Steven P. BarrettWHY DO WE HAVE SO LITTLE FOOD TO SPARE IN THE MOST MATERIALLY ABUNDANT NATION ON EARTH? (LINK)
July 27th 2008 01:53
By Steven Barrett
Although in my family, I'm both paterfamilias and "papistbaptist" -- in my spare time I help out at my family's church, First Baptist Church of Amherst (MA) by doing some volunteer work and while I can't deny it's good for both the soul and mind, it's also good for the arms, etc. Gets me out of the house as well.
But most importantly, I get a lot of satisfaction knowing I've done something to help others who are far less fortunate and just getting by on disability checks, welfare, Women, Infant and Children's (WIC) food program assistance and whatever else that's available. Though Massachusetts is a generous state -- certainly compared to a lot of Sunbelt States, esp. Florida, South Carolina, and Mississippi. On the other hand, life isn't inexpensive up in Massachusetts, either, and what the people receive in public assistance can only go so far.
Some people might say, "Hey, I got by, and made it...what's so hard about life for them?" To that I always remind them it's the first instance of a Republican talking back to God when Cain said "Am I my brother's keeper?"
Seriously, though ... I think there is a "beggaring thy neighbor" spirit rising in this country and no one party, or ideological group is more or less guilty than the other. And one day a person who thought he was too busy or important to bother about people going hungry, came across rough times and all of a sudden discovered what it's like to be in need.
By the way, if you read this and you're afraid of facing a moment like this, especially with your spouse and children on your mind, and your pride and heart are both competing for space in your throat -- don't be afraid to admit it, and let them both go. I've been there.
It's plain un-American for us to beggar people. Oh, we're renowned for our "rugged individualism" and all that hype, but in truth, Americans are the most generous people on earth. Except, it seems lately, among ourselves. How else can we explain the relative dearth of necessary food and other items people who qualify for assistance from their regional food banks?
It's not always a lack of money from the agencies who run the person-to-person distribution programs such as First Baptist's Food Pantry. Ours does quite well due to a deposit/recycling arrangement we have with the Amherst Town Recycling Center. Amherst being a college and party town, well -- that helps explains this successful end of the program. The problem comes when the church goes to buy things and for the last 8-to-9 months has come back with far less than it used to. We waste so much but give so little?
And this is because the grocery stores aren't as generous as they used to be; in one case a store was selling its "day-olds" to the cheaper anything for a dollar retail outlets instead of donating it to the needy. Cheesy. But the generosity isn't there. Not only that, the recent gas price spikes have greatly discouraged many truck drivers from making the trek.
If we can bail out the home mortgage industry, and the Dept. of Agriculture can feed half the world, so to speak -- why can't we start filling up our regional food banks again? We hear so much from political preachers about the need to return to our "historical Christian heritage ... family values" and other heart-warming slogans. But they ring awfully hollow when the world's most materially abundant nation keeps reaping a lower harvest of generosity month after month this past year.
Take a look also at this guest column written by the Greater Boston Food Bank's CEO/President, Catherine D'Amato in today's Boston Globe.
Really Long Link
Whether it's San Francisco's, Boston's or Hatfield's (serving western Massachusetts) or the closest bank to you, give it a call, and find out what you can do to help make sure it gets the food it needs to get into the hands of the churches, survival centers, etc. who need it the most. Thanks.
Although in my family, I'm both paterfamilias and "papistbaptist" -- in my spare time I help out at my family's church, First Baptist Church of Amherst (MA) by doing some volunteer work and while I can't deny it's good for both the soul and mind, it's also good for the arms, etc. Gets me out of the house as well.
But most importantly, I get a lot of satisfaction knowing I've done something to help others who are far less fortunate and just getting by on disability checks, welfare, Women, Infant and Children's (WIC) food program assistance and whatever else that's available. Though Massachusetts is a generous state -- certainly compared to a lot of Sunbelt States, esp. Florida, South Carolina, and Mississippi. On the other hand, life isn't inexpensive up in Massachusetts, either, and what the people receive in public assistance can only go so far.
Some people might say, "Hey, I got by, and made it...what's so hard about life for them?" To that I always remind them it's the first instance of a Republican talking back to God when Cain said "Am I my brother's keeper?"
Seriously, though ... I think there is a "beggaring thy neighbor" spirit rising in this country and no one party, or ideological group is more or less guilty than the other. And one day a person who thought he was too busy or important to bother about people going hungry, came across rough times and all of a sudden discovered what it's like to be in need.
By the way, if you read this and you're afraid of facing a moment like this, especially with your spouse and children on your mind, and your pride and heart are both competing for space in your throat -- don't be afraid to admit it, and let them both go. I've been there.
It's plain un-American for us to beggar people. Oh, we're renowned for our "rugged individualism" and all that hype, but in truth, Americans are the most generous people on earth. Except, it seems lately, among ourselves. How else can we explain the relative dearth of necessary food and other items people who qualify for assistance from their regional food banks?
It's not always a lack of money from the agencies who run the person-to-person distribution programs such as First Baptist's Food Pantry. Ours does quite well due to a deposit/recycling arrangement we have with the Amherst Town Recycling Center. Amherst being a college and party town, well -- that helps explains this successful end of the program. The problem comes when the church goes to buy things and for the last 8-to-9 months has come back with far less than it used to. We waste so much but give so little?
And this is because the grocery stores aren't as generous as they used to be; in one case a store was selling its "day-olds" to the cheaper anything for a dollar retail outlets instead of donating it to the needy. Cheesy. But the generosity isn't there. Not only that, the recent gas price spikes have greatly discouraged many truck drivers from making the trek.
If we can bail out the home mortgage industry, and the Dept. of Agriculture can feed half the world, so to speak -- why can't we start filling up our regional food banks again? We hear so much from political preachers about the need to return to our "historical Christian heritage ... family values" and other heart-warming slogans. But they ring awfully hollow when the world's most materially abundant nation keeps reaping a lower harvest of generosity month after month this past year.
Take a look also at this guest column written by the Greater Boston Food Bank's CEO/President, Catherine D'Amato in today's Boston Globe.
Really Long Link
SF's Food Bank
Whether it's San Francisco's, Boston's or Hatfield's (serving western Massachusetts) or the closest bank to you, give it a call, and find out what you can do to help make sure it gets the food it needs to get into the hands of the churches, survival centers, etc. who need it the most. Thanks.
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Comment by S.L.
The Political Brief
In our little church, we all have gardens and bring bags of produce to give away every Sunday. It's a nice little boost, but not enough to feed a family all week. Of course, ours is a very small church... It's sort of in the old tradition of farmers growing extra around the edges of their crops for the poor to help themselves. But that's not too effective in cities where no one farms, is it?
Maybe the churches or community food banks should put the word out more. Advertising can work wonders!