I live in one of the many ‘foodie’ areas of the country, Sonoma County, CA. I frequent farmers markets and have friends who raise chickens, keep small gardens and share the fruits of their labors. We have some of the best restaurants in the country within minutes of our homes. I love to eat, and I love good food – who doesn’t?
I watched a special report by Diane Sawyer the other night on poverty and hunger in Camden NJ. It was from 2007, but I just caught it on Oprah’s new network OWN.
Four years ago, this adorable little kid, Ivan, along with his brother and mom were homeless and relied on others to help with shelter. As a result they moved around from room to room, sometimes sharing a chair for all three to sleep on. They ate whatever they could whenever they could get it. Fresh nutritious greens and veggies? Forget it – they were just trying to survive.
Here’s what really got to me. This bright little 4 year old, who was both articulate and knew numbers well, was stumped when asked by a teacher to count and name the meals in a day. He didn’t know the words for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
It’s unbelievable that in our country, this kind of hunger exists. The best news is that 4 years later, Ivan and his brother and mom are living in their own home and are doing well in school.
I have extreme gratitude for the life that I have, and I also have extreme compassion for families who live with hunger. I also have extreme guilt for the volume of food I purchase and consume on a weekly basis.
If there is ever, anything, any of you can do to help alleviate hunger in your community, in our country and around the world, please do it. No one should ever go hungry, least of all children.
