Feeding Hungry Children

“We are providing free lunch and snacks for 180 children every day, plus nearly 100 free breakfasts,” reports Associate Pastor Dan Trevino, “This includes 60 children at the Rosemont Apartments.”

This is Baptist Temple's sixth year offering free lunch to the children of our community through the USDA's summer feeding program. In 2009, we served lunch three times a week for five weeks. This year we serve breakfast, lunch and a snack all week at the church and set up a satellite location.

Over 90% of the children in our neighborhood are eligible for free or reduced lunch during the school year. They can receive a nutritious breakfast and lunch during the school week but are at risk for hunger on weekends and during the summer.

A 2012 Feeding America study discovered that Texas leads the nation in the number of hungry children. According to the San Antonio Food Bank one out four children in Bexar County live in poverty and struggle with food insecurity. Food insecurity means that when food is prepared, it is usually of poor quality or an unbalanced diet leading to malnutrition and health problems.

God cares about the hungry.

• Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen… Is it not to share your food with the hungry… Isaiah 58:6-7 (NIV)
• John answered, "The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same." Luke 3:11 (NIV)
• When you are harvesting in your field and you overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it. Leave it for the alien, the fatherless and the widow, so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. When you beat the olives from your trees, do not go over the branches a second time. Leave what remains for the alien, the fatherless and the widow. When you harvest the grapes in your vineyard, do not go over the vines again. Leave what remains for the alien, the fatherless and the widow. Deuteronomy 24:19-21 (NIV)

Baptist Temple is concerned about the hungry, as well. The summer feeding program is one way we fight hunger in our community.

“Arise, cry out in the night,

At the beginning of the watches;

Pour out your heart like water before the face of the Lord.

Lift your hands toward Him

For the life of your young children,

Who faint from hunger at the head of every street.”

Lamentations 2:19

Dan Trevino Joins the Baptist Temple Team

Dan Trevino

The Reverend Doctor Dan Trevino started serving Baptist Temple as Associate Pastor earlier this week. Trevino recently left his position at Harlandale Baptist Church after 11 years of faithful service.

A native of San Antonio, Trevino earned a BS from Howard Payne University and an MSW from Our Lady of the Lake University. Furthermore, he earned both a Master's and a Doctor of Theology from Andersonville Theological Seminary.

Trevino worked for Baptist Child and Family Services for many years in a variety of progressive roles working his way up from house parent to campus administrator and serving as interim president.

God has used his combined experience and training in both the pastoral and social service worlds to lead churches in serving their surrounding communities. His expertise has been much sought after by Texas Baptists where Trevino serves on the Texas Christian Life Commission Board of Consultants. He also served on the boards of the Christian Women's/Christian Men's Job Corps and Zephyr Baptist Encampment.

At Baptist Temple, Trevino's primary role will be to administer our food programs and hunger ministries, especially our relationship with the San Antonio Food Bank. Trevino will continue and expand the work started by Joe Guinn in developing our church as a Community Partner site. This will enable us to directly enroll members of our community in government programs for which they qualify. Our goal is to be a place where we can help people with both their physical and spiritual needs.

Trevino will lead a multifaceted approach to the issues of nutrition and food insecurity that include a food pantry, emergency food supply, weekend food packs for children at risk and free or reduced breakfast and lunch for children throughout the year. Last year, in partnership with the San Antonio Food Bank, we distributed over 17,000 lbs. of groceries per month to our neighbors. Our participation in summer feeding program, which began in 2009, will expand to multiple sites this year.

Baptist Temple is part of a family of urban churches and non-profits that share a campus to show God's love to our community in practical ways.

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