Organization touches lives of the hungry

United Methodist News Service

The Rev. Ray Buchanan had spent years working to banish hunger in the United States when an experience in Sierra Leone made him re-think his focus.

In 1997, during the height of the African country's civil war, he visited with a number of United Methodist pastors in the city of Bo who told him "they wore their clerical collars when they begged in the streets because people would be more generous."

Returning home "in a self-righteous fit," Buchanan raised $65,000 in six weeks, enough to provide rice for every pastor's family in Sierra Leone for a year.

That experience in Africa helped propel Buchanan to found Stop Hunger Now in 1998. During its 10-year existence, the Raleigh, N.C.-based organization has provided more than $44 million in direct aid to more than 60 countries, including more than 5 million meals for the poor.

For 2008, Stop Hunger Now has set a goal to package 5.5 million meals. On Aug. 23, its "University Million Meal Event" hopes to bring together 4,000 volunteers from nine colleges and universities to assemble 1 million meals in one day.

"We have a vision of ending hunger in our lifetime," the 61-year-old pastor said. "In order to do that, it's not enough to feed the hungry. We've got to inspire, motivate and educate the whole world community to be involved."

Buchanan, a Texas native, former U.S. Marine and clergy member of the Virginia Conference, long ago took a personal approach to the problem of hunger.

In 1979, he and the Rev. Ken Horne co-founded the Society of St. Andrew and moved their families into what he called "an intentional community of covenant lifestyles" on a 58-acre farm in the mountains of Virginia. A $15,000 grant from the United Methodist Board of Discipleship helped them get the community started.