224,973 pounds

Statistics vary on hunger and poverty in the so-called "richest nation." But some estimates say that some 50 million people report not being able to put food on the table at some point in the last year. That's about one in six people. Why do the numbers vary? A couple of reasons. Different studies measure poverty, hunger, or malnutrition using different standards for one. But, also, it's very hard to poll the poor. They often work multiple jobs, are unavailable, and if they're homeless, often go uncounted. Moreover, how would you like it if someone asked you if you were able to provide food for yourself and your loved ones? Exactly. Since often this relies on people self-reporting, it may be the case that they don't.

What is known is that children are disproportionately affected. An estimated 17 million children are hungry on a regular basis in the U.S. today. Many parents reported going without food or balanced meals in order to provide for their children, but this still leaves over 1 million children suffering from despairing hunger and malnutrition. Right here. Not far away in some hut. Right here.

What kills me, is that at the same time, we have an obesity problem that also disproportionately affects children! So, our children are vulnerable both to going to bed hungry and all of the health risks that carries (hungry children are at a high risk to feel ill, not go to school, or suffer illness 150-200 days a year, and malnutrition amplifies the effects of every other disease from routine ear infections to chronic diseases like asthma to life threatening ones). Meanwhile, obesity threatens the lives of children too. Children who grow up obese are at astronomically higher rates for diabetes, hormonal imbalances, depression, and heart disease early in life, and later in life, this causes a rise in heart attacks, stroke, and life threatening diabetes complications. I know I'm not the first person to say this. This isn't news. (Unless you are Jamie Oliver. Who, by the way, j'adore!)

The thing is, these problems come from almost exactly the same source. Poor families trying to make ends meet by working tons of hours and buying food cheaply. When children are left unsupervised they will eat what is easy and available - often processed, pre-packaged, empty calories. Meanwhile, their neighbors whose families are struggling with a lot of the same issues (too many hours worked, not enough parental supervision to go around, and not enough money) have children who are hungry.

Education and more resources can help the former, education and resources can help the later. Just different resources.

So, two weeks ago when I heard an impassioned speech imploring a community to come together and raise food and supplies for a food drive that went something like, "If you can honestly stand up and say that you needed money for your stuff more than someone else needed to eat and have diapers for their kids then by all means, don't contribute." God was mentioned, and an imagined conversation with God about what you needed and our obligations to care for one another was brought into play. But what reached me was the thought of a mother somewhere working too many hours and still fearing there wouldn't be enough food. So, I went out and bought one of everything on the suggested list, and more than one of a few things. I arrived the next week with two bags of food, and found the floor covered with pallets of food covering the floor and packed higher than I am tall (which really isn't that tall but, still.)

I was never able to get a picture that really satisfied the magnitude of this mountain, this unstoppable force of food and supplies, so I don't think I'll post the photos I did get.

But I did find out that this community of ordinary people gave up their dinners out, fun purchases, and pedicures for a week and brought in 224, 973 pounds of food. there was so much that it took three days for the food bank and shelter to remove it. Resources. A LOT of resources.

Clearly, I am in the portion of the population that has to worry about excess, not the issues of not-enough. So I was moved to awe and tears and felt deep gratitude at the opportunity just to be part of it. It's nice to take the focus of myself for once, and to do something tangible instead of fighting with myself. The pallets made my two well-packed bags of offerings seem small. This ginormous (sidenote: apparently "ginormous" is no longer just a hyperbolistic word-blend, but an accepted word! Spell check didn't pick it up!) number of pounds of donations reminds me that there is more than enough to go around and that everyone need only give a little. It's a great reminder of how small efforts can add up.