Hunger Is Not a Disease

No Fixed Address

“No Fixed Address” is dedicated to those in our country with no roof over their heads.  See your neighbors, your friends, your relatives, in new ways as they describe their daily lives in their own words.

The people in this new book reveal themselves to be both brave and fearless as they go about their activities:  work, laundry, children’s homework, appointments.  Mostly they live like the rest of us.  They just have no roof over their heads.

“No Fixed Address” is my newest book in the Unworthy Hungry series.  It’s easy to read and understand.  You won’t be bored, not even for a minute.

I hope you’ll order it today.  Get an extra copy for a friend!

This book has an extra surprise.  When you get a copy, you’ll be making a donation to a good cause.  You’ll be fighting hunger and homelessness.

It doesn’t get much better than that!

Thank you for reading this article!

Please forward it to your preferred social media network.

Thurman Greco

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

 

What I Believe – Seniors in a Food Pantry

As seniors age, the courage we experience becomes more obvious as we feed hungry people.  After all, what does a senior have to lose?  Courage is a necessary part of the aging personality because our platform continually shrinks.

We’re often overlooked in the homeless arena.  Those looking out forhomeless people  focus on an older adolescent (especially if there’s an infant involved), and families.  There’s just not much energy left over for hungry people seniors and cocker spaniels.

It never occurred to me that turning away hungry people in the pantry line was something I would do.  Or could do.  Or even consider doing.  Turning away hungry people was not an option.

I came to the pantry as a crone or harridan depending on the circumstances and a person’s attitude toward me and my attitude toward hunger.  I brought already formed opinions and beliefs, many of which were with me at birth.

Some argue that people are born as blank slates.  I can’t agree.  For one thing, I never experienced a blank slate when it came to hungry people.  I didn’t have an “aha” moment when I met my first hungry person.  I didn’t examine the value of feeding hungry people  in a philosophy  or government class.  I never, at any time, analyzed the concept of feeding the hungry.

Because I lived my opinions about hunger, and because I got up close and personal with hungry people in Mexico and Venezuela, I was comfortable with the concept of feeding hungry people.

I never even considered not feeding hungry people I the food pantry.  When I saw them, I remembered moments in  Mexico and Venezuela and realized hunger is an intensely personal situation accompanying malnourishment.  Hunger can lead to starvation.

Hungry people needing food are voiceless.  Even though it’s harder on those with mental and emotional issues, it impacts everyone spiritually.

As they distribute pantry food, volunteers reduce costs in other areas of government:  healthcare, housing, education.

A long-term poor diet contributes to illness which poor people can’t afford.  Healthcare costs get shuffled over to taxpayers.  When forced to choose between housing and food, the hungry often opt for housing.  Later, if they can’t pay the housing costs and end up homeless.  This results in further tax bills.

When school children are too hungry to learn, the damage is long term.  They risk becoming uneducated adults unable to qualify for employment.  Our problems flow to the next generation and the future.

DANA

“Hi, Dana.  Come on in and shop.  How’re you doing this week?”

“Fred’s still in the hospital.  He’s been diagnosed with kidney disease and he’ll be on a special diet when he comes home.”

“I’m sorry to  hear that.”

“I’m so glad you sent me to Dr. Longmore.  He told me exactly who to go see, what paperwork to get, everything I needed to get care for him.  I hope Fred’s coming home soon.”

“Dana, I’m so happy to hear this.”

“Thank God the pantry has all these fresh fruits and vegetables.  By the way, do you have any laundry soap today?”

“I wish!”

I met Dana the first morning I worked in the pantry and she shared her adventures with me every week from that pantry day on.  Of  all the people going through the line in the pantry, I probably learned more about her than anyone else.

I never learned where she lived, how many children she had, where she came from or anything like that.  What I learned from her was a running commentary of present tense food insecurity.  She shared her daily struggle as she traveled through life trying to keep a roof over her head, clothes on her back, and food in her refrigerator.

Walking through the line weekly, she shared her life with me.  I learned how she found a coat for the winter when the old one wore out and she had no money.

“Dana, your coat is beautiful!”  It’s going to keep you so warm!”

“Yes, it is, isn’t it?  You should have seen it when I found it.  It was filthy!”  I couldn’t even tell what color it was.  I took it home, put it in the tub and worked on it all afternoon ’til I cleaned it up.  Now look at it.  It’s a perfect fit!”

I learned how she struggled to keep her car going…and then finally gave it up.

“The bus is working out real well over here.  I catch it about two blocks from my apartment in Saugerties and ride it over.  I wait in the hall ’til it comes back to take me home.  I only have to carry my groceries about five blocks in all!  I’m so lucky I found this bus.  I get to ride free because I’m a senior!”

Dana was the most confirmed optimist shopper in the line.  And, when Dana was in the line, I was the most confirmed optimist pantry volunteer in the place.

Thank you for reading this article!  Please refer it to your preferred social media network.

Thurman Greco

Top 3 Myths about Food Pantries

pantry_10441c

Much that is written, said, and believed about food pantries is simply not true.  Maybe the problems themselves are somehow created by those of us who work at the food pantries.  I admit it.  I encounter people all the time who believe things about pantries that are simply untrue.  I’ve been listening to these people for 10 years.

And, somehow, I’ve been unable to dispel these fallacies.  I listen.  I talk to the people.  I certainly have the facts.  I have the statistics.  I have the stories.  Somehow, they just don’t seem to hear the real story.

So, now, with this post, I’m hoping to debunk 3 myths anyway.

FOOD PANTRIES FEED A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO DON’T NEED THE FOOD.  

I don’t know how this rumor got started.  In the last few years many, many more people have been using food pantries than in times past.  Many pantries have long waiting lines for the hungry.  No one goes to a food pantry unnecessarily.  The waits are too long, the selection is often minimal.

THANKSGIVING IS THE BEST TIME TO DONATE FOOD TO A FOOD PANTRY BECAUSE PEOPLE GO TO FOOD PANTRIES DURING THE HOLIDAYS MORE THAN ANY OTHER TIME OF YEAR. 

Food pantries need your donations of food/expertise/time/money all year long.  People don’t just get hungry in November.

Frankly, the neediest time of the year for pantries/soup kitchens/shelters is August.  Summers are pretty lean but August is severe.  Pantries need your canned/baked goods, shelf staples all year long.  If you have a garden which is producing too many tomatoes please share this fresh produce with your area pantry.  If you suddenly find yourself cleaning out your kitchen, please bring those cans and boxes you’ll never use to the pantry.

September is a good time to donate peanut butter, jelly, and other school lunch snacks to your neighborhood pantry.

ONLY PEOPLE WHO QUALIFY FOR SNAP CAN GO TO A FOOD PANTRY.

I don’t know how this rumor got started either.  Often a food pantry is a supplement to a household’s SNAP budget.  But there are many, many people shopping at food pantries who never make it to the SNAP office.  Some food pantries get visits from people wanting to sign them up for SNAP.

Actually, it would be wonderful if more people would get both SNAP benefits and food pantry food.  This is true for the elderly especially.  Often, people are afraid of going to the SNAP office.  They’re afraid they won’t be able to find it.  They are afraid they may not be able to answer the questions.  In rural areas, the fear is that it will take too much gas.

THANKS FOR READING THIS POST!  

Please refer this article to your preferred social media network.

“I Don’t Hang Out in Churches Anymore” is coming soon!  Hopefully, when this book is published, I’ll have more time to post articles on this blog.

Cover art for this book was contributed by Michele Garner.