.com/fEWv…

About 2 days ago

RT @interfaithpower IPL is proud to be a signer on this letter. The U.S. must provide bold and socially just leadership to protect our communities from the impacts of climate change, including the threats to our economy- @sbhendershot twitter.com/RealBank…

About 2 days ago

RT @interfaithpower "This is all of our country, this is our mother. It's difficult to not feel obligated to protect this land" - @DebHaalandNM with a powerful reminder of what she believes in. Her passion is exactly what we need right now; the Senate must #ConfirmHaaland! #ConfirmClimate

About 2 days ago

RT @EPA EPA is proud to join our agency partners as we tackle the climate crisis and build a healthier, cleaner, more equitable future for all. Let’s do this! whitehouse.gov/brief…

About 4 days ago

Follow @ncipl

Latest Tweets

Copyright © 2021 NC Council of Churches · All Rights Reserved · Website by Tomatillo Design · Hosted by WP Engine