Turning Poetry into Food: Poetry X Hunger Is Fighting Hunger

By Hiram Larew

A Churchton, Maryland-based initiative that’s bringing poets from around the world to the anti-hunger cause is cooking with gas. As reported in the Spring 2022 Outlook by the Bay, Poetry X Hunger was started a few years ago to make sure that powerful poems by poets from near and far are used in the ongoing fight against hunger. With rates of hunger on the rise, it’s really important that we use poetry to raise awareness and support in the struggle to reduce, prevent and even eliminate hunger

Here are a few of the ways that Poetry X Hunger (https://www.PoetryXHunger.com) has recently turned poetry into food. 

Raising Funds to Fight Hunger — In 2023 we used Poetry X Hunger poems and artwork created in response to those poems to raise more than $12,000 for Feed the Children during an online artwork auction. We also held in-person and online fundraising events during which Poetry X Hunger poets presented and then discussed their work. Those events raised an additional $3,000 for two anti-hunger groups. One group, Roots for Life, used the funds to buy refrigerators for their DC-based community gardens. The other group, Seed Programs International, turned Poetry X Hunger funding into new school gardens in Uganda. 

Recently, I’ve been able to sell my own poetry items at markets, readings and workshops. All sale proceeds (so far, $2,000+) have been donated to the Anne Arundel County Food Bank, Maryland Food Bank Eastern Shore, St. Mary’s Caring (St. Mary’s County) and Food for Lane County in Oregon.

Raising Awareness — Feed the Children recently used a Poetry X Hunger poem by Canadian poet Josephine LoRe in a Public Service Announcement (PSA) that has been watched on YouTube by more than 100,00 viewers. Here’s a link to the PSA — Feed the Children launches new PSA Sharing a Vision of Hope Inspiring Action through Poetry to Help End Childhood Hunger

Another Poetry X Hunger poem by Sylvia Dianne “Ladi Di” Beverly of Clinton, Maryland, has been used as the lyric in a new musical composition by Morgan State musical composer, James Lee III. Here’s the link to the music — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87SkUjGG93o

Poetry X Hunger has also partnered with West Side Campaign Against Hunger in Manhattan and Food Tank to encourage young poets to write and share poems that fight hunger. On the West Coast, Community Partners for Los Angeles has used a Poetry X Hunger poem to open a meeting of young anti-hunger leaders. 

A New Poetry X Hunger — Lastly, as a new component fund under the aegis of Chesapeake Charities, Poetry X Hunger has taken on the features of a 501(c)(3) organization. We are now able to accept charitable donations and to make modest awards to organizations that use poetry in promoting the anti-hunger cause.

That’s all to say … Here’s to Turning Poetry into Food!

Hiram Larew is the founder of Poetry X Hunger. Learn more at www.poetryxhunger.com/.