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World Food Prize Laureate Speaks in Dayton, Cincinnati

Wednesday night in Dayton, World Food Prize Laureate and president of the organization Bread for the World, the Rev. David Beckmann, spoke about ending local and world hunger.

The event is sponsored by Catholic Social Services of the Miami Valley and the Catholic Social Action Office of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. 

In an interview with WYSO before the event, Beckmann said he’s impressed with the hunger efforts already taken by Dayton and Cincinnati groups—like food drives, housing projects and a letter writing campaign.

“12,000 letters to your senators and representatives urging them to pass a child nutrition bill, and the archdiocese in Dayton and Cincinnati is extraordinarily exceptional," he said. "I think it’s almost unprecedented in our experience over forty years of mobilizing Christians for advocacy on hunger issues.”

Beckmann says bipartisan bills are being drafted in both senate and house committees in Congress but he also wants to hear more about hunger issues from current presidential candidates.

“It’s just not something they want to talk about, and that’s what we’ve got to change so that by 2017 we’ve got a president and congress who’ll work together toward the end of hunger in America and around the world.”

Rev. Beckmann’s presentation is part of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati’s “Food for All” campaign. He has been president of Bread for the World since 1991.

He'll speak again Thusday night in Cincinnati. 

Jerry Kenney is an award-winning news host and anchor at WYSO, which he joined in 2007 after more than 15 years of volunteering with the public radio station. He serves as All Things Considered host, Alpha Rhythms co-host, and WYSO Weekend host.