Kudos to the Non-profit Organizations and Volunteers Who Fight the Fight… to alleviate hunger, poverty and homelessness

Posted on September 7, 2013 by heatherfromthegrove

“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”

I have always viewed volunteer workers and non-profit organizations – such as (but not limited to) The World Food Programme, Feeding America and Action Against Hunger/Action Contre La Faim – with deep and profound respect.

It is a difficult and thankless job.

Ahhh, but many of these dedicated men and women don’t view it as a “job”… nor do they expect a pat on the back, let alone an actual “Thank You.”

Imagine, for a moment, what it must feel like to see hardship, hunger, poverty and sickness… day in and day out. Yet, these volunteers press on… hoping, no, praying that they are somehow making a difference, making a dent in this world epidemic that is Hunger.

Imagine what it must feel like to try to recruit people to help… to contribute their time and yes, their money, to a problem that – like it or not – affects us all. So many people (too many) prefer to turn a blind eye. Until it happens to them. And for those raising their eyebrow: it can happen to them. And to you. And to me. It is never wise to be complacent. As we’ve seen with disasters like Hurricanes Sandy and Katrina, it can happen in a flash. Here today, gone tomorrow.

So today marks the last day of my 3½-week Help Fight Hunger book promotion.

To say that I am “disappointed” is a huge understatement, but it will not deter me from continuing to contribute my time and writing to helping others, to raise awareness on important issues that ultimately affect us all, and to hope that someone – anyone – will listen and perhaps even join the effort to help those who need our help.

I’d like to take a moment to thank the family members, friends, and colleagues who have been kindly “spreading the word” on behalf of my Help Fight Hunger campaign. Most importantly, I’d like to express my deep love and gratitude to my husband for putting up with all the intensity.

I hope that I’ve provided you with some informative, thought-provoking blogs on a subject that is discomfiting, but nevertheless very current and critical.

Thanks for reading.

― Heather

Image (t the very top) via erikarachel.com.

Quid pro quo

Posted on September 6, 2013 by heatherfromthegrove

Business transactions have always been based on the principle of “quid pro quo” (something for something). Individuals and organizations barter their goods/services in exchange for other goods/services or for monetary compensation.

When there is a fair and equal exchange of give and take, all parties walk away satisfied and happy. However, when the exchange is uneven and unfair, this will inevitably result in dissention and conflict.

This translates to human interaction and relationships ― between spouses, families, friends, and communities. When the “give and take” is unbalanced, problems ensue.

Taking the concept of “quid pro quo” and placing it in the context of philanthropic work, what do philanthropists, non-profits, and community volunteers receive – in exchange for their good work?

First and perhaps most importantly, they get a sense of well-being from knowing that they have helped ease the suffering of another human being. That is, in my opinion, the highest form of quid pro quo.

Additionally, they receive visibility (for themselves and for their cause), potential business opportunities, and additional funding (to further their cause; to sustain their philanthropic efforts).

By reducing and, ideally, eliminating hunger, homelessness, and poverty, we help to make a nation prosper and thrive ― as a whole. We are stronger (as a nation) when we no longer need to allocate funds for assistance. Imagine a country devoid of poverty and hunger… what a wonderful triumph that would be!

The flip side to quid pro quo is when organizations offer the poor and hungry an opportunity to pay it forward or to work, in exchange for food and board.

Thus, they finally have access to one of the most basic rights of all: the right to human dignity.

And if that isn’t quid pro quo, I don’t know what is.

From Aug 14-Sept 7, purchase a copy of Casualties of the (Recession) Depression, and for every $20 book purchased directly from me, through 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. As I’ve stated before and clearly state on my website, this promotion does not apply to books purchased from third party distributors, such as Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

Image (t the very top) via bubblews.com.

New thought-provoking blog “Discourse on Reality” launching soon

Posted on August 12, 2013 by heatherfromthegrove

“The work of an intellectual is not to mould the political will of others; it is, through the analyses that he does in his own field, to re-examine evidence and assumptions, to shake up habitual ways of working and thinking, to dissipate conventional familiarities, to re-evaluate rules and institutions and to participate in the formation of a political will (where he has his role as citizen to play).” ― Michel Foucault

Discourse on Reality, launching this Wednesday, will focus on current socio-economic, cultural, philosophical and political issues and challenges facing everyday men and women — across the globe. As the title suggests, it is meant to be a forum for intelligent discourse, where people can share ideas, commentary, and information on subjects that are current, relevant and affect our communities — locally, nationwide, worldwide. The objective is to learn, engage, raise awareness and, perhaps, become actively involved in the very causes, issues and challenges that we seek to address and remedy.

It is not my desire to write monologues day in and day out. Dialoguing with oneself becomes tedious after a while. To that end, I will be extending an invitation to anyone who may be interested in writing a guest blog post — within the scope of the subject matter discussed in the blog. The invitation is open to writers, scholars, community leaders, and activists — subject to my approval, per the guest blogging guidelines that will be available for review when Discourse on Reality goes live on Wednesday morning. Non-fiction authors who post a guest blog will also be invited to highlight their latest work on the “Books” page.

Discourse on Reality embraces diversity. This means: people from all walks of life, all cultures, all religions, all nationalities and ethnicities, all political and philosophical leanings, all genders and orientations.

Discourse on Reality will not provide a forum for hate, bigotry, and profanity. It’s one thing to be passionate about what you believe in, but it is quite another to spew out hateful commentary.

One blog will be posted by 9 am EDT daily, from Monday to Friday. Each day will focus on one theme, as follows:

MONDAYS – Socio-economic Issues (i.e. hunger, homelessness, health, education, environment and more)

TUESDAYS – Economic Issues (i.e. the economy, business, technology, and more)

WEDNESDAYS – Cultural Issues (i.e. civil rights, human rights, and more)

THURSDAYS – Philosophical & Political Issues (i.e. commentary on current political events/news, ideology, religion)

FRIDAYS – Philanthropy and Humanitarianism (i.e. role models and visionaries, non-profit organizations, humanitarian efforts and disaster relief, sustainability, and more)

I hope that those of you who have been tuning in to my heatherfromthegrove (a writer’s musings) blog will also check out Discourse on Reality this Wednesday.

As always, I welcome your feedback and comments.

Thanks for stopping by!

— Heather

Let No Child Go Hungry This Summer

Posted on June 15, 2013 by heatherfromthegrove

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.

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