Hungry and Homeless

As I write this I have just returned from the grocery store with quite a few bags of food. I don’t have to think about what I can buy or how much, but there are those in our city and country who can’t even go to the grocery store let alone buy sufficient food for themselves or their families. In this rich country of plenty, no one should have to go hungry, but there are many who do.

In this month, gardening is at its peak, and people are harvesting all sorts of vegetables and berries and fruits. Fresh produce is available everywhere, but many people don’t have access to or can’t afford the healthy food they need to survive. Individuals, families and seniors suffer. I especially worry about the children who are not getting the nourishment they need to thrive. And many people who are hungry are homeless.

Homelessness is another thing I think of when I come home to a house that I own and in which I feel safe and comfortable with heat in the winter and air conditioning in the summer. I can store my freshly purchased food in my pantry and refrigerator to be available whenever I want or need it. I am blessed and very lucky.

Springfield is a generous and caring community, and so many of our citizens and organizations are working, often behind the scenes, to provide food and housing for those who aren’t as lucky as I am. It’s a never-ending task, and the dedication of those who serve our most vulnerable citizens is admirable. I am especially humbled and awed by the Community Partnership of the Ozarks and Ozarks Food Harvest, only two of the many organizations that serve our community working to eradicate hunger and homelessness.

What can we do to support these efforts to make our community a better place? We can make financial donations. We can volunteer. We can educate ourselves about the issues that face our community and that affect all of us, whether or not we are aware of it. All communities have these same issues and those who serve to make them better places. Wherever you are, there are plenty of opportunities and work to do.

Write about your thoughts and feelings regarding hunger and/or homelessness. Then think about some of the things you can do to help relieve these two issues for people who suffer from them.

Explore the internet for charitable organizations working to eradicate hunger and homelessness. Then write about one or more of them and how you might join them in their missions.

Do some volunteer work for an organization that helps hungry or homeless people if you are able. If you can’t, contribute what you can to a worthwhile organization. Keep a journal of your activities so you can remember your work and to help you feel grateful for what you have.