BETHLEHEM — A free dinner on Monday, Oct. 21, will precede a discussion on “Hunger Amidst Plenty” at St. Thomas the Apostle Church.

The baked ziti dinner starts at 6 with the presentation at 7 p.m. to raise awareness about the scope and impact of hunger in New York State.

Speakers will include:

— Mark Dunlea, executive director of Hunger Action Network of New York State, a community organizer and longtime anti-poverty, food justice, and peace advocate;

— Father John Bradley, pastor of Blessed Sacrament Parish in Albany; and

— Dr. Gary Kleppel, a Knox farmer and professor of biology at the University at Albany.

Kleppel directs the graduate program in Biodiversity Conservation and Policy; his research focuses on the ecology of grazing in human-dominated landscapes and sustainable agriculture.

Kleppel and his wife, Pam, produce grass-fed lamb, wool, free-range poultry and eggs, and artisan breads, which they market directly to the public. Kleppel and his students have led a campaign at the University at Albany that has resulted in an increase in local sourcing of food on campus from 5 percent in 2008 to about 33 percent today, one of the highest local sourcing rates in the nation.

Kleppel is author of The Emergent Agriculture – Essays on Farming, Sustainability and the Return of the Local Economy, which deals with the shifting paradigm in agriculture and markets in the 21st Century. Kleppel also serves on the Board of Directors of the Patroon Land Foundation.

St. Thomas Pax Christi is hosting the event along with the Public Policy Ministry.

Reservations are required and may be made by contacting or calling Marie Copeland at 439-4050. An optional free-will offering will be accepted.

St. Thomas the Apostle School is located at 42 Adams Place in Delmar. For more information about Pax Christi or the Public Policy Ministry, contact Marie Copeland.