Building impact that reaches everyone everywhere.
Grounded in Faith
and Conscience
For over four decades, WHEAT has brought people together, including faith communities, leaders, volunteers and advocates – to build a stronger, more just future where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.
Support WHEAT and help us transform lives in need.
Our mission is simple and powerful:
to educate, advocate, engage and empower people to take action in the fight against hunger and poverty.
Founded in 1979, the World Hunger Ecumenical Arizona Task Force (WHEAT) was established to tackle the root causes of hunger and poverty. Grounded in faith and guided by conscience, WHEAT encourages individuals and communities to think globally and act locally—offering tools, education, and opportunities that empower individuals to create lasting change.
WHEAT began in Arizona as a task force of the National Council of Churches, bringing together 19 faith communities united by a shared commitment to ending hunger. These communities recognized the urgent need for coordinated education and advocacy efforts that would engage local religious and community groups in the struggle against hunger—both in Arizona and around the world.
In 1985, WHEAT was incorporated in Arizona as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. Today, it remains the only WHEAT organization still operating from the original network of task forces formed by the National Council of Churches in the 1970s—a testament to its enduring mission and impact.
WHEAT has worked to increase awareness, advocacy and action around hunger and poverty at local, national and international levels.
Through education, partnerships, legislative engagement and community-based programs, WHEAT empowers individuals and faith communities to take action and collaborates with a wide network of organizations to advance lasting solutions to hunger and poverty.
The work of WHEAT is to deepen understanding, strengthen sensitivity, and expand opportunities for meaningful change in the fight against hunger. We promote active engagement by individuals and groups in the legislative process, direct service initiatives, and funding support. To advance this mission, we have projects and activities with both local impact and global reach: WHEAT’s Fair Trade Store; The Clothes Silo, the Norma Johansen Hunger Library and the National World Food Day teleconference and its supporting activities.
Work that inspires change.
Since 1979, WHEAT has been on the forefront of poverty and hunger issues.
Our primary goals are to:
- Equip people with the knowledge and resources to understand the causes and impacts of hunger and poverty.
- Empower individuals to achieve lasting self-sufficiency.
- Advocate for those without a voice, pursuing policy changes that address the root causes of hunger and poverty.
- Inspire and engage individuals to take action alongside those experiencing hunger and poverty.
WHEAT actively engages in advocacy with Arizona’s State Legislature and Congressional Delegation, collaborating with partner agencies on issues affecting individuals living in poverty. Its strength lies in longstanding coalition-building efforts that unite public officials, faith communities, educational institutions and key decision-makers to drive meaningful change.
WHEAT collaborates with a wide range of local, national, and international partners to address poverty and food insecurity. These include organizations such as Bread for the World, Church World Service, Let Justice Roll, the Arizona Faith Network, The World Food Programme, RESULTS, the ONE Campaign and various government agencies and denomination-specific hunger committees.
Since 1979, WHEAT has played a leadership role in anti-poverty efforts, serving on international committees such as the Food and Agriculture Organization Hunger Committee and the Millennium Development (now Sustainable Development) Committee. These collaborations have supported successful global initiatives aimed at reducing poverty, hunger, and disease.
In Arizona, WHEAT partners with Wildfire, Arizona Department of Economic Security, and the United States Department of Agriculture to increase SNAP enrollment by engaging faith communities in outreach, training, and enrollment assistance. The organization also works with Valley of the Sun United Way and other coalitions to advocate for stronger federal nutrition programs and funding, including SNAP and Summer Food Service Programs. In addition, WHEAT is the administrative agency for the Apache, Gila, Maricopa and Navajo, Pinal and Yavapai County Boards and State Set Aside Committee of the Emergency Food and Shelter Program.
