American Hunger



The awards ceremony was in the high school library and even though it was against library policy, the hosts had platters of delicious cookies and cider. As a volunteer grant writer for a K-12 school, I was there to collect funds to help our small school.

Stacks of white envelopes were on a table in front and as God’s providence would have it, the award for my organization was announced first. I rose and went to shake hands with the chairman of the board, who was bestowing thousands of dollars to all the non-profit organizations in the large room.



I shared briefly about the impact this money would have for needy students. Sitting down, I then listened to the words of acceptance for fifty other small non-profits in our county. But there was one issue that we all were dealing with—and it wasn’t just poverty, abuse, or homelessness. It was hunger.





Of the $250,000 given away that day—money that needed to be stretched over lean budgets for all of the coming year, much of it would be spent on food for the hungry.

We have a problem, America. In a land of plenty, hunger should not be a source of pain. But it is. In my home state of Washington, apples were left un-harvested because apple sales wouldn't cover the cost of picking. I thought of those apples—delicious and nutritious going to waste—while grant money that could go for coats, counseling, or classes had to buy food.






Grant money can help give kids a better education, but hunger stifles the best plans we could ever have. Now that the holidays are over, the bell-ringers and red buckets aren't in front of our grocery stores, but the hunger issue remains. Giving hurting people hope begins with first alleviating their hunger. But Government hasn't been able to solve it. 

For too long we thought we needed big solutions, big programs, and more food stamps. But the answer is small. Local people knowing those who need help, and offering it. Churches, neighbors helping neighbors, and local agencies that understand their own communities. We can all be part of the small answer, but together it will make a big difference.



The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor.  Proverbs 22:9


Popular posts from this blog

Dreaming the Dream

Image
Dreaming big dreams about the future is easy for kids. The only thing standing in the way is time.  Kid’s dreams are not about skills, or opportunities, or even practicality. Those things come much later.  My grandson hopes to be professional soccer player when he grows up. This week, a small piece of his dream came true when his Boys and Girls Club was invited to participate in pre-game activities with the Seattle Sounders Football Club.  He got to suit up in a real jersey and walk on the field with a real pro player. Imagine a young soccer player looking up to who he hopes to be one day. If you haven’t taken the time to talk to a child about their future dreams—you should.  They believe. As we get older we sometimes forget that dreams fuel our hopes—and that's something we all need. So, do you still dream? Or have you left those childhood thoughts behind?  S pending time with children will  inspire you to believe agai
Read more

Sexy Selfies: Posting for attention

Image
We’ve all seen the “selfie” pix on Facebook—those self-taken images in varying forms of dress (or undress). Usually they’re female poses taken in public restrooms, dressing rooms, bedrooms, and lots of what used to be private space. Thanks to selfies and social media, it’s open season on privacy—and modesty. Do you have a social media “friend” who has become a serial selfie? Most often selfies are young girls sharing their sexiness with the world. Serial selfies post hundreds of pictures, so it’s hard to ignore the display. The question is why do they do it. While I don’t approve of the sexy display of serial selfies, insecurity is at the root. Selfies collect “likes” to boost morale. The attention received is like a balm to their broken spirits. But the dark side of exhibitionism is feeling used—not unlike the girl searching for love and giving away her body in hopes of finding love. Selfies seek approval. They're locked in a perpetual cycle of posting pi
Read more

Wild or Tame? Which One Are You?

Image
Finally! Research that explains why I act the way I do. Columbia University’s Motivational Science Center studied people’s activities and what brought them the most happiness. Even more telling were how those activities changed as they aged. Twenty-somethings tend to equate happiness with high-energy activities. Words like excited and ecstatic are usually attached to spontaneous things—even risky things—and living life full throttle.  Researchers labeled this Promotion Motivation —the urge to take chances, including career moves that may not work out. Happiness comes from happenings—the more happenings, the more happiness. By age forty, adults associate happiness with things running smoothly at work and home. It’s also about feeling secure in relationships. Keeping healthy matters more too. This behavior is called Prevention Motivation —and people are more concerned with preserving and maintaining the things they value. It appears that time ofte
Read more