Tag Archives: food banks

The Season of Giving

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“For it is in giving that we receive.” 
― Francis of Assisi

As we count our blessings this holiday season, please remember that there are millions and millions of people – around the world – who are hungry, homeless, displaced, discouraged and lonely.

In this, the season of giving, please do what you can to help a neighbor, a stranger, a family in your community.

Donate food, clothing, blankets and toys to your local missions.  Help out at your local food bank. Share your Christmas feast with someone less fortunate.

If you dine in restaurants, give your leftovers (that you would normally take home) to the homeless man or woman huddled on the sidewalk. Don’t pass them by, averting your face.  Show them compassion.

Spread a little Hope and Kindness.

After all, this is the season of Light… is it not?

May the true meaning of the holiday season fill your hearts and homes with many blessings.  Remember to take time to slow down and enjoy the simple things. I wish you, dear readers, much happiness today and throughout the New Year.

Blessings and Warmest Wishes,

heatherfromthegrove

“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.”
– Charles Dickens

A tribute to the unsung heroes who help others

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“If you can’t feed a hundred people, then just feed one.”

— Mother Teresa

They don’t have the power of money or celebrity to back them up.  Nor do they receive any payment or compensation for what they do.  Self-gratification is not their ulterior motive. 

They are simply ordinary people who do extraordinary things… to help others − for no other reason than love and respect for humanity.

These are the people who…

… save their leftover food from their restaurant meal, so they may give it to the person standing outside… that hungry person who’s seen better times but who, for one reason or another, finds himself down and out.

… volunteer their time to work in community outreach programs.

… make daily visits to elderly neighbors who live alone, just to make sure that they are okay and to give them a little caregiving and companionship.

… regularly help out at the food banks and missions.

… notice that an exhausted single mother, trying to do it all, may need  a little assistance with carpooling, babysitting, or a few ready-made meals that she can freeze and reheat later.

… sense that a friend may be going through hard times, and invite him/her over for dinner each week.

… teach their children kindness and empathy towards others.

The list is endless.

These are the people who, although not labeled as “activists”,  are quietly making a difference in the lives of others.

One person at a time.

HFH2

From Aug 14-Sept 7, purchase a copy of  Casualties of the (Recession) Depression, and for every $20 book purchased directly from my website, I will be donating $5 from the proceeds of each book sale to either: Feeding America (US), Action Against Hunger (Canada), or The World Food Programme (Global). The purchaser chooses one of the three.

Image (of hands) via mysuccessprinciples.com.

Let No Child Go Hungry This Summer

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When that last school bell rings in June, droves of children come blasting out of the doors, eager to begin their summer. No more multiplication tables to memorize or spelling bees to prepare for – just fun in the sun, with no worries.

However, for the children who live in “food insecure”  households (the politically correct term coined by the USDA, which essentially means “hungry” or “without food.”), summertime means losing the luxury of daily breakfasts and lunches, provided by the schools.

For these children, food is a luxury.

This doesn’t just affect a few children here and there.  

Millions. 

Millions of children across the United States live in homes where food is scarce. Imagine, for a moment, what it must feel like, not knowing where your next meal is coming from – or when you will be able to have a next meal. 

Thankfully, national and community-wide summer food programs have been established, to provide free meals for these children  (aged 18 and under).

Non-profit organizations like Feeding America  and Feed The Children make it their mission to ensure that no child goes hungry.

Federal initiatives, such as the USDA’s (United States Department of Agriculture) Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), have approved sites located in areas (nationwide) where there is a higher concentration of children from low-income households.  These SFSP sites  provide free meals (which meet federal nutrition guidelines) to these children.

In communities across the country, local volunteers and organizations are banding together to provide food for children who are in need of assistance.  In New Haven, Connecticut, for example, the New Haven Public School Board – in collaboration with United Way, have rolled out a new Summer Food Truck.  This mobile “meals on wheels” drives around town, offering free, nutritious meals to kids and teens.

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A lot of good things happen when communities rally together.

These organizations all need volunteers, and of course, they welcome donations.  If you  wish to volunteer your time (and/or money) to the summertime food programs in your neighborhood, check out the list of sites below. I am also listing a site that provides a  Food Bank Locator, in the event that you may want to volunteer at a food bank in your town.

If you are a business owner, you may want to consider sponsoring an SFSP food site in your area.

One last word.   If your children have friends or classmates who may be hungry, why not invite them over for lunch or dinner?  Not only will you be doing a kind deed, you will be teaching your own children the value of community and compassion.

And that is a good thing.

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Images via cacbelmont.org (boy with apple), npr.org (truck photo credit by Timothy Cipriano/New Haven Public Schools), and   fns.usda.gov (SFSP flyer).

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Feeding America:  http://feedingamerica.org/how-we-fight-hunger/programs-and-services/child-hunger/summer-food-program.aspx

Feed The Children: http://www.feedthechildren.org/site/PageServer?pagename=dotorg_homepage

USDA’s Summer Food Service Program: http://www.fns.usda.gov/summer-food-service-program-sfsp

SFSP Sponsorship:  http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/Summer/Sponsor.htm

Food Bank Locator: http://feedingamerica.org/foodbank-results.aspx

National Hunger Hotline: 1-866-3-HUNGRY or 1-877-8-HAMBRE for Spanish

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The real meaning of Thanksgiving

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“If you can’t feed a hundred people, then just feed one.”

— Mother Teresa

On Thursday, millions of Americans (citizens and permanent residents alike)  — of all faiths — will gather with family and friends to give thanks for the blessings of life.   There is a lot to be thankful for.  And, to those of us who will be enjoying a bountiful Thanksgiving feast, we should bow our heads in sincere and humble gratitude. 

Not everyone will be as fortunate.  Missions, food banks, and shelters will be overwhelmed with people seeking a Thanksgiving meal.  They will rely on the kindness of strangers —  people like you and I,  who donate food and money to organizations that exist for no other reason than to feed the hungry in our respective communities.

“For it is in giving that we receive.”

—  St. Francis

So, as you fill up your pantries with festive food, please remember to keep some aside to share with those in need.  If you can, volunteer an hour or two of your time to serve meals at your local mission.  The staff could really use your help.  There are more hungry and homeless people this year than last year. 

And, if you know someone who is suffering financially or who will be all alone this Thanksgiving, why not set an extra place setting at your dinner table and extend some hospitality? A little humanity will go a long way. 

After all, isn’t that what Thanksgiving is about?

 Many seasonal blessings to you and yours, dear readers!

A Thanksgiving Prayer

In the spirit of humility we give thanks for all that is.
We thank the great spiritual beings who have shared their wisdom.
We thank our ancestors who brought us to where we are now.
We are grateful for the opportunity to walk this planet,
to breathe the air,
to taste the food,
to experience sensations of a human body/mind,
to share in this wonder that is life.
We are grateful for the natural world that supports us,
for the community of humankind that enables us to do many wonderous things.
We are grateful that we are conscious,
that as intelligent beings we can reflect upon the many gifts we have been given.

— Tom Barrett