Why are there people in America going hungry?
66If you don't care, who will?
Yeah, I know what you’re saying.
Times are bad all over, were in a recession, people are losing their jobs, companies are going broke and prices are over the roof.
Yet, it’s hard to understand. The other day I was at the outlet center, Coach, (A very expensive pocketbook) was having a sale. The line was out the store to buy a 3 to $500 pocketbook. Starbucks never seems to have a shortage of people, plus every going out of business sale seems to be cleaning up.
Nevertheless, a friend of mine was heading over to the food pantry to get something for thanks giving for his two children and himself. I offered to give him a ride. I accompanied him into the pantry and asked the person behind the counter if I could give a donation of food, they gladly accepted. When I returned with the food they were so happy to receive my donation. Then they informed me that it seems that this is the worst year they have seen in a long time and that very few people would be receiving a thanks giving turkey for dinner. Wow, that just broke my heart. Needless to say I returned a second time.
Yes, this has been a very hard and challenging year for me and my family. I am a union construction worker; I know the ax can come any day. However, if I have a loaf of bread I will share it with those who don’t. It’s just the way I am. I give more today than I ever have in the past, but I have more today than I have ever had. Do you think one has to do with the other? I do.
I’m not going to give you the ole tithing lecture, because I don’t do it. I’ not going to say give and it will come back to you tenfold. Even though I do believe it does. What I am saying is that people are hungry. Two cups of Starbucks coffee can pay for a small turkey. Drink tap water for a week and give what you saved to somebody in need. If you have ten cans of food on the shelves give one. Why not?
Think about Thanksgiving and what it’s all about. I wanted to cry when the lady at the pantry told me that people are going hungry this year. I just can’t believe it. Believe me guys, I do need the money. Yes you know as well as I do that things are bad. But you know what? Some people have it a whole lot worse than we do. And you never know. One day it might be you that may need a helping hand.
So please give whatever, whenever you can. If anything it can’t hurt. Do what you can. I keep on hearing about how bad it’s going to be for the retail stores this year. And hear very little about the people who just don’t have the basic needs like a simple thanksgiving dinner.
I’m going to do the best I can, how about a little help?
Peace, Love, Health, Happiness and Lavish Abundance… JosephDiego
Thanksgiving, Not, Give me, Give me, give me.
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Comments
Joseph, What a heartfelt and inspiring hub. Your pain and anguish really come through. It's definitely hard to believe people in this abundant land are going hungry. Food banks and shelters will have higher demand this season because of the economy. Thanks for the reminder that we all can give a little bit no matter how much or little we have.
Also so agree with Amanda. This hub, although the word "Christ" or "Christianity" is nowhere to be found in the title, embodies the true spirit of that Man's teachings.
Great read. Hopefully anyone reading this will follow your lead if they haven't already started to feel their fellow citizen's pain. No child in the world should ever go hungry.
Mighty Mom, I am Highly selective with the words or names I use. My belief is not to push my higher power on anyone. I believe in Good or God and you can name him or her or whatever, anything you desire. I do not want controversy. Nor do I have the education to defend. So I just keep a very minimal opinion as far as thats concerned.
I will say this, Much of my free time is used constructively at Churches and Spiritual grounds. Thats all I will say.
Good orderly Direction (G.O.D.) Keeps it very simple. The bottom line is even though we all call the creator by a different name it’s all the same. The only difference is us.
Remember I said that I am a pro at Self Defense. So what do you think I’m doing? Yeap, Defending Myself!
GoldenToad, That’s right no child or anybody should ever go hungry unless they choose to.
Thank you… JosephDiego
Read Ishmael by Daniel Quinn, there are root causes to the problem of hungry that are not being addressed in this discussion. Totaliatarian argiculture has been practiced and spread for the past 10,000 years and lead to most of the problems of our "modern" world. Also one should not use Capitals to convey emphasis when writing.
Thank you for posting your hub in my hub. Jeus doesn't care what religion your in. He cares about how you treat others. He says that the Kingdom Of God is within you--in each of us that Kingdom is. It is not in some building or the world, but inside of you. He is there also and he cares what you do with and for others.
There is another hubber crazyhorseghost writes abut the plight of food and Christians in america.
Joseph- Yes when we treat "thy neighbour as thy brother" than most of the problems in the world can be solved. Here is another hub which is similar to yours: http://hubpages.com/hub/Are-You-A-Christian
CW, that was the one I was thinking of but got sidetracked.!
LG- You are welcome. And my friend, don't worry about those who mock at you as they themselves may have a complex (In school we studied in our organizational behaviour class that the people who feel inferior or superior are the people who have the most issues with others). Btw I am sure you are eagerly looking forward to the joy of being a first time grandma.
Vrajavala- Being a vegetarian is a matter of life choices and for people who aren't used to it then its very difficult to make the switch overnight. I ate sparingly meat for a while but since I come from a vegetarian family it is very easy for me to go back to being a vegetarian.
Also vegetarianism isn't a viable choice for everyone (in most of the places in India there is plenty of fruits/vegetables rivers to grow food grains hence easier to follow but imagine places like alaska or gulf deserts where it isn't possible). Although I personally believe being a vegetarian also allows for lesser karmic reactions but still for those who are used to living in difficult environmental conditions it is their own survival at stake.
It is also about the culture in which one grows up even the thanksgiving culture it is customary to have a turkey for Americans. We need to tackle hunger but the methods should differ in different places & circumstances.
Vraj, It isn't the feeding of livestock that is starving others but the litteral throwing away good food just becasue it was not sold. I worked in Fast food a while ago for a while and saw thousands of hamburgers and patties and other foods just thrown away in the dumpsters becasue they were notsold. There is some law now that you cannot give this food away--soemthng to do with dieseases and bacteria and the like, but what I saw those birgers and other foods were perfectly good and you can freeze them for later use. This, I think, is deplorible! That was just in ONE Fast Food place, ....can you imagine all the othr places tht could give their excess foods. No One would go hungry!
CW, it will be any day now when the new arrival will come! It's like sitting on pins and needles!!
LG- My prayers are with you and your family. May the mother and baby be safe & healthy. Iam sure by now their must hours of debates on what the baby name should be which is so much fun...hehe
I'm mainly vegetarian myself, apart from the occassional fish meal, but I realise that we can't expect everyone to follow a meatless life. Lady G is right though. It's crazy that children will go to bed hungry tonight, whilst food is going into dumpsters just streets away!
Good luck with the new grandchild LG. That's very exciting news!
Excellent hub from an excellent voice. I wish I did more myself but too late now. There's always Christmas. You truely do embody a true Christian and we could all take an example from you.
It is never too late!!!!! Do you get coupons in the mail? Do you get them in your newspaper or online? Clip a couple of those non perishable foods coupons and go buy them. Then take them to your local food bank! They will love you for it and you can do this as often as you get coupons. How aobut eachperson who reads this hub does that. You don't pay full price and others benefit besides you.
I just wish there was a way to stop the food from being thrown away in dumpsters.
This is a wonderful article and from the heart I can tell. But you know, it's not just about those people not having food for thanksgiving. It's all year around. People have lost their jobs, and even the states have run out of funds to help those in need. There is a growing shortage of not just food, but shelter and people that actually give a damn about anyone else. I wish your articles could inspire more people than just who's on Hubpages. :)
Oh and we must not forget those who are just at or just slightly above the poverty level or level at which they can receive food from the government programs. My experience----I was divorced and was raising a teen. I was getting some money from my ex that he was payng me on his own and not through welfare., But it wasn't enough to buy food or get medical attention for my daughter so I went to welfare and found that I was turned down because I made ONE dollar over the poverty limit! ONE dollar, not 50 or something that would be substantial. Now that was many years ago, but I also find out that it is still the same with a girl that has a baby and she is trying ti get out on her own and not live with her parents anymore. The level at which she can claim and get help is VERY sad. I don't know how these girls are supposed to get out of debt enough to get anything on their own. She is allowed to only make $600.00 per month. Try finding a place to live on that and food too! People in government need to actually come out and try living on that little pay. It's totally rediculous. This girl is not looking for a handout but a hand UP!
There is a family down the street from us that lives soley by a fireplace in their house and one in the yard. They can't afford Electricity. We have helped them out a bit by giong to the food bank and leaving the groceries on the door step.
There is a program that I went to during those tough years that pay other's Electric Bills--only now you have to know their account numbers and way too much information to just donate to them as a good samaritan. I don't want them to know that we may have paid their electric bill. It's a gift from Jesus.......
It was a gift from Jesus, you were just the messenger. One thing I found out in life. Give to everybody, even the rich can be poor and may need something that money can't buy.....
Good idea Lady Guinevere.
I have been a single mom for 15 years and built a new home 8 years ago and am facing walking away and never being able to come back, I lost all my work and am struggling to find enough work just to feed my 16 yr.old daughter and I myself am going hungry and have no one to help me or even offer food and it is very hard to work a job starving, but I'm trying to. My body just cant hardly work all day without nutrition. I think it is so sad that there is so many selfish people in this world that they really dont care about another! Today is actually the 4th day ina row with no food and I get to feeling extremely sick by night time!
So good....wow....I like to think I care and I give. But this is inspiring me to do better. Ugh....fighting back tears...
Amanda Severn says:
13 months ago
Hi josephdiego,
You're a lovely guy, and hubs like yours are much closer to the 'christian' message that I remember from Sunday School, than that other old nonsense on the Anti-Christ Hub. There are a little posse of writers who claim to be spreading the word on HubPages yet do nothing other than promote misery, bigotry and hatred.
Let's not talk about worms eating us for eternity as the other hub does in it's comments. Let's talk instead about what we can do for one another. This year is shaping up to be pretty grim for a lot of people, and we need to share and care more than ever before in our lifetimes. Thanks for posting this upbeat, sensible, and generous-hearted hub. I hope it gets all the traffic that it so patently deserves!