Tag Archives: Hunger

Book Promotion “Help Fight Hunger” Launches Today

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As mentioned in yesterday’s post, I decided to launch a 3½-week Help Fight Hunger campaign – beginning today (August 14) and ending on Saturday, September 7, 2013, at 5:00 PM (EDT) —  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 or The World Food Programme (the purchaser chooses).

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All too often, we waste food — sometimes without giving a second thought to whether or not the person sitting next to us may be living in a food insecure household.  An alarming number of middle-class families are now, for the first time,  experiencing what it is like to be hungry.  Their stories will break your heart. Their stories will make you want to kneel down, bow your head and say a prayer of thanks for the food on your table, for being spared the suffering, despair, and indignity of being hungry. 

Below is a vignette from my book, Casualties of the (Recession) Depression.  This is a true story.

“Young and Hungry“

“He sat in the coffee shop, his fingers restlessly turning the pages of his textbook.  He had been there for three and a half hours, nursing a cup of coffee.  “Thank God for free refills!” – he thought to himself.  He was trying hard to focus on the words in front of him, willing the gurgling in his empty stomach to go away.  His hands were slightly shaky.  He could smell the toasted ham and cheese sandwich that someone was eating at a nearby table.  Freshly baked bread had just come out of the oven and the lady behind the counter was stacking the loaves on the shelf.  His mouth started to water and he felt dizzy.  He willed himself to block it all out. Two more hours passed by.

It was closing time.  The coffee shop lady was rushing to close up. She grabbed all the leftover loaves of bread (two were left), bagels (all seven of them), and two donuts – and threw them roughly into a big garbage can, which she wheeled into the back room. He swallowed, throat dry.  A tear escaped from the corner of his eye. He was too proud to ask. And the coffee shop lady didn’t see, nor would she probably have given him a second thought if she had. He clenched his jaw and grimly packed his book into his bag. 

He glanced once at the lady behind the counter. Her face was blank when she looked back at him. Oblivious.  She tapped her fingers on the glass, impatient to close the lights.

He left quietly, not looking back.  He wondered whether things would get better after he graduated from college. He wasn’t so sure.”

Casualties of the (Recession) Depression – Copyright © 2013 by Heather Joan Marinos.  All Rights Reserved.

Help Fight Hunger. 

Drop by www.heatherjoanmarinos.com.

HFH

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Image (of young man) via   abcradionewsonline.com (Jupiterimages/Thinkstock).

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.

foodtruck

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.

♥ ♥ ♥

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).

♥ ♥ ♥

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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Just Published: Casualties of the (Recession) Depression

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I am pleased to announce the release of my new book,

Casualties of the (Recession) Depression.

Once again, from the back cover:

“Has economic activity returned to close to normal levels?”

Did the “Great Recession” really end in June 2009?

Is the American economy in a recession, a depression, or on the road to recovery?

Do our political leaders and economists truly believe what they’re saying, or are they deluging us with “feel-good” marketing rhetoric?

In her own evocative and  mince-no-words style,  Heather Joan Marinos argues that American economic activity has not returned to close to normal levels.

Through a writer’s lens, we catch a glimpse of some of the poignant moments in the lives of the people most affected by this economic downturn ― the middle class.  Marinos takes the reader on an American odyssey from 2006 to the present day, through a collection of vignettes and scenes, and some passionate commentary along the way.

It is, after all, the people who tell the real story of our economy.  Their challenges and triumphs are not rhetoric. Their resilience and humanity is what gives us hope for a prosperous and triumphant future.

Now Available

from

Amazon.com

I am also in the process of completing DEMOKRATIA IN ACTION, due out in 2014.

Cheers!

hftg

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