"Feed my Lambs"

Did you know that one out of every six Americans faces real hunger? To me, that's a very surprising statistic.

Generous people think of donating to charities which serve those literally dying of hunger in other countries around the world. These are indeed wonderful and badly needed organizations. But there is also hunger here in the United States, among seniors, children from poor families, Native Americans, the homeless. And more and more often now, the people turning to food pantries are those who have lost their jobs in the bad economy and have been unable to find work since. Some of these folks have used up their unemployment benefits; some have become homeless.

These are the new faces at our nation's food pantries. And, sadly, as the number of clients grows, at the same time donations lessen, as people also struggling in the "Recession" pull back on their contributions.

I've come across a wonderful organization known as Feeding America. Its former name was America's Second Harvest, because it focuses on saving food that would otherwise go to waste. The organization sets up partnerships with food growers, processors, manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers in order to collect good food that might otherwise not get used. This is my favorite part of this charity, as the waste of food, and so much else, in our society is troubling. Not wasting resources is another aspect of good stewardship of our planet.

Feeding America's network then ships the donated food to wherever it is needed most, and food banks within the network store and distribute the food to local charities such as soup kitchens, senior centers, and after-school programs.

In this way, food is provided for some 37 million Americans annually. More than 200 member food banks supply some 61,000 local agencies that address hunger.

To find out more about Feeding America and to donate to them, simply go to www.feedingamerica.org, or call 1-800-771-2303. Other actions you can take include setting up a food drive in your own community at a church or school, or volunteering time at a local food pantry. Even buying a couple extra cans or packages of food every time you shop and giving them to a local charity will help.

As in the Great Depression, people will get through their hard times by the simple acts of people helping each other.

What better way to give thanks than by sharing! Abundance reigns despite any appearance to the contrary. For the Lord's Allness could never be anything other than rich, overflowing Substance. So rejoice in that, voice your gratitude, and express the ceaseless generosity of the Beautiful One by the actions you take during this Thanksgiving season.