I have been seeing, and recommending, most of the Haiti relief diaries that I view coming up the recent list, hopefully immediately jettisoned onto the recommended list of Dkos. I feel that aid to these people is nothing short of essential. But, earlier today, I had to go pawn some stuff of mine to buy myself and my daughter some food for the weekend. And then I got to thinking:
Why the fuck don't we help our own? Haiti is going through hell right now, but so are many, many Americans.
And then I did what I do really, super well. I got pissed. :)
I find that it's easier for American folks to give their time and money to people they don't know. Because, if they know them, they might feel completely justified in judging them. They can judge why they're alcoholics, or drug addicts, or mentally unstable, or bad parents, or homeless, or minorities, or whatever. Whatever your particular shit is, you can judge it. Which is not, of course, a good thing.
A fantastic illustration of this dichotomy that exists is the following bumper sticker:
Lots of people in Boulder County have these bumper stickers on their cars. I can't even count the number of them I've seen, but it's a metric fuckton. And, while freeing Tibet is all well and good, what about aid for folks here at home? Is there something wrong with people in the US who need help? Are they not exotic enough because they fail to live in other countries?
I don't get that. But maybe that's because I'm one of the many who needs help. I have to go to the food bank again soon.
Additionally, my claim that people, especially children, are going hungry in the U.S. is not without merit. The link I just posted suggested that hunger in this country is most certainly getting worse, not better. I'm glad that President Obama recognizes the problem, but many of us need aid NOW.
So, while we definitely should be donating what little resources we individually have to the survivors of the horrendous disaster in Haiti, let's not forget about our fellow Americans. The ones who are going hungry and homeless. Let's help them out as well, don't you think?
A quick Google search can provide you with links for your local communities, like the one I linked to above, the wonder Sister Carmen Community Center in Lafayette, Colorado. Each community is different, and has a different set of rules and such, but there are many national organizations for feeding the hungry and homeless in the USA:
Community Voice Mail helps homeless persons get jobs, housing, and so forth. They essentially set up a phone number for people in need, so they can transition from living in poverty to improving their personal situations. CVM is located in Seattle, WA, but also has 45 additional sites around the country.
My Friend's Place helps homeless youth in Southern California. It's been going strong since 1988, and MFP's mission is to give each homeless teen human worth, individualized response, trust, low-barrier, judgment-free, harm reduction, and strength-based care. It's ridiculous to me that teenagers should be forced to leave home for any reason, and that's why this is Hollywood's most visited place for homeless teenagers.
Open Your Heart to the Hungry and Homeless, in Minnesota, seems a rather cool organization, what with it giving systemic resources to help Minnesotans not go either hungry or homeless. They're not only a food bank, but also a housing program, and they love to help homeless children. OYH also helps fund homeless shelters.
FRAC, the Food Research and Action Center in Washington, D.C. is pretty awesome, according to Paul Wellstone. They have food banks in both D.C. and Maryland, which you can find through the link above. It also helps folks in our nation's capitol to sign up for food stamps and seek other assistance.
Credit where credit is due here, but Serve.gov helps you link up with local food banks, to help those in need. Gotta love President Obama for shit like this because, let's face it, in this economy? We need as much help as we can get!
This is extremely awesome: Ample Harvest helps hungry folks plant a garden in their communities, and encourages them to give the proceeds to their local food banks. Gotta love that liberal shit. :P
Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma feeds people in need. It started in 1980, and it's presently the largest food bank in the entire state of OK. They assist multiple types of persons who need food and services in the state.
Bread of Life, in Houston, TX, administers their aid to the poor with a decidedly religious touch. They specialize in helping Texans round-the-clock and they seem to focus on those with HIV/AIDS.
Meals on Wheels, as you know, does outreach to communities all over the country. They help seniors, the homeless, and so on. This organization was founded during WWII. MoW concentrates on nutritionally-balanced meals and tries to help the homeless as much as possible.
If you have any suggestions of national organizations that help the homeless and hungry in America, please leave it in the comments. I'll update as necessary. :)
Thanks so much! Go U.S.A.! (Or something.)
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UPDATE: From annapaxis, in the comments, Food Not Bombs! Thanks, anna. :)