Dr. Earl Trent (right) presents the 2015 CWS Ecumenical Award to Foods Resource Bank President and CEO Marv Baldwin and Dr. Julia Sloan, representing her parents, Vernon and Carol Sloan, farmers and board members of FRB. Photo: Maurice Bloem / CWS
Foods Resource Bank is a long-time partner and supporter of CWS development programs. As such, the CWS Board of Directors chose to honor FRB at its April meeting in northern Virginia.
Here is an excerpt from the remarks of CWS Board of Directors Chair, Dr. Earl Trent:
“In recognition of its significant contributions to the mission of CWS;
for its profound and inspiring commitment helping to achieve sustainable food security for the most vulnerable (reaching the one million lives mark this past year);
for its vision that an end to hunger ‘as a Christian response’ is not only our responsibility but also within our reach;
for its witness on matters of public policy on Capitol Hill toward a world without hunger and poverty and the tireless ‘Heart of the Hill’ work;
for its support and encouragement—beyond program funding—of local, innovative and culturally-appropriate approaches to family farming (2014 was designated International Year of Family Farming by the United Nations and FAO);
for its success in promoting the ‘growing project model’, a true school of practical and grassroots ecumenism in action to end hunger and poverty by linking rural and urban congregations across the United States with overseas farmers and programs (216 current growing projects in 26 states which support 58 current overseas programs led by 15 implementing organizations in over 30 countries);
for its passion for building bridges of mutual understanding, learning, friendship and solidarity between US farmers participating in growing projects and farmers around the world, as well as between participants of FRB-supported exchanges and learning tours;
and for its contributions of $5,866,647.83 to CWS for food security and sustainable development programs;
On this 17th day of April, 2015, the Board of Directors of Church World Service is thrilled to bestow to Foods Resource Bank the 2015 CWS Ecumenical Award.”