Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Hungry In America

The Food Research and Action Center announced yesterday that last year more than 36.2 million people in this country lived in households struggling with hunger. Over eleven million of those people lived hungry. They never got enough to eat. The number of hungry adults and children in this country rises every day. Social service agencies, WIC offices, and emergency food providers tell of overwhelming needs.
People are hungry. Adults and children in this country don't have enough to eat.
Few people these days have discretionary income sufficient for large, charitable contributions. It's amazing, though, how much help a little can provide. A package of dried beans, a can of tuna, a box of powdered milk a week given to a food bank adds up when enough of us contribute.
Indications are that the terrible fire in Santa Barbara County was started by a single ember from a campfire not quite extinguished and that the fire in Yorba Linda was started by one spark from an automobile. One ember and one spark destroyed so much. So much devastation contained in those ones.
One box of macaroni and cheese or one can of soup have power of their own. Given one at a time, those ones add up and have the power to feed if not an entire country then at least thirty or so million people.

1 comment:

Arava said...

A great reminder as we prepare for our national day of gratitude.