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.

Righting a wrong

Posted on September 1, 2013 by heatherfromthegrove

“He looked at the piles of food again, and it was like he was seeing it with new eyes. “This is wrong”, he thought, “Letting food rot while people die of hunger. It’s evil.”….
He breathed in the too-sweet smell of rotting food, “I can stop this evil.”

― Margaret Peterson Haddix, Among the Enemy

Image via tillhecomes.org.

The Food Crisis in Greece Reaches Critical Levels

Posted on August 30, 2013 by heatherfromthegrove

“Hunger is insolent, and will be fed.”

— Homer

I am Greek, by marriage only. Or so I’ve always thought. Recently, I discovered that half of my maternal ancestors were of Greek origin. Perhaps this explains my affinity for the country, the people, and the food. For me, Greek food equals abundance, a Mediterranean feast of savory and sweet delicacies that make you want to loosen your belt, and throw any notion of dieting out the window. After all, the Greek diet is one of the healthiest in the world. I swear by it. So, when I see the hunger and starvation that is spreading like an insidious virus throughout Greece, it makes me sick in my heart.

Nationwide, children are fainting from malnourishment and suffering chronic, painful bouts of hunger cramps. A nation of proud and feisty people are being brought to their knees. Not just the poorest of poor, or the working class… but, also the middle class. Yet another country that is seeing its middle class disappear below the poverty line.

The Greek Orthodox Church feeds approximately 55,000 people per day and the soup kitchens are at full capacity, distributing an estimated 7,000 meals to people… just in Athens alone.

If it is indeed true that there’s reason to celebrate because the recession in Europe is coming to an end, Greece certainly hasn’t been invited to the party.

With every severe economic crisis, extreme conditions inevitably breed extreme behaviors. Not surprisingly, violence, domestic abuse, theft, vandalism and prostitution are at an all-time high in Greece. However, on the other end of the spectrum, the outpouring of kindness and generosity from within Greece and from other countries has been heartwarming. Throughout the country, families are helping other families. In the Greek Expat communities around the world, there has been a wave of support for the mother country.

For more information on helping the hungry, homeless and jobless in Greece, please go to the Greek America Foundation‘s website and learn more about Project Hope for Greece.

Image via bookbar.gr.

Food insecurity around the world

Posted on August 29, 2013 by heatherfromthegrove

“Those who wish for a more peaceful, just and sustainable world are helping to make ending world hunger a major priority… Together we can end hunger.”

— Robert Alan Silverstein

That we, as a global community, could end world hunger is not a naïve notion. No, it is not as far-fetched as it seems, despite the daunting numbers and the amount of time, effort and resources needed to accomplish such a gargantuan task. As with any challenge of great magnitude, the reasonable approach is (and has been) to compartmentalize the problem into smaller, more manageable components. Since the whole is equal to (not lesser than or greater than ) the sum of its parts, each “part” (and, by extension, each of the subparts, and sub-subparts) can be (and have been) uniquely addressed. In this instance, the “parts” refer, of course, to the continents; the “subparts” are the countries, and “sub-subparts” are the cities, counties or communities. If it sounds simple enough, experience has taught us that the real bottleneck lies in the allocation and acquisition of the “time, effort and resources” required to eradicate the problem. Just how big a problem is it?

The Numbers:

According to The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization:

In 2010-2012, estimated that nearly 870 million people throughout the world (that’s one in eight people) suffer from chronic undernourishment and food insecurity.
an estimated 852 million live in developing countries; 16 million live in developed countries.
Asia and Pacific region: saw a 30% decrease (from 739M to 563M) in the number of undernourished people – due to socio-economic progress. <heatherfromthegrove: I believe that these numbers may increase by next year, as the recession makes its hasty way to Asia>
Latin America and the Caribbean: also saw a decrease, from 65M (1990-92) to 49M hungry (2010-2012).
Africa: by sharp contrast, saw a huge increase, from 175M to 239M hungry (one in four people are hungry).
In developed countries, the number increased from 13M (2004-6) to 16M (2010-12).

The Causes:

According to The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, there are five (5) principle causes of hunger:

Poverty.
Harmful/unstable economic and political systems.
Conflict (the influx of refugees from unstable, conflict-ridden regimes/countries).
Hunger (hunger causes physical and mental health issues which, in turn, bring on poverty – due to the inability to work or function properly; and this creates greater hunger).
Climate Change (drought, flooding, erratic climate patterns).

The Solutions:

According to Josette Sheeran, formerly the Executive Director (until her term ended in 2012) of the UN World Food Programme and now the Vice Chairman of the World Economic Forum, there are ten new approaches to eradicating world hunger:

Humanitarian action.
Provide free school meals.
Safety nets (for when disaster strikes or a food crisis occurs).
Connect farmers to markets.
Special focus on providing children under two years old with proper nutrition, to help them develop properly and give them fighting chance.
Empower women.
Technology is a powerful tool.
Building resiliency… against national disasters.
People power (individuals, partners, organizations, communities)
Accountability (countries’ political leaders make it their mission to ensure that no child (in their country) will die from hunger.

For a more comprehensive understanding of world hunger, please refer to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization’s report, The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2012.

Ending world hunger… an impossible dream, or an attainable reality?

You know where I stand.

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 via blog.igt.com.

Hunger up north

Posted on August 27, 2013 by heatherfromthegrove

“Reducing household food insecurity, and the poverty that underlies it, is a win-win situation. It is a win for people facing low income, and for Canada as a whole. One does not need to look far to find many libraries worth of evidence that poverty is a key negative influence on health. Reducing low income leads to better health, which leads to higher levels of economic participation and lower costs related to health care and social services.”

— Food Banks Canada, Hunger Count 2012

Here is the hunger news from our northern neighbors, and my “Home and Native Land” …

The Numbers:

According to Food Banks Canada:

each month, 882,188 Canadians need to rely on food banks to feed their families
31% more Canadians rely on food banks now, than before the recession
over one third are children and teens
14% of the elderly Canadian population who live alone, are impoverished
3.2 million Canadians live in poverty

The Solutions:

Food Banks Canada recommends some small policy changes that will help rectify some of the root causes of hunger and poverty:

make housing more affordable, and therefore more attainable
increase social investment in Northern Ontario
make pensions more adequate for the seniors who are impoverished, and who are experiencing food insecurity, as well as health issues
invest in good quality, support-intensive social assistance programs
address the issue of the decline in well-paying jobs

For more solutions, itemized in the Say No To Hunger campaign petition(sponsored by Food Banks Canada), go to:

http://www.saynotohunger.ca/SayNoToHunger/Our-Solution.aspx

Canadians, you may want to consider signing the petition!

The value of altruism

Posted on August 25, 2013 by heatherfromthegrove

“I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the community. And as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work, the more I live. Life is no brief candle to me; it is a sort of splendid torch, which I have got hold of for a short moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to the future generations.”

− George Bernard Shaw

Image via faithkitchen.org.

The economics of fighting hunger

Posted on August 22, 2013 by heatherfromthegrove

“Investment in the eradication of hunger today is a good business decision. If we fail to make this investment, it is
doubtful that we can sustain healthy economic growth. Without this investment, our nation may disintegrate into a
country sharply divided between those who have enough to eat and those who do not.”
— Alan G. Hassenfeld, Chair & CEO of Hasbro, Inc.

If the humanitarian reasons for fighting hunger are not convincing enough, let me put an economic spin on it, by breaking the issue down to dollars and cents.

According to a recent Hunger in America report prepared by the Center for American Progress and Brandeis University, “Hunger costs our nation at least $167.5 billion due to the combination of lost economic productivity per year, more expensive public education because of the rising costs of poor education outcomes, avoidable health care costs, and the cost of charity to keep families fed.”

The hunger bill directly affects every American citizen and resident. Oh, it’s not a bill per se. The costs are embedded in our taxes and in the contributions we pay to charities. Our nation’s economy is heavily weighed down by the cost of hunger, spending upwards of $94 billion dollars a year, in federal food assistance programs like SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as “food stamps”).

As the middle-class progressively disappears below the poverty line, the drain on our economy worsens.

Hunger adversely affects our bottom line.

Yet, even big corporate executives realize that the eradication of hunger is not simply an issue of economics, but a more fundamental problem of justice, equality, and humanity.

“America is the richest country in the world. And yet tonight, thousands of your neighbors will go to bed hungry.
It may be your child’s schoolmate who is undernourished and has difficulty learning on an empty stomach.
Or it could be a co-worker, a working mother whose low-wage job doesn’t make ends meet.
Perhaps it’s an elderly neighbor who has to make a decision whether to delay filling a prescription or buying groceries.
The faces of hunger are as broad as the faces of America.”
— David Nasby, retired vice president of General Mills (one of the world’s largest food companies)

Image (at very top) via Emmaushouse.org.

Can we make a difference?

Posted on August 20, 2013 by heatherfromthegrove

“The lessons of the nation’s past tell us that liberty and justice cannot be secured for ourselves and kept from others without turning sour. Because we have cherished liberty for others, this country has sacrificed enormously (if not always wisely) in lives and material resources. We have not cherished justice as much. But justice and equality are no less a part of the nation’s ideals, and we build on them by exercising them in our relationship with others. When we are rich and others are hungry or impoverished beyond description, justice calls for ending this imbalance.”

— Art Simon, Founder – Bread for the World

Image (b/w of three children) via blogs.dallasobserver.com.

Action Against Hunger, Action Contre La Faim

Posted on August 18, 2013 by heatherfromthegrove

“It is an eternal obligation toward the human being not to let him suffer from hunger when one has the chance of coming to his assistance.”

— Simone Weil

Please Note:

The Canadian non-profit organization, Action Against Hunger/Action Contre La Faim (Canada) has been added to the list of organizations (Feeding America and The World Food Programme) that I will be sponsoring with my book promotion.

I’ve updated this site, to include a “Humanitarian Efforts” tab. Please click on the tab on the top menu bar, and have a look…

All the best,

Heather

Image via reachingneighbors.org.

heatherfromthegrove

a writer's musings…

Tag Archives: poverty