There was an inspiring celebration of Abraham Lincoln’s birthday back in 1948, one that reflected his mission for peace and charity.

Farmers in Lincoln, Nebraska started a food train to honor Abe’s birthday (Feb. 12) and collect donations to feed the starving people in Europe. Remember this was just a few years after World War II, and hunger was still a crisis amid the massive job of reconstruction.

But the American people followed Lincoln’s message of “malice toward none with charity for all,” which he stated in his second inaugural address on March 4, 1865. Lincoln’s timeless, inspiring words helped power the Lincoln Friendship Train of 1948. In addition to the Nebraska train, there were boxcars of food donations arriving from Colorado and Wyoming. Iowa, South Dakota and Illinois also started sections of the Lincoln Friendship Train.

Hundreds of boxcars of food were filled with donations in early 1948 for the Lincoln Friendship Train, which eventually arrived in Philadelphia. The food donations were sent on to Europe and Asia to bring relief to war victims. Church World Service, Lutheran World Relief and Catholic Relief Services were among the train organizers.

This inspiring effort of the Lincoln Friendship Train was part of massive food donations from America to help Europe after the war. All this food aid gave the Marshall Plan of 1948 a chance to succeed in rebuilding Europe.

Our food aid saves lives and gives peace a chance. We should never forget its significance.

It’s especially timely now to remember the 1948 Abraham Lincoln Food train and what it represented: the humanitarian spirit of America.

Which is why America should reject the Trump administration’s plan to shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The Trump administration has ordered a foreign aid freeze and has started dismantling USAID. This is tragic. With famine taking place in Sudan and numerous other hunger emergencies, we need our lead humanitarian agency in action.

A big example of USAID’s lifesaving work is the Food for Peace program, which was started by President Dwight Eisenhower. Food for Peace provides critical donations to hunger relief programs around the globe.

Programs that feed severely malnourished children are supported by Food for Peace. This is lifesaving food. To shut it down would cost lives. We need more Food for Peace and USAID, not less.

USAID also supports war victims in Ukraine and Gaza. We can’t be taking that help away, especially at this time of massive need. There are numerous other hunger emergencies, including in the D.R. Congo, Haiti, Lebanon and Syria. Food is the one source of stability in all these emergencies.

It’s an American tradition supporting humanitarian aid. We have always responded to the cries of hunger from abroad. The Lincoln Friendship Train was one example of many times the American people have rallied to feed the hungry abroad.

Let’s stop the chaos of this closure of USAID and end the foreign aid freeze. Write to your elected officials and let them know. Let’s support USAID, Food for Peace and step up the fight against hunger and instability around the globe.

William Lambers is an author who partnered with the U.N. World Food Program on the book “Ending World Hunger.” His writings have been published by the NY Times, Newsweek, History News Network, Cleveland Plain Dealer and many other news outlets.