It began as a way to raise funds to support Project Bread’s work way back in 1969, by a small but intrepid group.  Almost 43 years later, the Walk For Hunger raises raises hundreds of thousands of  dollars through its walkers, which is no longer a small and intrepid group but a huge and intrepid group.

I count myself as one of the them.

Ever since the day a representative from Project Bread came to my high school and told us about hunger in Massachusetts and how we mere high school students could take action to help in the fight against it, I’ve walked all 20 miles, collected money, volunteered with registration and spread the word about the work that Project Bread and other organizations that fight hunger.

It never gets old for me, though at times it can be hard.

I hate that while we have made strides in how we deliver food to people in need and that we are being more nutritionally responsible to those who receive that food, the demand increases every year.

I hate that the more people try to get ahead, the more people have to decide between food and shelter, let alone food and dreams.

Nevertheless, the fight goes on and I am committed to it.  We are all just one job, one wage cut, one medical expense, one catastrophic event away from hunger.

Please give to Project Bread to support it’s work to make sure that residents in Massachusetts of all walks of life are little less hungry today than they were yesterday:

http://www.projectbread.org/site/PageServer?pagename=donate_main

Oh the flurry of activity-the food drives, the secret Santas, the parables about good will towards those less fortunate.  Admittedly, in the past few years, more people have felt like they are the “less fortunate” and that they need help.

 There are the endless PSAs, tv specials  and ads that tell us that if we really loved our families, if we were really worthy people, we would spend money on a charity or an expensive item.

Unfortunately as the saying goes, “Christmas comes but once a year.”  Social issues remain all year around.  Sometimes this is forgotten.  Many times, our collective desire to have a better world gets ramped up starting in November and ends at the end of December-although it might extend to the end of January with that whole New Year’s resolution thing. By the time the end of December (or January) comes, there is nothing left emotionally for the rest of the year. 

Meanwhile, people still die while waiting for HIV medicine, children and women are still trafficked, and people still struggle to find ways of being economically self sufficient. Large challenges that aren’t solved in one day, much less within one holiday season.

So I hope that people don’t get worn out by the holiday season.  I hope that you know that whatever help you give whenever it is given, is just as valuable as if it were done at Christmas.  It will be just as much appreciated.

Visitors can find blogs by event and subject.  Bloggers can join events and create new events  as well.  I’m excited about it. I know that others will be too.

Bloggers Unite

http://www.bloggersunite.org

Flyin’ down NOLA

Tuesday, November 07, 2006 

I’ll be joining a group organized by a great non-profit called Boston Cares that will help with the ongoing rebuilding effort in New Orleans (NOLA).

We will be hosted by Hands On New Orleans, which is a member of the Hands On Network.  (Boston Cares is a member also!)  I am told that a lot of the work will include mold removal, long days, and 3 minute showers.  All of this I can do and willingly. I hope to be able to blog about my experience there for the next few days or at least provide a report once I get back.

When the Katrina disaster took place, I experienced the covereage largely through the net and through listening to the television broadcast on my headset.  I never saw the footage as it unfolded.  Hearing the desperation and fear of the victims and the utter incompetence of those who should have known better gave me a different perspective on the disaster than I otherwise would have had if I watched it on television.  (I moved but had not unpacked my tv and was not really missing it since I could hear all of the shows that I liked on my headset).
    
Wish us well.  We go to do good and to effect change, which is what Boston Cares, Hands On New Orleans and the Hands On Network are all about.

NOLA-Day One

Wednesday, November 08, 2006 

Well, I made it to NOLA (New Orleans).  There is a group of about 40 from Boston.  We all had our share of airplane stories-the worst being the people who took American Airlines out of Boston and had their flight cancelled and then were routed to Continental and then missed their connection in La Guardia and made it finally to NOLA but without their luggage, which was still sitting on the original American Airlines flight.  They were surprisingly nice about it all.  Of course the Boston Cares group came together and offered clothes and stuff.

My flight was all right.  I loved listening to the XM Satellite radio, which has channels for every type of music imaginable.  I basically lived in the 40s-90s stations with forays into the country and alt stations.  As we landed at at the NOLA airport, (a beautiful flyover by the way as is Atlanta, GA) I listened to “Ring of Fire” by the man in black (Johnny Cash) and “Physical” by Olivia Newton John.  I will take the time to apologize now for those who read this and go “Arrgh! These songs are stuck in my head….”

The neighborhood we are staying is decent enough though there seems to have been a major drug ring bust prior to our coming.  There is increased police security and we have been told to go out at night in threes and the places that we need to avoid.

Driving down St. Charles Avenue was interesting since you would see chain restaurants housed in buidlings that you would associate with the 19th century.

It has been more than a year since Katrina hit. You can see that downtown has made a lot of progress.  I was actually pleased to see children going home from school in the afternoon, which to me is a sign of nornamlcy.

The weather is in the 70s-a welcome change from the freezing rain that I left.  I did not hit any of the nightlife yet.  Traveling made me tired and I felt like staying close to home.  But tomorrow…

Our hosts, Hands On New Orleans, are great.  They have energy and they are practical.  One of the staff memebers is also named Emma (a very lovely name to be sure).  After we arrived, we receeived a great orientation and safety lecture, since as you can imagine, there is mold and stuff  to be concerned about as well as falling debris.

Definitely no frills here.  Everyone mucks in with chores and we sleep in bunks not unlike barracks.  I signed up for kitchen patrol (cleanup) on Thursday. As I stated before, I can sleep on a concrete floor with a sheet and be okay.  Our group is on the top bunks.  I joked that it reminded me a bit of the movie “Rooftops.” 

The Boston Cares group, headed by Whitney, is a great group.  Clearly we are all people who want to make a difference no matter how anonymous it is.  Many of us don’t know each other but we came together rather well. I had a great time playing (and winning at) UNO with Ethan and Pam.  I also got a kick out of our reaction to the recent elections, including the Democractic wins.

And though I felt a bit silly, Whitney’s idea about us all wearing the yellow Boston Cares shirts was a good one.

Tomorrow I will be a part of a “last gut” team.  This team completes the gutting of a house with things like nail removal. 

I’ll blog more later.