Your Neighbors Are Hungry. What Are You Going to Do About It?

In Washington for the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear on Saturday we walked past a park where a long line of people had formed. I thought maybe they were gathering to enter the Mall together, or had just been bused in. But as we got closer I realized that the line led to a group of women who were passing out packages of food from the back of a pickup truck. Our nation’s Capital is full of the hungry homeless.

Hidden are the suburban families who are helped by local food banks. You don’t have to cook a few hundred meals and hand deliver them (although that would be a great thing to do.)

All you have to do is grab one (or a few) of those Check Out Hunger coupons at the supermarket, adding a dollar or five to your supermarket bill.

All you have to do is click here and send an easy online donation to the Foodbank of New Jersey, or the local food bank of your choice.

All you have to do is print out this form and mail in a donation that will directly help families in your own town here in Somerset County.

Most of these families are in temporary need. A few free or inexpensive meals can make the difference between keeping the electric on or not. Do I sound a little heavy-handed? Maybe, but in this country, in this state, in this county, one of the wealthiest in the nation, no one should have to worry about having enough to eat. Next time you’re in the supermarket, tear off one of those coupons and hand it to the cashier.

Thanks.

(this post is part of the Blogging out Hunger campaign organized by Deborah Smith at Jerseybites.com. Thanks, Deborah!)