i saw a man on the side of the highway today in a bright green vest, the kind that a construction worker would wear to stand out to motorists. but something about this man and his stance told me that he was no construction worker, and as i was passing him i surmised that i was right. he was an older gentleman with a full white beard carrying a sack, and judging from the clothes on his back, the too-thin frame for his height, and the fact that he was scrounging for items off the ground, i guessed that he was homeless, and probably hungry too.
whenever the chill comes back into the air and especially around the holidays, i am reminded of those who are in need. i don't know if it's from the sight of people sleeping on top of vents to keep warm or simply because we're approaching the season of giving (united way deductions from our paychecks, unicef and trick-or-treaters, salvation army bells ringing at the front of the supermarket, goodwill, food drives and coat drives.. there are so many charities to choose from), but something about nearing the cold winter months brings these issues back into focus for me.
my husband told me something from one of his readings for his global finance class yesterday. he said that the amount of corn it would take to make enough ethanol to fill an SUV tank could feed a person for a year. the ethanol is a fuel additive that reduces our dependence on foreign oil, and it's positioned as a green energy source but actually pulls food away from people. and there are millions of people who are hungry every day. it just doesn't seem to make sense, does it?
my husband told me something from one of his readings for his global finance class yesterday. he said that the amount of corn it would take to make enough ethanol to fill an SUV tank could feed a person for a year. the ethanol is a fuel additive that reduces our dependence on foreign oil, and it's positioned as a green energy source but actually pulls food away from people. and there are millions of people who are hungry every day. it just doesn't seem to make sense, does it?
hearing the above information and the sight of that man this morning gnawed at me all day. i donate every year. i participate in food drives. i give what i can, when i can... but something inside was screaming, it's not enough! DO SOMETHING!
taking my own advice (i'm constantly telling others to stop talking about what they want to do and just to do it), i decided what i really needed to give now, was time. sure, we're all busy. but organizations need volunteers to support their missions, so volunteers become invaluable. by the end of the day, i had compiled a list of homeless shelters and food banks in my area. it was a start, but it finally felt like something.
and if you were to ask me what that something is, i guess it's that i'm starting to look at things differently. i'm beginning to understand that our problems are not confined; they extend beyond certain areas around the country or even our very own neighborhoods. they could be affecting me or you. and if the roles were ever reversed, and i was the one in need of help, i would hope that others who are capable and willing would do the same for me.
=
here are some great websites to help you get involved:
No comments:
Post a Comment