She went and did as Elijah said, so that she as well as he and her household ate for many days. The jar of meal was not emptied, neither did the jug of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke by Elijah. 1 Kings 17:15-16
A lot of these posts have been related to food. It is the largest expense we have each month, aside from housing. When Kevin and I began this year of living more frugally, we did not have a feeling of urgency related to whether or not we'd have enough food to eat. We began this year with a good amount of savings. Both of our cars are paid for. We don't carry credit card debt. So, while we knew that our spending needed to decrease (because our income decreased), we certainly aren't in a situation where we don't know if we can pay the bills or have food to eat. We were in a good position when we made the choice to reduce our spending. Many are not so lucky.
The poverty rate in the United States is staggering. For so many people, questions of where they will live and how they will eat are answered in a day-to-day struggle to keep heads above water. I read this article yesterday from National Geographic: The New Face of Hunger. It details the sobering reality of how people are starving right here in the richest country on the planet.
I've had that feeling of hunger only a few times in my life. When I was a teenager, I lived in a single parent household. Money was definitely tight. As I've mentioned before, my dad knew how to stretch a dollar when it came to food. But, once I can remember we didn't have anything for me to eat for breakfast. At that time, I knew that for about $1 I could get a jelly biscuit and milk at Hardee's. I didn't have a dollar. I stopped at the post office where my dad worked to ask him for the money. He didn't have a dollar either. He asked a co-worker if he could borrow it. I took the money, bought my food, and cried all the way to school as I ate it.
Later, when I lived on my own for the first time, making only about $10,000 a year, I might have $20 left out of my paycheck for food. I'd buy bread, bacon, maybe a head of lettuce, a gallon of milk, some cereal, and Ramen noodles. I knew that was food I could stretch. My grandmother cooked Sunday dinner in those days. She'd let me bring some of the leftovers home with me. Those were rich home-cooked foods, and I was grateful.
In my job at the church, we see people each week who come in to ask for assistance with bills for housing and power and heating. We see people for whom this has become normal life. They are frequent users of the system, and they know it well. We see folks who have never had to ask for help before and are trying to navigate this uncharted territory, both terrified and ashamed. Yet, none of them look like the horrifying pictures of starving children in Africa. These people don't look like they have missed many meals, so why do they need help? Just as the article indicates, it's largely due not to how much they are eating, but what they are eating--junk food, processed food, and fast food. The food pantry our congregation supports now asks that people donate healthier options--low sodium, healthy request, no sugar added, etc.
No matter what the circumstances, no one should have to go hungry. It's one of the most horrible things one can ever feel. If you are able, donate to your local food pantry or volunteer at your local soup kitchen. My husband and I helped host groups of homeless people at our church back in the winter. It gives you the opportunity to get to know people. They are human beings, not statistics. You will get more out of it than you will ever give.
Here are some links to organizations we support (personally or through our congregation):
Greater Hickory Cooperative Christian Ministry
Hickory Soup Kitchen
The Corner Table
ELCA World Hunger
I urge you to get out there and do what you can to give someone the gift o
A lot of these posts have been related to food. It is the largest expense we have each month, aside from housing. When Kevin and I began this year of living more frugally, we did not have a feeling of urgency related to whether or not we'd have enough food to eat. We began this year with a good amount of savings. Both of our cars are paid for. We don't carry credit card debt. So, while we knew that our spending needed to decrease (because our income decreased), we certainly aren't in a situation where we don't know if we can pay the bills or have food to eat. We were in a good position when we made the choice to reduce our spending. Many are not so lucky.
The poverty rate in the United States is staggering. For so many people, questions of where they will live and how they will eat are answered in a day-to-day struggle to keep heads above water. I read this article yesterday from National Geographic: The New Face of Hunger. It details the sobering reality of how people are starving right here in the richest country on the planet.
I've had that feeling of hunger only a few times in my life. When I was a teenager, I lived in a single parent household. Money was definitely tight. As I've mentioned before, my dad knew how to stretch a dollar when it came to food. But, once I can remember we didn't have anything for me to eat for breakfast. At that time, I knew that for about $1 I could get a jelly biscuit and milk at Hardee's. I didn't have a dollar. I stopped at the post office where my dad worked to ask him for the money. He didn't have a dollar either. He asked a co-worker if he could borrow it. I took the money, bought my food, and cried all the way to school as I ate it.
Later, when I lived on my own for the first time, making only about $10,000 a year, I might have $20 left out of my paycheck for food. I'd buy bread, bacon, maybe a head of lettuce, a gallon of milk, some cereal, and Ramen noodles. I knew that was food I could stretch. My grandmother cooked Sunday dinner in those days. She'd let me bring some of the leftovers home with me. Those were rich home-cooked foods, and I was grateful.
In my job at the church, we see people each week who come in to ask for assistance with bills for housing and power and heating. We see people for whom this has become normal life. They are frequent users of the system, and they know it well. We see folks who have never had to ask for help before and are trying to navigate this uncharted territory, both terrified and ashamed. Yet, none of them look like the horrifying pictures of starving children in Africa. These people don't look like they have missed many meals, so why do they need help? Just as the article indicates, it's largely due not to how much they are eating, but what they are eating--junk food, processed food, and fast food. The food pantry our congregation supports now asks that people donate healthier options--low sodium, healthy request, no sugar added, etc.
No matter what the circumstances, no one should have to go hungry. It's one of the most horrible things one can ever feel. If you are able, donate to your local food pantry or volunteer at your local soup kitchen. My husband and I helped host groups of homeless people at our church back in the winter. It gives you the opportunity to get to know people. They are human beings, not statistics. You will get more out of it than you will ever give.
Here are some links to organizations we support (personally or through our congregation):
Greater Hickory Cooperative Christian Ministry
Hickory Soup Kitchen
The Corner Table
ELCA World Hunger
I urge you to get out there and do what you can to give someone the gift o