Poverty/World Hunger--Part 1

For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink . .

Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these, ye have done it unto me. Matthew 25:35a,40b.

October 15 is Blog Action Day. Many bloggers are banding together to discuss ways to fight poverty throughout the world. Links will be available for those who are interested in learning more about alleviating hunger.

I once heard a preacher say that in the U.S.A. we believe in feeding people “real good” at Thanksgiving and Christmas, but don’t think much about the hungry any other time. I don’t believe he was exaggerating either. There is something about autumn and harvest that makes me think about filling my pantry and then working on the local food bank, too.

Every autumn the Boy Scouts send around flyers asking people to put some canned goods or non-perishable food on the front porch on a designated day. Then they can collect a large amount of food without having to waste time knocking on doors.

About once a month I buy a one-pound sack of rice or beans and store it in a box in my closet. When I get the yearly flyer from the Boy Scouts, all I need to do is add a few things from my cabinet to fill a sack with needed vegetables, fruit, or canned meat.

This always gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling. I am encouraging children to become productive members of society and am helping to replenish the food bank.

--But is a once a year enough?

Whether it is the colder weather that reminds us of hungry people in the world or the kindness we feel during the holiday season, we should remember that the hungry are with us year round.

I will have information to help alleviate hunger in my next post.