CONNECT TO YOUR COMMUNITY Author Dana Horrell has called on his years of experience in commu­ nity action to create Engage! Tools for Ministry in the Community (Fortress Press), a practical guide that helps min­ istries reach out to their local com­ munities. Church leaders often find themselves blocked when it comes to the actual “how to do it.” This book pro­ vides 26 practical and proven tools to help leaders develop methods and strategies to get started and break through these barriers. Ideas are gathered from a variety of sources, including congre­ gations, church consultants, researchers, and nonprofit organizations. CHANGE THE FACE OF FUNDRAISING Jeremy Beer and Jeff Cain, cofounders of American Philan­ thropic, offer practical lessons and unconventional wisdom for the art and science of raising money in The For­ gotten Foundations of Fundraising: Practical Advice and Contrarian Wisdom for Nonprofit Leaders (Wiley). With a lighthearted tone, it gives advice on making personal meetings count, soliciting founda­ tions, and training young fundrais­ ers. Philanthropy is not about bottom lines and return on investment— successful fundraisers provide a platform for donors to affirm their ideals, values, and morals. WWW.CITYGATENETWORK.ORG MARCH/APRIL 2019 59 HUNGER BY THE NUMBERS Feeding America reports these findings on the current state of hunger in America, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agricul­ ture and the U.S. Census Bureau: • Though the number of people in food inse­ cure households dropped in 2017 (12.5 percent), it’s still higher than before the recession in 2007. • 40 million people (one in eight) live in a food insecure household. This is the equivalent of the population of Canada. • 15 million households reported being food insecure at least some time during the year (11.8 percent). • Most vulnerable to food insecurity are individuals living alone, Hispanic and Black non­Hispanic households, and households with an income below 185 percent of the poverty threshold (only $46,435 for a family of four). • The number of food insecure children is roughly 12.5 million and remains relatively unchanged despite a drop in the national average. Families with children under age 6 and those in single­parent households are at a substantially higher risk.