Hunger Hurts
Hunger hurts
Breakfast today consisted of whole wheat toast with peanut butter and home made strawberry jam, Special K cereal with a fresh sliced banana, 2% milk and a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice. Tom added two soft boiled eggs to his breakfast. That was 4 hours ago and I was just sitting here contemplating what to fix for lunch because – it’s almost lunch time……………..
I was clearing some papers off my desk when I found one that stopped me in my tracks. Last week I tore a page from a magazine I was reading because I wanted to investigate it further. The heading read “Help Fill Glasses with Milk and Hearts with Hope” Hmmmmm.
Did you know September is Hunger Action Month? I need to ask – Have you EVER been truly hungry – stomach cramping, aching, faint with hunger hungry? And NO!! being on a diet doesn’t count when you have a kitchen full of food. I mean hungry where there is NO food available or going to be available in the foreseeable future. I have not.
Do you know that 49 MILLION Americans go to bed hungry everyday? 16 MILLION of these are CHILDREN ! The statistics are 1 in 6 people here in Northeast Ohio are hungry. I’m not one of them. I have plenty of food in the cupboards, money in my purse and a grocery less than a mile away. Lunch was an idea of something to do because it was a certain time of day NOT because I actually needed food intake.
WHY do we have such an enormous problem in a country that fills landfills with more garbage /wasted food than some countries are able to produce. Unemployment and underemployment are only part of the problem. Gasoline prices have risen 32% in 4 years. Some families are now having to choose between groceries and fuel for transportation to get to work to make the minimum wage needed to put ANY food on the table. One in 5 people being served by Food Banks and soup kitchens are veterans or military families ! THIS IS AN OUTRAGE in a country as wealthy as the USA.
For a $5 donation you can send milk to families facing hunger in YOUR community. A contribution of $1 will provide 4 MEALS through Feeding America, national Food Bank charity. $1 ????? $5 ????? How much did you spend on Starbucks this week? How much to play in the Fantasy Football pool? How much on popcorn and a movie? Could you give up 1 latte and provide 12 meals? Could you skip the popcorn and provide a family with milk for their children? Let’s get serious about this problem. Go to milklife.com or feedingamerica.org and get involved. Food banks across our country are looking for donations, either money, food or your time. Volunteers are needed to pack boxes, prepare food, serve on committees and do administrative work – something for everyone to contribute. Before you reach for the peanut butter and jelly, make a call to your local food pantry or get on line and donate TODAY !
Think about it.