Daily Archives: December 15, 2008

A few of my recent posts have encouraged you to support causes around the world. From Africa’s AIDS epidemic and starving orphans to freezing children in Tibet and exploited and women and children all over the globe, there are many who need assistance. I don’t want this blog to turn into a fundraiser for one cause after another, but I do want to make you aware of the things that burden my heart and the opportunities we have to help. Some are closer than you might think, even as close as the house next door.

• More than 35 million Americans, including 12 million children, either live with or are on the verge of hunger. - USDA, Household Food Security in the United States, 2006
• The number of families coming to churches and food banks trying to get help to feed their families has increased approximately 20 percent. - National Anti-Hunger Organizations, 2008 Blueprint to End Hunger
• In New Jersey alone, an estimated 250,000 new clients will be seeking sustenance this year from the state’s food banks. – “No Food on the table,” By Judy Peet, The Star-Ledger, Oct. 23, 2008

While I often tell people I’m from New York, I actually live in New Jersey. (Oh, I cried the day I had to tag my beautiful vehicle with those distinct plates, but that’s another post for another day.) In the four years I’ve lived here, I have learned to love it. Now this state that has become my home is facing a hunger crisis, and we’re not alone. Food banks across the nation are struggling to meet the needs of their clients.

• At the Community FoodBank of New Jersey (CFBNJ), requests for food have gone up 30 percent, but donations are down by 25 percent. – CFBNJ
• Warehouse shelves that are typically stocked with food are bare and supplies have gotten so low that, for the first time in its 25 year history, the food bank is developing a rationing mechanism. – CFBNJ

The falling economy has been tough on everyone. We’ve felt it in our pockets and our security; you may remember my husband’s company went bankrupt just a few months ago forcing us to enter an already saturated job market. And there are few signs of things getting better. Neighbors are hungry. If you can help, please do.

Find your local food bank. See what you can do. Every little bit helps. When you’re hungry, even the smallest morsels can seem like a feast. If you live in New Jersey, click here for anti-hunger charities listed by county. If you’re not in Jersey, check your yellow pages, your church or even your grocery stores. Somebody somewhere will be happy to direct you.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’”
- Matthew 25:34-36 (NIV)