I am blessed and chances are if you are reading this you are, too. I will not go to bed hungry tonight – unlike many Americans – adults and children – among us. The holidays only amplify the situation. Together we can make a difference.
Join your good friends at the RV Cooking Show in our First Annual Online Holiday Food Drive. It couldn’t be easier – simply leave a comment anytime between now and December 31, 2008 on this blog entry noting what you are grateful for this holiday season. It can be a single word, an illustrative story or anything in between. For each comment on this RV Cooking Show blog entry – maximum 3 per person/per week – we will donate 1 item of non-perishable food to a local food bank in the area we are traveling through. I will report back as things progress.
So to recap, partner with the RV Cooking Show to fight hunger this holiday season by:
• Leaving a comment about what you are grateful for this holiday season on this blog entry between now and December 31, 2008
• Be prolific – you may comment 3 times per person/per week
• The RV Cooking Show will donate 1 non-perishable food item to a local food bank for each comment received
• Check back for frequent progress reports (and comment again, okay!?!)
And now for some hunger facts that might blow your mind…
The Department of Agriculture recently released their 2007 Food Security Report. “Food security” seems an odd term to me and fortunately 89.9% (104 million) of US households are food secure. But that means that 11.1 (26 million) households were food insecure meaning at times during the year, these households were uncertain of having or unable to acquire, enough food to meet the needs of all their members because they had insufficient money or other resources for food. Food-insecure households include those with low food security and very low food security. That’s 36.2 million people including 12.4 million children. 2008 stats are expected to be greater.
Don't think you, as an individual, can make a dent in those astonishing numbers?
Have you ever heard this parable: One day a man was walking along the seashore. He noticed that during the night many starfish had washed upon the shore. Enjoying the morning sun and sea air, the man strolled along the sand. Far off in the distance he saw a small figure and as he drew closer he noticed that it was a child. The girl was methodically picking up starfish from the shore and tossing them back into the surf. The man paused for a moment, puzzled, and then asked, “Why are you throwing those starfish?”
“If I leave these starfish on the beach,” she replied, “the sun will dry them and they will die.” The man was thoughtful for a moment, but then he motioned up and down the miles and miles of beach. There must be millions of starfish along here!” he said. How can you possibly expect to make a difference?”
The young girl pondered the man’s words for a moment, then she slowly leaned over, reached down and carefully picked up another starfish from the sand. Pulling back, she carefully arched the starfish gently into the surf. She turned to the man and smiled “You may be right,” she said, “but I made a difference to that one!”
(from the movie Holy Man with Eddie Murphy)
Please, take a moment to comment – if we help even one family, one person, one child we will have succeeded.
Evanne
RVCookingShow
