Hunger Is Not a Disease

Politicians – the Season Begins Again!

The political season begins again.  In Woodstock, the politicians come calling.  They knock on the door – their smiles open, their outfits perfect.

And,  they don’t want to hear any questions – not from me, anyway.

I answer the door and listen to their message.  I’m waiting to pounce, really.  Because, I know they don’t know anything about hunger in our area.

And, I do know about hunger in our area.

The minute I open my mouth, they start to run for it.

Well, not so fast politician.  Not so fast.  You can’t leave my front door without taking a copy of one of my books with you.

I really know more about the economics of this area than they know. I know about children who go to school hungry.  I know about families who routinely choose between food and transportation, food and housing, food and healthcare.

The politicians know their dance is up for today.  Because I know about homelessness.  I know the difference between shelter and housing.

Woodstock is a community where people working here come from somewhere else.

Each year, I figure that some kind of message will go out and no  politicians will knock on my door.  I’m wrong every year.

So, I sit – waiting to pounce.

Lord, I apologize.  I simply can’t help myself.  Someday, I’m going to apologize and know its the last time because I won’t act this way next time.  I’d be lying to you now, Lord, if I even pretended that I won’t do it again.

I love pouncing on these people who knock on the door.  I love to tell everyone how hard it is for the elderly to get food when their shoulders and knees don’t work anymore.  I love to talk about friends I have who don’t drive anymore and who live in a food desert.

Lord, as seniors, we routinely pay more, get less, and do without.  The without part comes because we’re outliving our savings.

I feel like everyone needs to know these things.  How are the politicians going to know about them if I don’t tell them?  I’ve convinced myself that its part of my job as a food pantry volunteer.

Food pantries are mostly hidden services.  People shopping at one certainly don’t tell anyone where they get their groceries.  And, the volunteers don’t talk either.

In the beginning, I was bothered about this but I’ve come to realize that food pantries are places where miracles happen.  And, miracles are much easier if no one knows about them.

Lord, on behalf of everyone who shops or volunteers at a food pantry, I offer gratitude for the many miracles You perform on our pantry day.

And, Lord, thanks for sending these politicians over to my house every voting season.  I love to pounce and then send them away with my books.

Thank you again Lord.  I offer gratitude on behalf of everyone who shops or volunteers at a food pantry.

Amen

Thanks for reading this article!  If you enjoyed it, check out some of the older articles.  Hunger is not a Disease is an fascinating story about hunger in a small town food pantry.  This blog has been relating stories and events for ten years!

I’m amazed when I read this.  I never, in my wildest dreams, thought I would be writing about hunger and homelessness for over 10 years.  And yet, here I am, plugging away!

What a journey this blog has been – and continues to be.

What was I thinking?

Please share this article with your friends and family.  Forward it to your preferred social media network and post it on Facebook even.

Check out my books on www.thurmangreco.com.  The website is being repaired so contact me at thurmangro@gmail.com to purchase one or more of the books.

 

Let’s Live with Thurman Greco is a program aired weekly on Woodstock’s own educational TV channel 23.  This show is an informative, upbeat hour with no rehearsals.  Some segments support the blog information and highlight Reiki Therapy, Hand and Food Reflexology, and other wellness subjects.

Guests are various people whose lives have brought them to Woodstock for a day, a week, an hour, a decade, or more.  I can truthfully boast that guests report they enjoy the experience.

Let’s Live has been running for over 15 years with an occasional intermission now and then.

Enjoy interesting and fun programs while getting a peek into Woodstockers being themselves.  Search “Let’s Live with Thurman Greco” on YOUTUBE and check out the ever growing list of videos.

Please contact me at thurmangreco@gmail with comments or questions.

This Thanksgiving – A Blessing of Opportunity

 

This Thanksgiving I’m grateful for the clothes on my back.

This Thanksgiving I’m grateful for my health.

This Thanksgiving I’m grateful for food which is available to me and to those who rely on the resources and generosity of others for the basic necessities we need to continue our lives.

The available food reminds me that we all live in the abundance of this time and place.

Thanksgiving, for me, is  an opportunity to welcome the coming new year:  hope and new beginnings arrive in January.  The energy of this Thanksgiving gives me strength to gather energy for that prayer.

I’m holding on to the healing,  wellness, and regeneration we will  all experience as the Pandemic finally moves on.

I’m waiting for the blessings which will come my way as the Pandemic exits and leaves space for the new reality we will  experience in its place.

And, I have to admit, I’m excited to experience our new reality.  In my heart of hearts, I feel we’re never going back.  We’re going forward, instead, to something new and different and better.

I’m grateful to be here, to be connected to all the efforts of the many people working for those who need food and housing.  I appreciate the support I continue to receive from people I’ve come to know in this world.

This Thanksgiving I’m grateful for you.   I feel a kinship in your readership so that, in my search to spread the word about hunger in our country, I know that I am never alone.

Thank You.

Please forward this article to your preferred social media network.

Thurman Greco

 

 

 

 

 

Did your landlord reduce your rent?

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I got an email survey question yesterday.

“Did your landlord reduce your rent?”

Somehow, I can’t get this question out of my head.  It just keeps grabbing my attention at every opportunity.  What a question!

The answer is “NO!”

No landlord has lowered anyone’s rent in this area.  Rents are going up, up, and up.  In fact, rents are disappearing.

My landlord is evicting my neighbors.  They live in  one half of the duplex next door.    The other side is air bnb…or maybe vrbo…or any one of several other vacation rental apps so popular on everyone’s computer and phone.

Until last year, both sides of the duplex were vacation rentals.  Then, the town supervisor cracked down on them so the landlady  made one side a monthly rental.

Immediately, a lovely young couple moved in.  They are the perfect tenants.  No noise, no clutter, no smells, no noisy children.  Their footprint is the smallest they can manage.

Well, small footprint or no footprint, their days are numbered.

I see them packing up their possessions and driving them away – a few cartons every day.  The boxes are going to a storage unit until they can find a new place to live.  So far, they’ve had no luck.

They want to stay in Woodstock because this is their home town.  Growing up, Gaby skated and bicycled on every street in this town.

Well, there are no places to rent in this town.  Woodstock is a vacation rental town all the way.

This lovely young couple seeks shelter in other communities:  Palenville, Catskill, Athens.

Meanwhile,  the landlord eagerly advertises both units as vacation rentals.  The young couple must go.  His list of eager vacationer applicants  is long.  He’s sorry the young couple has no home.

But, life must continue.

Thank you for reading this article.

Please refer it to your preferred social media network.

Thurman Greco

Woodstock, New York

 

Paul, Duct Tape, and Homelessness

Paul has been on my mind all week.

One of my oldest friends,  I  knew him and worked with him when I worked and lived in Virginia – just outside Washington D.C.

Back then, we had Kelly Girls.   Paul was my very best Kelly Girl.  I could send him anywhere – well, not to the male chauvinist lawyer  who would only pay for a cute legal secretary.  But all the others loved his work.

He showed up on time for his assignments and he turned out a perfect work product.  He was a bargain.  Whatever he did, he made the client feel that Paul gave more than the money’s worth for every job done.

Everyone knew  Paul was homeless.  Nobody cared.  He was the best typist out there.  (This was before computers, you understand.)  A quality work product counts for a lot when it comes time to pay the bill, after all.

So why have I been thinking about Paul all week?  It was the Duct Tape that did it.  My watch band broke and I need the watch.  I drove over to Genter’s Jewelry Store in Saugerties and discovered a “for rent” sign where the “open” sign used to be.  Mr. Genter always fixed everything .  He didn’t care whether it was a watch band, a clock, a necklace.

He also sold silver and gold chains at bargain prices.  And, he custom designed a coin for me.  His work was exacting.  Genter’s  was my go-to destination for all things jewelry.

Genter’s is a statistic of the Coronavirus.   With Mr. Genter gone, what was I going to do?   I physically grieved when I saw the sign in the window.

I went straight for the Duct Tape.  I now wear a watch held together with Duct Tape.  I’m getting used to it, actually.  My sense of urgency  diminishes a little more each day.

I’m sure I’ll get along just fine with the Duct Tape.  Paul Did.

Duct Tape adorned most of Paul’s clothes and anything else he used.  Duct Tape held Paul’s shoes together.  Duct Tape held the watch on Paul’s arm.  Duct tape even kept Paul’s eyeglasses going.  Finally, Duct Tape held Paul’s winter coat together.

So, following in Paul’s example, Duct Tape will keep my fitness watch going.

I rather like my new Duct Tape look.  And, I like remembering Paul.  He always made me smile.  And, smiles these days are hard to come by.

Thanks Paul!  You set a good example.  This Duct Tape will work until I can find Mr. Genter, just as Duct Tape held your shoes together until you could find a newer used pair  of shoes.

And, thank you for reading this article.  Please forward it to your preferred social media network.

Thurman Greco

Woodstock, New York

PS:  You can order one or more of the fancy T-shirts pictured in this post today at :

www.thurmangreco.com.

I also wrote about Paul in “No Fixed Address.”

 

Situational Poor

SITUATIONAL POOR – A person fits into a situational category of poverty when s/he lands in a situation created by an event such as a hurricane, fire, flood, pandemic,   or other disaster which destroys the home, job, car.

Food pantries, food banks, soup kitchens are overworked in today’s pandemic world.  The line of hungry people grows every time the place opens.

It’s bad enough that the line grows weekly.  But, worse, many people in the line are confused, afraid.  The never thought they would find themselves in a food pantry line with hundreds of other hungry, confused, afraid.

How should they act?  What should they do?

What do they do with the food, once they get it home?  It may be good food – both delicious and nutritious.  However, it may not be anything recognizable.  More often than not, pantry food doesn’t come with recipes.  Super markets carry thousands of items.  Food pantries carry maybe 50 different items and the labels on the cans and boxes aren’t even recognizable.  The fresh produce may be organic but not be labeled as such.

So, now that the pantry food is in its new found kitchen, there is a big adjustment period involved in getting it to the table.

We are not so far removed from those people in the food pantry.  They are our neighbors, friends, co-workers, relatives, classmates.

And, truth be told, we are all confused, and afraid.

Even though you may not be in the line, there are definitely things you can do.  For starters, send a check to a food pantry, soup kitchen,  or food bank in your area.  If you don’t know where to send the check, look up an organization called:

Feeding America.

Feeding America is glue holding the food pantry world together.  If that doesn’t work for you, search out:  Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York.

The Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, along with the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley, do an amazing job of making delicious, nutritious foods available to those who need it most.

These two food banks are only two in a large network of food banks located throughout the country.  If you seeking a feeding facility in another part of the country, these organizations can guide you to one in the area best for you.

If you are uncomfortable sending money, this might be a good time to organize a food drive.

I wrote three action guides which list suggestions and options which are easy-to-understand and read.  You can get these action guides free.  Email me your mailing address and I’ll get your copies in the mail right away.  I’m not even charging postage and handling.

Email me your mailing address to thurmangreco@gmail.com.

The guidelines and suggestions are practical.  I feel confident you’ll discover practical things you can do to help on one of the action guides.

Thank you for caring.

Thanks for reading this article.  Please refer it to your preferred social media network.

Thurman Greco

Woodstock, New York

 

Help the Homeless

The world of people who are homeless may seem very foreign – But, it’s actually very near.  We meet people every day who are just like us, only they don’t have a roof over their heads.

We can all find ourselves without a roof when we lose a job.  Or, maybe a spouse  dies.  Possibly an accident which leaves physical disabilities is the cause.  In short, all it takes is a personal tragedy.

 

There are many things we can do to help end homelessness.  There are many, many things we can do to help those who are struggling with homelessness.

One easy way we can help is to take a little extra food along when we go out of our home to work or on errands.  A few extra sandwiches will help.  When a person asks for change, offer him or her a sandwich.

A couple of times each year, gather the clothes you are no longer going to wear and donate them to shelters and pantries providing services to help those who are homeless.

While you gather clothes for the homeless, look at your family’s toys, books, and  games and select those that are no longer being used.  Children living in shelters have few possessions and will enjoy them.

Can you spare an hour or two?  Tutors can make all the difference.  Volunteer to tutor children in shelters.

Celebrate your birthday or anniversary and ask the people you invite to bring items for the homeless.

Carry fast food certificates with you when you are going out.  Hand them out to people who are homeless.

Hold a food drive and take the food to a shelter or a pantry in your area.

Donate your collectable recyclable cans and bottles to people who are homeless.  Donate a bag of groceries to a soup kitchen, shelter, or food pantry.

Volunteer at a food pantry or shelter.

Volunteer your professional services.  Lawyers, doctors, psychiatrists, counselors, and dentists can all use your skills when you volunteer at a pantry or shelter.

Ask your company, church, school to host a fund-raising event for a pantry or homeless shelter.  Items of dignity are really needed by the homeless.

Thank you for reading this article!

Please refer this article to your favorite social media network.

Thurman Greco

PS:  The hunger book is really moving along.  Things just never get finished as quickly as we all wish.  Writing a book requires years and years of research and writing.  In writing the hunger book, I have gone through thousands and thousands of sheets of paper and three computers.  I have spent years and years getting this story moved  from an event in my life to a book which will attract you or not in less than two  minutes.

Whew!

The Homeless

The homeless have problems just like you and me:  employment, health issues, disabilities, domestic violence.   They just don’t have a roof over their heads.

Homeless people, families enter food pantries very quietly.  They’ve lost their voices.  The goal is to melt into the background, get food, and disappear.

There’s an exception to the voicelessness –  when the person communicates with beings unknown to the rest of us.  One shopper I know has been in another world since before I  began working in the pantry in 2005.  He communicates in a high, shrill, unknown tongue which I cannot describe.  His shrill vowels are punctuated with hard, sharp whistles, clicks, squeaks.

We can all help homeless people in some way.  Each of us has talents and skills which can be useful.

DONATE.  Homeless people carry their kitchens in their pockets .  So much food which we take for granted is just not helpful.  Important in the homeless diet is peanut butter and crackers in individually wrapped packages, cereal in self-serve packaging.  Fruits and vegetables which can be eaten raw, milk and/or fruit juice in individual containers.  Donate these items throughout the year by regularly giving the food to a food pantry in your area which is homlesss friendly.

VOLUNTEER.  Pantries everywhere need an extra set of hands to answer mail, drive a truck, serve food, clean up at closing time, send press releases, hold food drives, stock and straighten shelves, deliver food to the home bound.

CLEAN OUT YOUR CLOSETS.  Donate clothing, bedding, books, and other gently used items to places where the homeless will have access to them.

SHARE.  Do you or someone you know have a garden?  Donate the excess to a homeless friendly pantry in your area.  When your garden tomatoes get to be too plentiful, there are those in your area who need the food.

PUSH THE ENVELOPE.  Contact elected officials about homeless issues in your area.  Encourage them to make ending homelessness important in your community.

EDUCATE YOURSELF.  Returning veterans have special needs.  For one thing, they begin separation from the military homeless.

FIND A JOB.  Encourage your church or community to hire a homeless person.  Many homeless want to work, have skills, but have trouble finding regular employment.

DO YOU HAVE A SKILL TO SHARE?  Contact a local shelter and offer to give classes.

For a time, one of our most trusted volunteer/shoppers was homeless.  His partner, Nancy,  died and her children didn’t want him in the house they had lived in together for many years.  He fought her children for a year with a lawyer, made several trips to court,  the whole enchilada.

He finally moved out and ended up homeless for a time.  He eventually got housing through a homeless veterans program.  I helped him move his clothes and things over to his new apartment in Saugerties.

Homelessness cannot be generalized.  Each homeless person is a special personality and has a special situation which s/he deals with.  So here’s my rule about homeless people:

IF YOU’VE SEEN ONE HOMELESS PERSON, YOU’VE SEEN ONE HOMELESS PERSON.

Thank you for reading this blog post.  Please share it with your preferred social media network.

BOOK UPDATE:  The new hunger book is going to be out soon.  The publisher assures me that we’re going to see the book within a month!  Hurrah!

Thanks again

Thurman

 

 

Connect – 8 Ways to Help the Homeless

Angel-3-230x300

“Homeless is not a category of people.  It’s just a situation that happens.  It can happen to anyone.” – Salvador Altamirano-Segura

The homeless have problems just like you and me:

employment

health issues

disabilities

domestic violence

veterans

THEY JUST DON’T HAVE A ROOF OVER THEIR HEADS.

Homeless people, families enter food pantries very quietly.  They’ve lost their voices.  The goal is to melt into the background, get food, and disappear.

There is an exception to the voicelessness when the person communicates with beings unknown to the rest of us in tongues we don’t understand.  One shopper I know has been in another world since before I began working in the pantry in 2005.

We can all help the homeless in some way.  Each of us has talents and skills which can be useful.

1.  DONATE.  Homeless people carry their kitchens in their pockets so a lot of food which we take for granted and use is just not helpful.  Important in the homeless diet is:

peanut butter and crackers

cereal in small packages

fruits and vegetables which can be eaten raw

milk in small containers.

Give throughout the year by regularly donating to a food pantry in your area which is most homeless friendly.

2.  VOLUNTEER.  Pantries everywhere need an extra set of hands to:

Answer mail

Drive a truck

Serve food

Clean up at closing time

Send press releases

Hold food drives

Straighten shelves

Deliver food to the home bound

3.  CLEAN OUT YOUR CLOSETS.  Donate clothing, bedding, books,  in good condition to places where the homeless will have access to your gently used items.

4.  SHARE.  Do you or does someone you know have a garden?  Donate the excess to a homeless friendly pantry or soup kitchen in your area.  When your garden  tomatoes get to be too plentiful,  there are those in your area who need the food. Donate, don’t dump.

5.  PUSH THE ENVELOPE.   Contact elected officials about homeless issues in your area.  Encourage them to make ending homelessness important in your community.

6.  EDUCATE YOURSELF.  Returning veterans have special needs.  For one thing, they often begin their separation from the military homeless.

7.  FIND A JOB.  Encourage your church or community to hire a homeless person.  Many homeless want to work, have skills, but have trouble finding regular employment.

8.  TEACH.  Do you have a skill to share?  Contact a local shelter and offer to give classes.

Thank you for reading this blog/book.

The stories are true.  The people are real.

Please share this article with your preferred social media network.  And send it to anyone you know who might be interested.

Don’t forget to join the email list.

Artwork for this article was donated by Jennette Nearhood

 

Thurman Greco