So, exactly who are these "hungry" that we've been talking about in this Feeding America series?
Well, according to this fact sheet:
• In 2007, 36.2 million Americans lived in food insecure households, 23.8 million adults and 12.4 million children.
• 11.1 percent of households (13 million households) were food insecure, a statistically insignificant increase from 10.9 percent (12.6 million households) in 2006.
• 4.1 percent of households (4.7 million households) experienced very low food security, a statistically insignificant increase from 4 percent in 2006.
• Households with children reported food insecurity at almost double the rate for those without children, 15.8 percent compared to 8.7 percent.
The hungry are hardworking adults and their children; they are our seniors; they are our struggling families in the suburbs, in the country, in our cities; they are us. Read their stories here.
Sobering statistics. And we pay much attention to this problem in November and December during the times of the great annual traditional feasts of Thanksgiving and Christmas. Certainly, people tend to give, because they want the needy to be able to celebrate like everyone else.
But for me, the even more sobering fact is that the number of clients at hunger centers rise during the holidays, so while there are more donations during that time, the donations are just as quickly passed out to the needy.
Then January comes along. People stop giving -- "I already gave at Christmas, surely that's enough" one woman at my church told me last week -- but the same people who were needy in November and December are still needy in January. They still have children to feed. But often in January, my local food pantry is bare the first few weeks of January, with shelves picked clean and people being put on waiting lists for food to come in.
I know. In 1990, I spent a few months living off food I received from my local hunger shelter. I'm diabetic. This is a very bad thing. And when you go to the shelter in January only to be told they don't have anything, you can get very desperate. So I stole food from my fraternity brothers, got caught, and was forced to make restitution, which I did.
A year later, I was back on my feet financially. I had been forgiven by my brothers, but I still felt a debt to them, so I arranged to hold a new year's day brunch to collect food for the hunger center I used to go to, so that they would never have to turn away another person in the middle of winter. I spent about $50 on eggs and various toppings, and cooked omelettes for about 30 friends, while filling 7 shopping bags with canned food, flour, and sugar.
I still hold my party every New Year's Day. This year will be my 16th Annual Hair of the Dog Brunch -- if you're in Cleveland, send me an email for directions. The rules of the party are simple. Bring a friend, a brunch-oriented non-egg-based potluck dish, and at least $20 worth of non-perishable food or sundries, and in exchange, I'll make you a gourmet omelette with your choice of nearly 60 toppings, serve you really good coffee and juice, and provide a space where throughout the day, more than 150 people will gather to shake off their hangovers and begin the new year on a positive, helpful note. I will spend upwards of $500, cook more than 100 omelettes† throughout the day, and I expect to collect more than 600 pounds of food, and nearly $500 in donations (which is what I've averaged the last few years). Those donations will be delivered the next day to my hunger center since they have come to depend on my party for the first two weeks of January.
† this is not an exaggeration. For two years I worked as an omelette chef at a popular restaurant in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, and I'll have 3-to-4 pans working on the stove at all times.
Of course, you don't have to go to such great lengths in your own neighborhood, but at least please consider making a donation to the Feeding America Donation Page not just today, but also a week after the holidays to make sure that the food shelters can keep functioning -- and remember that cash donations are actually preferred by most shelters, because, first and foremost, hunger centers buy food at massive discounts from wholesalers, and they can get nearly five times as much as you can for the same dollar. Secondly, the local shelters know exactly what their needs are, and can use the money to fill in for items that aren't being donated. Thirdly, remember that centers often accept donations of books, new winter clothing, socks, and underwear, diapers, paper products and other sundries -- call your local center for any limitations.
Growing Power
Another way you can help alleviate hunger in your own neighborhood is to start a community garden, or better yet, get involved with an organization like Growing Power in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It's hard to imagine, but a greenhouse built on an abandoned manufacturing site in midtown Milwaukee produces tons of fresh produce every year. This produce is given to food banks, sold to restaurants and sold at extremely low cost to the general public. Three vertical tiers of plant beds, hydroponic tanks and fish ponds filled with Tilapia and Lake Perch rise from the floor inside this self-susrtained, volunteer-driven non-profit cooperative, and the proceeds are used to help maintain the facility while teaching urban youths the joy of gardening -- as well as skills that they can use to lead more self-sufficient lives, giving old adage of "Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day; Teach a man to fish and he'll eat for a lifetime" new life...
A special thanks to noweasels for organizing this drive, and many thanks to all the posters and recommenders who have kept these diaries visible. Here is a list of the diaries that have been posted and those that will be posted later today.
Filling Empty Bowls #1: noweasels
Filling Empty Bowls #2: boatsie
Filling Empty Bowls #3: rb137
Filling Empty Bowls #4: JellyBearDemMom
Filling Empty Bowls #5: srkp23
Filling Empty Bowls #6: Kula2316
Filling Empty Bowls #7: blue jersey mom
Filling Empty Bowls #8: SpamNunn
Filling Empty Bowls #9: Timroff -- You are here!
Filling Empty Bowls #10: Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse
Filling Empty Bowls #11: blue jersey dad