Do Unto Others…

“Do you want to help at the food pantry this year?” Debbie asked me.  The easy answer, of course, is no – but that comes from a place of laziness and selfishness. 

“You know you should, it would be good for you to help,” she followed up and was 100% percent correct (…again).

As I stood in my kitchen, I looked around.  Next to me was a refrigerator full of food, beside a stocked pantry.  I live in a nice town and I am thankful and blessed to be able live the life that I have.  Living in my own little bubble, my world is doing well (for me).  In a conversation recently with someone that I know, they talked about a recent trip to Cuba, highlighting how there is nothing new brought in and that they have to maintain whatever they have from the 1960s; they have veritable no income and no money, so they have to maintain what they had prior to “the Revolution.”  She said it made one appreciate what they have back in the US.

The place we would help at, The Center for Food Action, in 2016 provided the following locally (from their website cfanj.org):

• Distributed 63,615 Emergency & Holiday Food Packages.   An emergency food package consists of seven days worth of food; the amount of food a household receives is based on family size.  On average, an emergency food package consists of 6 bags of groceries.
• Provided Thanksgiving food packages to 3,162 households–9,453 people
• Helped 1,174 households with other basic needs: rent-224 households, security deposits-283 households, utility & heating bills-665 households, miscellaneous assistance – 2.
• Distributed more than 20,000-weekend snack packs to children in eight area elementary schools.

 “What do we have to do?” I asked.

“Help sort the food for distribution,” Debbie said.  “And you will be helping those less fortunate.”

“Yes, please sign me up…I want to participate.”

During this holiday season, while we can afford to give gifts to our families, remember to lend a hand to help other that are less fortunate than yourself.  Hope that you and your families have a joyful and meaningful holiday season!