From Hungry To Hopeful
Most of us know where our next meal is coming from. Most of us have the privilege of ordering take out when we don’t feel like cooking or even better, we have the freedom of sitting at a nice restaurant to enjoy a fancy meal.
On Saturday, the church where I work and worship participated in the 34th Annual Hunger Walk in Chicago. It’s always an amazing sight to witness. I was one of the 15,000 people that joined forces to raise money and most importantly, to raise awareness about hunger in our communities.
During the 20+ years that I have worked at the church office, I have witnessed many times the harsh reality of hunger. From people who visit the food pantry on a monthly basis, to people who make urgent pleads for emergency food assistance day after day.
The following stories of people who came to the office in search of financial assistance will stay in my memory bank forever. There are still hundreds of stories that could be told, but these four left heavy footprints in my soul.
I will never forget a well dressed lady in her mid 40’s wearing a business suit who walked in the parish office and waited in the back of the lobby until everyone that was being assisted at the time had left. When the office cleared she approached the counter in a very timid way which took me by surprise. There is well known phrase that says “never judge a book by it’s cover”. I could’ve never guessed the story she was about to tell me. She started whispering when she started talking and proceeded to tell me that she was there to use the food pantry. She didn’t know the requirements or where to go. She said she was desperate, she had lost her job a few months ago and had just started working at a new company, but her unemployment had depleted all her savings and she was having a hard time making ends meet. She said “I feel so embarrassed to be here, but I have no other choice”. I prayed for wisdom during our conversation that I would have the right words to encourage her and then guided her towards the food pantry. She came back to the office after she loaded her groceries in her car, and her words will stay in my heart forever.
Early this Summer, while working at the parish office I noticed a young mom and three school aged children that had just used the food pantry and were walking towards the main street carrying many grocery bags. I asked someone in the office if they knew if this family had a ride, to which that person replied “no, they don’t”. It was a very hot summer day and walking even a few blocks would’ve been too much. I pulled up next to them in my car and offered them a ride. On the way to their house the children FILLED with excitement shared that they couldn’t wait to get home so they could eat the cereal they had just gotten at the food pantry. They said they couldn’t remember the last time they had cereal. As soon as I pulled up at their apartment building, all three children enthusiastically assisted their mom in carrying all the grocery bags to the front door. Their joy was contagious and of course I cried the whole way back to the office amazed at their level of gratitude for something that seems so ordinary for most of us.
Recently, a man in his late 30’s reached out to the office asking for emergency food assistance. It was after hours, the office was closed and it wasn’t a food pantry day. He didn’t have any food. Not even canned goods to make it through the weekend. His hours were cut at work and he was struggling making ends meet. The most impactful thing for me was that I knew this person, not personally, but I had seen him many times, and I know his level of involvement in ministry and I could’ve never imagined in a million years that he was in the situation he was in.
Another story that will remain in my memory forever is an older gentleman whose only mode of transportation is a bicycle. He bikes to the food pantry every time he needs food assistance and makes the trek back home carrying all his groceries, one paddle at a time, rain or shine. That takes courage.
Hunger is real. Hunger affects young and old, men and women, children, employed and unemployed. Hunger has many faces and many stories. Hunger is happening RIGHT NOW in our communities. It could be affecting our neighbors, friends and even family members.
These are just a handful of stories that I have personally experienced. The stories of those who volunteer their time at the food pantry on a weekly basis or soup kitchens could be overwhelming at times.
But the big question here is… WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP?
There is a lot that can be done to assist those affected by hunger in our communities. From my experience working at the church office for more than two decades now, here are the most effective ways to help in my opinion.
Cash donations (or checks) dropped off at the parish office or given to a staff member at weekend Masses to support the Saint Vincent de Paul Ministry.
Monetary contributions through Give Central that go directly to the Saint Vincent de Paul Society. https://www.givecentral.org/location/447/event/11545
Gift cards to Walmart, Target, Jewel
Donations of non-perishable food items and toiletries
WHAT IS FOOD INSECURITY?
(Food Insecurity Facts and information provided by the Chicago Food Depository)
Food insecurity is the condition where people cannot reliably access adequate, nutritious food. Lack of financial and other resources can cause it. People who are food insecure struggle to avoid hunger, a more narrow physiological condition.
Hunger is what you feel when you don’t have enough to eat. Food insecurity is the set of circumstances that prevent your access to food.
According to Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap Study, one in seven people in Cook County will experience food insecurity this year.
The Food Depository serves more than 812,000 individuals or 232,100 households each year.
Food insecurity varies greatly across the county. In some communities, more than half of all residents are food insecure.
Food insecurity is usually episodic and often cyclical. People may require assistance a single time, for a few months, or on a more regular basis.
There is no one face of food insecurity. The need varies among children, older adults, people with disabilities, veterans, the working poor, and others, as does the best way of reaching them.
Making tradeoff decisions between paying for food and other basic needs such as medical bills and housing is common among Food Depository clients.
Many food insecure households do not qualify for federal nutrition assistance programs.
If you are reading this and you don’t live within the boundaries of Church of the Holy Spirit, do some research about your nearest food pantries, churches with a Saint Vincent de Paul ministry or soup kitchens and contribute to their ministries in the best of your abilities. Any contribution, big or small will help assist someone in need.
“To serve the poor is to go to God.” St. Vincent de Paul
