As MBCG Founder Valerie is in charge of the organization’s email, she usually forwards me any comments that the blog receives so I can respond to them in a timely manner. It’s always nice to hear from readers, especially when something I’ve written inspires them to want to give time, money or energy to those in need. It’s a special feeling that I had never really experienced until I started blogging for the MBCG. Recently Valerie forwarded me a comment that really took the wind out of me. It was a comment from Vesta at the St. James Soup Kitchen, the subject of my last blog. She had this to say,
Lauren and Stefanie,
Thank you for your wonderful comments about our agency. We are so grateful for the [Restaurant Impossible] episode. We are truly in need of all the support we can get. You can visit us on Facebook (St. James Social Service Corporation) or on our website – www.stjamesssc.org.
Be blessed!
VestaNot only had my blog reached a reader named Stefanie who wanted to know how to help out the St. James Soup Kitchen but it had reached those at St. James as well. Stefanie and I had both had problems finding information on the soup kitchen through simple searches and now we know why –they go by the name, St. James Social Service Corporation as they are much more than just a soup kitchen. I was amazed to find that St. James not only feeds the hungry, they also provide after school and summer programs for children, distribute clothes, housing assistance, HIV/AIDS testing, substance abuse programs and the list, unbelievably goes on.
I was recently made aware of a nationwide non-profit organization that started in New Jersey called Family Promise. Their goal is to attack the homeless problem from all angles. They help homeless and at risk families find temporary and permanent housing, provide workforce development, and endeavor to spread awareness regarding the ever-growing homeless issue. There is an important lesson to be learned from Family Promise as well as the St. James Social Service Corporation – the problem of homelessness and hunger is pervasive and runs much deeper than the most immediate issues.
It is important to be ever mindful of just what hunger and homelessness mean. Sending someone to a soup kitchen or shelter, while necessary and helpful, only feeds that person and protects them from the elements on a temporary basis. Why is that person hungry or homeless? With our economy in the state it’s in it could be any number of reasons. It could be the loss of a job, inadequate education, a problem with alcohol or drugs, illness, any number of things. As I’ve said before in previous blogs, it’s easy in our suburban lives to think that hunger or homelessness are city problems. Unfortunately that’s just not the case. Homes are foreclosed on every day in towns just like yours and mine. We, as a society need to recognize that these issues are not somebody else’s problem, not New York or Philadelphia’s problem, they’re everyone’s problem because they’re in everyone’s backyard.
I bring this up now in part because of Vesta’s comment and my experience learning about Family Promise and because as the unseasonably warm March weather here in New Jersey tells us, spring and summer are on their way. It’s easy in the warm temperatures and sunny days to forget that there are those less fortunate than us. In the winter, when it’s cold, grey and at times depressing, thoughts of the homeless and hungry without a warm place to go or food to sustain them, drift into the forefront of our minds much easier. In the summer when we’re thinking about warm beaches, frozen drinks and vacations, it’s not as easy to call to mind the struggle of others.
My best friend and I used to make a list every year of summer goals – just silly, fun things that we wanted to accomplish every summer. Sometimes they were things that we both knew we would never accomplish like dating twins but other times they were easily met like taking a road trip. I propose that we should all make a summer goal this year to donate some of our time, money or energy to an organization helping the hungry or homeless – those who don’t enjoy the carefree days of summer the way we are lucky to. This summer my big “vacation” will be two days in Camden tailgating and enjoying the music of the Dave Matthews Band. I’ve spent nearly ten summers doing exactly that and I have never, despite what I’ve seen in the city, given back. This year my summer goal is to find a local food bank to donate to before I enjoy the food, sun and good times of my summer days.
I’ve always been a really sensitive person. Some, well many, would say too sensitive. When I was picked on at school and my mom would storm into the Principal’s office we’d always hear the same thing, “Lauren’s just too sensitive”. As a child, already a devoted animal lover, I would often stare longingly at stuffed animals in whatever store my mother and I happened to be in. I’d always ask for one, but I’d never pick it up. I had this idea in my head that even the stuffed animals, in all their cuteness, had feelings and if I picked it up it would think I was taking it home. I didn’t want to get some poor stuffed creature’s hopes up. With that in mind it may come as no surprise to you that walking through pet shops and puppy stores is not an enjoyable experience for me. It’s downright upsetting. I would often go to the Freehold Mall with friends and they’d say, “Oh let’s go look at the puppies!” Normally I would just wait outside for them. The few times I did go in it was too overwhelming thinking about these adorable little dogs just spending most of their time in cages, being played with only to be put back by people who couldn’t afford the pure breed price tag.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not criticizing anyone who has the ability to walk away from puppies without guilt. I wish I could. And honestly, I’m of the unpopular opinion that as long as we live in a world with puppy and pet stores that I will never begrudge someone who purchases their pet there. There are always hundreds of animals looking for homes at your local shelter but I don’t want any animal to spend its life in a cage. It does break my heart, however, to hear people talk about shelter animals as if they are damaged goods because they’re often mixed breeds or simply because they were carelessly discarded by their previous owner. That’s why I was so happy to hear that the Macerich Company would be banning the sale of animals in over 70 malls across the country including the Freehold Mall. This has left the door open for the Monmouth County SPCA to swoop in and take over the space, creating an adoption and outreach center following in the footsteps of other Macerich endorsed humane stores in California, Arizona and Virginia.
The Homeward Bound Adoption Center is a wonderful opportunity for the Monmouth County SPCA to reach out to and educate the community about shelter animals and all the wonderful things they have to offer. In addition, we can only hope that the creation of more adoption centers like this may help to put an end to puppy mills and puppy stores. In fact Kathleen Shatzmann, the NJ State Director the Humane Society of the United States, echoed that sentiment saying, “The Humane Society of the United States supports the Monmouth County SPCA’s initiative to open a humane pet adoption center in Freehold Mall. It is through efforts like these that we can stop the sale of dogs from puppy mills and gets more homeless, adoptable pets into homes.” This new endeavor is a chance to educate the public about puppy mills and controlling the pet population through spaying and neutering.
The MCSPCA wants to make sure that the same standards and practices are in place at the Freehold location as they currently operate under at the Eatontown location. There will be veterinarians on staff at all times to ensure the health and safety of all the adorable furballs in need of homes. If you’d like to donate to the MCSPCA’s Homeward Bound Adoption Center fund you can do so at the following link (DONATE) or you can contact the MCSPCA directly through their Development Director, Meghan Rehbein at meghan@monmouthcountyspca.org. All donations are tax deductible and will help this amazing new endeavor come to fruition. In the mean time, make sure to spread the word about the Freehold Mall’s newest edition and make sure to tell all your pet owners and lovers that they can also purchase pet supplies and pet centric goodies at the adoption center’s Woofs ‘n Whiskers Boutique. The MCSPCA is currently planning for an opening date sometime this Spring. Happy Valentine’s Day dear readers! Make sure to give your furry loved ones a little extra attention today!
(Quotes and Pertinent Information Courtesy of the Monmouth County SPCA - http://monmouthcountyspca.org/2012/02/the-monmouth-county-spca-is-setting-the-latest-trend-at-the-mall/)
Chef Robert Irvine and Miss Georgianna, working with a broken wrist, at the St. James Soup Kitchen
I wouldn’t say that I watch a ton of Food Network but there are certain personalities on the channel that I love like crazy. At the top of that list is Chef Robert Irvine whose previous show, Dinner Impossible, has now been revamped as Restaurant Impossible. Chef Irvine now gets two days and $10,000 to overhaul a struggling restaurant in an attempt to make it a success once again. In November of last year Restaurant Impossible aired an episode that was a little bit different. Chef Irvine traveled to Newark, NJ to help the St. James Soup Kitchen, a community institution in disrepair. It’s a truly wonderful episode, one that makes me cry every time I see it.
The St. James Soup Kitchen suffered water damage after a small fire broke out in the building it’s housed in. The kitchen equipment was lacking, outdated and broken. The dining room was not warm and encouraging. And yet, the staff were pushing harder than ever as more and more within the community were counting on them for a hot meal. Many of the staff noted that it used to be just the homeless that they served. Now, they’re finding that more often they’re serving people who are simply hungry. That’s an important distinction to make. When we sank into a recession people lost their jobs, yes, but even once they find work again, things aren’t guaranteed to go back to “normal”. As a college grad I made $13.47/hr at my first job. After I was laid off it took me four years to get back to that entry level pay (and technically I’m making $0.47 less now). The point is that there are more people than you’d think out there who have a house and a closet of clothes but no food on their table.
Miss Georgianna, at 80 years old, still runs the kitchen at St. James. She feels responsible for every soul who sits down to eat the food she prepares. She’s dedicated her life to helping others attain one of life’s most basic needs, sustenance. You don’t have to be a hero like Miss Georgianna to help. It’s really easy to lend a hand to those in need. I understand feeling like you have nothing to give but that’s almost never true. When I think about not having money to donate directly to a cause or to buy something to donate I remind myself how much I spend on luxuries like coffee, lunch or catching a movie. If you skip even one medium cup of Dunkin Donuts coffee one day a week you have $1.92. It doesn’t seem like much but you can certainly get a can or two of food with that. It may seem inconsequential but we all know that every little bit counts.
Check your local listings and try to catch the St. James Soup Kitchen episode of Restaurant Impossible. It’s worth your time. Just keep some tissues handy.
As an animal lover it is easy to find yourself more outraged over cruelty to an animal than to a human being. Look at the new movie War Horse for example. The film takes place during; you guessed it, world war. Countless people die throughout the film but it’s when the horse is in peril that we are most concerned. This effect is a result of the thought that animals cannot speak for themselves. They can only fight back so much against the cruelty of an owner and they certainly cannot call the police to be rescued from an abusive home.
With that in mind it may come as a bit of a relief to fellow animal lovers and defenders that the NJSPCA (New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) is adding Dr. Ernest Rodgers, forensic veterinarian, to its staff – the first hiring of its kind for the organization. Dr. Rodgers is joining the law enforcement division of the NJSPCA in an effort to better investigate and solve crimes against animals. It’s no wonder that such a position has been added after the horrific animal abuse cases that made national news in 2011 like Patrick the Pit-bull who was found in a garbage chute in Newark after being nearly starved to death by his owner. The internet, Facebook especially, has made it much easier for stories of animal abuse to spread like wildfire across the country. The more awareness grows regarding the depths of cruelty and abuse towards animals, the louder the cry becomes to do more to protect animals and punish their abusers.
It’s wonderful news that the NJSPCA is adding Dr. Rodgers to its staff but he’s only one man. Whenever possible do your part, especially during these coldest months of the year, to stop animal abuse. Be observant of the pets in your neighborhood. Chances are someone who abuses their pet isn’t going to parade the animal down the street but unfortunately you never know what you may come across in your own backyard. Don’t overreact, but if you see a dog stuck in the backyard in the freezing cold for hours or god forbid days on end call the local authorities. On a related note, it’s also a great time to take any old (but clean) towels and blankets to your local shelter to help keep all their critters warm while they wait for someone to take them home.
If you’d like to learn more about Dr. Ernest Rodgers you can check out CBS New York’s article and video on the NJSPCA’s newest addition here.
 Patrick - A Pit Bull Found Nearly Starved to Death in a Garbage Chute in Newark
December 1st is upon us and the holiday season is in full swing. Though it’s been quite balmy in New Jersey the past few weeks, and I spent Black Friday walking around Hamilton’s Grounds for Sculpture in short sleeves, there are undoubtedly bitterly cold days ahead. With that in mind, I thought it was important to highlight vital programs that are without a doubt operating in every community in New Jersey – Toys for Tots and your local coat drive.
Toys for Tots is a US Marine and Marine Corps Reserve based organization founded in 1947 with a single, simple goal, providing toys to kids in need during the holidays. It could not be easier to help. Most malls have a table manned by veterans collecting unwrapped toys and monetary donations. Toy stores, department stores, websites like Amazon.com, all kinds of retailers are running great sales throughout the holiday season meaning that you can pick up a toy to do your part to give a child a happy Christmas morning.
This Sunday I visited my local mall to catch an early showing of Martin Scorsese’s new film, Hugo. Needless to say, after watching a beautiful film about an orphan boy, I got a great deal at the Disney store on a singing Ariel doll and dropped it in the Toys for Tots bin. I couldn’t help but think, yes I am certainly far from rich and my purchase went on a credit card that is not getting paid of this month or next, but I am lucky to have a job that pays my bills, a roof over my head, food on my table and a loving boyfriend who will make sure I have plenty to be thankful for come Christmas morning. In the grand scheme of things, $20 on my credit card is a small price to pay to put a smile on a child’s face.
If you want to do your best to avoid the mall this holiday season there are other ways to donate to needy children. Most local churches and other community organizations have trees with tags listing children’s gender and age. You can take a tag and provide an appropriate wrapped gift. So find a way to donate this holiday. More information on Toys for Tots is available at their website. Even a $1 donation does something to help. Keep that in mind.
Coat drives are unfortunately a little less organized and easy to find than your local Toys for Tots donation site but are still plentiful during the holiday season and most of the winter. Winter coats are likely the last thing on many of our minds right now but why not make a little extra room in your closet now? Considering the fact that we had snow on Halloween I am sure that we have much colder days ahead of us and during the winter an adequate coat is the most basic of necessities.
Do me a favor, this weekend, check your front closet for any lightly used coats you may not need any more. If you don’t know off hand of a local store or organization collecting coats, just keep your donation in your car. You never know when you’ll come across a donation bin. I was at Sears this weekend, picking up an item my boyfriend ordered online Black Friday and was surprised to see a coat collection box. They’re all over in places you might least expect it.
If you’re a little more proactive than me and you don’t just want to wait for the opportunity to arise, Google is of course a helpful tool in locating a local drive. Schools and churches as well almost always conduct coat drives in the winter. Finally, you can check out One Warm Coat, a California based organization dedicated to, you guessed it, providing warm coats to those in need. Yes, you read that correctly - a California based organization dedicated to collecting winter coats. Through One Warm Coat’s website you can find a local drive anywhere in the country, donate money to purchase coats for those in need, or if you’re feeling especially giving you can even organize your own coat drive with their help.
This season is especially great because of the warm glow it provides. The cynical, noting many a nasty Black Friday incident, may say that the holidays are a disgusting display of consumerism and greed but I prefer the old fashioned idea that this is the season of giving. Sure, I love getting gifts, who doesn’t? But I do sincerely, honestly, love giving way more. There are so many ways to give and to help those in need. Think, really think about how lucky you are to be right where you are. Maybe you hate your job, or your car isn’t running well. Maybe you spent a fortune on a sick pet or your best friend is really letting you down. Any number of things could be wrong in your life right now. But ask yourself this, do you have a roof over your head? Food on your table? Enough cash to buy a cup of coffee or lunch at least once a week? Do you have the luxury of turning up the heat when the temperature dives at night? For $20, $1, the free gesture of handing off a coat you don’t wear anymore you can help someone who has bigger problems than you. I’m sorry to preach but I love the whole holiday season and I want every child to get to enjoy it this year and every year.
 (Thank you to Lauren, for letting me borrow her blog again!)
Hunger, poverty, and animal abuse and neglect may seem like very different causes, but in fact they are all too similar; they are ugly, scarring problems that exist in every state in America. Many times, they are issues which are ignored, avoided or simply gone unseen by those who are not directly affected by them. Images of hunger and poverty are unsettling- no one wants to see a starving child, or an elderly man or woman struggling to stay afloat in a sea of impoverishment. We grimace and turn away from horrifying images of animal abuse, we turn the channel when we hear Sarah McLachlan's "Angel" come on TV because we KNOW that commercial all too well and we don't want to see it!
Hunger and poverty not only exist, but may live right next door to you. 19% of the children and 12.7% of adults in New Jersey are food insecure, or are unable to consistently access nutritious and adequate amounts of food necessary for a healthy life (Feeding America). Rents, mortgages and utilities are fixed expenses... but the amount of food bought while grocery shopping can change depending on how much you have to spend. Too many New Jersey residents are needlessly going without.
 Patrick, The Little PitBull Who Could. Animal abuse and neglect not only exist, but may be happening right under your nose. Last year the NJ SPCA investigated over 20 dogfighting cases alone. This year Patrick, the now famously adorable pitbull who is the face of hope in the dark world of animal abuse, was starved, placed in a garbage bag, and thrown down a garbage chute right in Newark, NJ. Animal hoarding, puppy mills, over-breeding, starvation and neglect are just a handful of issues in this state and beyond that need to be taken care of. Too many innocent animals are never even given a chance at a happy life.
No human should go hungry and no animal should be abused, period. Change will not happen overnight, but with the vigilance of outstanding organizations like the NJ SPCA and Community FoodBank of New Jersey, and the support of people like you, hunger, poverty and animal abuse and neglect can become a thing of the past. We cannot just change the channel or turn away from someone struggling, we need to become active in the fight.
 We are all capable of accepting responsibility for the society in which we live, and we are all able to create change. A little bit goes a long way, and by all equally taking a stand and doing just a little something, together we can make a big difference. Big change starts small, and by becoming active in our communities we can effectively and positively change our society on a grand scale.
This has been a difficult year for many of us... between unemployment and financial worries, high costs of living, hurricanes, snowstorms, water damage and the rest of Mother Nature's cruel jokes this year, many are still reeling. New Jersey residents have been displaced from losing power, heat and even their homes. Even though many have struggled this year, it is important that we regain our hope and remain thankful for all that we do have- maybe it is our health, our children and families, our pets of past and present, the food on our table, our heat, or the roofs over our heads. We are all blessed to begin each new day with a clean slate, a fresh start. We are lucky to have the ability to create change in our own lives as well as in the lives of others.
Last month, MBCG members collectively generated over 130 pounds of people food and over 65 pounds of pet food to be donated to the Community FoodBank of NJ and the NJ SPCA, respectively. This is huge, and only the beginning! Thank you to all of our awesome members, their staff, their students and clients and their communities- together, we can do our part and create a stronger, happier and healthier New Jersey. I am thankful to be a part of this great project and wish everyone a safe and happy Thanksgiving!
-Val
October is National Adopt a Dog month and though it’s quickly coming to a close there is still time to give a warm, loving home to a pooch in need! I wrote, in a previous blog, about my personal experience adopting cats but my family has adopted two dogs, one from the Jersey Shore Animal Shelter and one from the Monmouth SPCA both brought immeasurable joy to my parents and my lives.
We adopted Reilly from the Jersey Shore Animal Shelter in Brick, NJ when I was in second grade which seems like, honestly, a lifetime ago. I think he was a birthday present for my 8th birthday. I had always wanted a Collie and after seeing 101 Dalmatians was pretty keen on the idea of a spotted companion as well. I was a really sensitive kid, so sensitive that I would never pick up a stuffed animal in a store unless my mom said she would buy it for me. I didn’t want to give the inanimate object the false hope that I was brining it home if I couldn’t. I had a very active imagination. So, as you can imagine, going to the animal shelter and walking along the cages was a powerful experience for 7/8 year old me. I wanted to bring all the dogs home. I loved them all instantly and didn’t want them to be in cages anymore.
I passed a Collie and a Dalmatian whose name I still remember for some reason - Violet. I came to the very last cage in the dog’s section and looked at Reilly. My mom was busy talking to the shelter volunteer about adoption and I just stood there, overwhelmed, and looking at this black and brown mutt – half Collie half German Shepherd. He stood on his hind legs and leaned his front legs on the cross bar of the cage as if he was a human, just like me. I said “hello” and he cocked his head to the side as if he was listening. “This is the one mom. This is the one I want.” And that’s how Reilly came into our lives. It wasn’t until years later as I played the scene over in my mind again, that I realized the significance of the last cage next to the door to the back room and the leash that was clipped to that specific cage and no other. We had truly saved Reilly’s life.
Reilly saw me through elementary school and high school and early in my college years, after over 10 years together, we had to put him down. I couldn’t even go to the vet with my parents. I just stayed home and cried. It wasn’t until my boyfriend and I stood in the room while they put our Mordecai to sleep, just a few months ago, that I realized what my parents went through without me. We were devastated. Reilly had been an integral part of our lives. It was if he had always been there and then suddenly he wasn’t. My dad swore that we wouldn’t get another dog right away. It was too hard. But my mom and I couldn’t deal with the empty, quiet house. A few weeks later he was worn down and we went to the Monmouth SPCA to see Oscar, a Chow Chow, German Shepherd mix she had seen on their website.
We all fell in love with the big lovable oaf. He was a huge pile of fluffy mush. You just couldn’t resist. While we waited inside for him to be given the once over by the vet I misread a tank of hamsters that was labeled “MALES”. For whatever reason, I thought it said “Miles” and suggested it as a name for our new family addition. My dad, the jazz and blues lover her is, immediately said yes. And with that, Miles became a part of our family. He was a handful. The first thing people say when they see Miles is “His head is so huge!” At first, he was skinny and his head really stood out. Now, he’s big all over. We call him moose most of the time because he seems so stocky, well built and powerful. He has the personality of a physical comedian – perhaps he is the vessel for a reincarnated Marx brother or one of the Three Stooges. He speaks, not in barks, but long phrases of sounds as if he is truly trying to communicate. He has a “foot fetish” and will always lie directly on top of your foot or feet as if, even at rest he wants to know exactly where you are.
Chow Chows it turns out were bread to be guards and protectors. Miles, for all his goofball qualities, takes his job as protector of our family home, very seriously. One night, home from college, I was lying in bed unable to sleep. My door was closed but I heard the familiar click click of Miles’ claws on the hardwood floor. I heard him walk next door to my parents’ room and all was silent for a few seconds. Then he came over to my door and I could hear him sniffing at the bottom crack of the door with his big nose. After a few seconds, satisfied that all was quiet and well, I heard him walk to the foot of the stairs and the familiar thunk of him plopping down. I opened my door a crack to see him lying at the top of the stairs, facing out like the stone lions in front of the New York Public Library. It was such a touching gesture from an animal without the ability to say in words that he loved us and was grateful we brought him home. But he showed us that night just how much we meant to him.
Miles saved our lives the way that we had saved Reilly’s. No, he hadn’t foiled a burglary or saved us from certain death. But he brought that immeasurable joy and happiness back into our lives that only a pet can provide – that feeling replaced the emptiness and sorrow that haunted us after we lost Reilly. We could never replace Reilly the same way that one day, we’ll never be able to replace Miles. They’re both endlessly different animals. But they leave the same indelible mark on our lives. And Miles has shown me, more than any pet, that we leave an indelible mark on theirs as well. Pets are a lot of work and sometimes a lot of money, but the benefits of the relationship vastly outweigh any negatives. October may be Adopt a Dog month and it may be almost over, but there’s always time to adopt any pet and sadly, there’s never a lack of animals in need of homes and there’s never a waiting list to adopt. Contact your local shelter today and take step towards changing the life of an animal in need and your life as well. You won’t regret it. I never have and neither have my parents…and Miles ate two of their couches before he got through his chewing phase.
Last time I blogged I shared the story of my friend who spent part of his childhood hungry. Hunger throughout the country and within our own state of New Jersey is like a virus, invisible, silent and pervasive. However, there is hope. Childhood hunger is a disease that we can cure. The New Jersey Anti-Hunger Coalition has started the “Every Child, Every Day” Campaign to End Childhood Hunger in New Jersey by 2015. “The Campaign’s goal is to provide all of New Jersey’s children with access to safe, nutritious, affordable, and culturally appropriate food. Through a core strategy to surround all children with reliable access to nutritious food every place that touches their lives – in the family, at school and throughout the community, together we can end childhood hunger in New Jersey”.* Together we can make sure that every child in the state of New Jersey has access to adequate and sufficient nutrition in just 3 short years. The NJAHC has seven goals within their campaign that they believe will make this a winning battle.
1. Maximize Participation in the Food Stamp Program
2. Maximize Participation in the Federal School Breakfast and Lunch Program
3. Expand the Reach of the Summer Food Service Program
4. Ensure Access to a Nutritious Diet for all Pregnant Women, Infants, Preschool and School Aged Children
5. Increase Families’ Access to Affordable Fresh Produce
6. Provide Comprehensive Public Education About Assistance
7. Ensure Access to Nutritious Food in Shelters and Food Pantries
The NJAHC’s goals within the “Every Child Every Day” initiative are for the most part are very straight forward and rational. They call for New Jersey’s maximization of federal assistance, better organization at the state and local level, education and access. These are fundamental ideas. The kinds of ideas that make you think, “Why aren’t we already doing this?” While some people, and to an extent I agree, might find increasing our use of federal assistance troubling, it’s a necessary step in terms of vanquishing childhood hunger. There will always be those who abuse or cheat the system but there are those who truly need the assistance and need to know they are eligible for it and how to get it. There’s a difference between living off the government and surviving. This isn’t about helping people live off the government it’s about helping people survive.
In New Jersey, of the people eligible, only 60% are receiving food stamp assistance. By no means do we need that number to 100%. Not everyone eligible necessarily feels they need the benefits for one reason or another. But some of this additional 40% may be struggling and unaware that they are eligible for government assistance. Speaking personally, if my life changed fundamentally tomorrow and I was existing below the poverty line I wouldn’t know where to start in terms of help. Additionally, and probably most importantly, we need to change the way things work, administratively to facilitate ease of access, reduce errors and allow things to run smoothly and effectively.
More than anything we need education, outreach and public awareness. This shouldn’t just be about enlightening those in food insecure situations about what’s available to them. It should also be about making the public as a whole aware of the severity of the problem in their own backyard. We see children starving in third world countries on our televisions from the warmth of our bed or the comfort of our couch and we turn the channel because we feel awful but also because it's easily ignored. It’s just as easy to ignore the problems in our own state because they’re not on the television. They’re not talked about. We hear about the economy, unemployment, Dancing with the Stars, but we don’t hear about the kid walking to and from school with his or her stomach rumbling. We need more community outreach programs. We need to get involved and get our friends and neighbors involved. We can end this problem by 2015. We really can.
If you want to learn more about the NJAHC’s “Every Child Every Day” Program and find out how you get involved, head over to their PDF on the program -http://www.njahc.org/every-child.pdf and check out the contact information below.
Adele LaTourette, Director of the New Jersey Anti-Hunger Coalition (NJAHC)
Office: (201) 569-1804 ext. 23 Cell: (201) 741-7722
EMAIL: alatourette@cfanj.org
Lisa Pitz, Coordinator of Outreach and Education (NJAHC)
Office: (201) 569-1804 ext. 21
EMAIL: lpitz@cfanj.org *( http://njahc.org/every-child.pdf)
The other day I was chatting with a very good friend of mine that I’ve known for over ten years now. She’s been dating the same guy for about four years and I actually knew him before they started dating. I knew that he came from a very tumultuous upbringing and he was one of the “good eggs” as my mother would say, and had managed to transcend all the pitfalls and bear traps in his formative years on his way to becoming a caring, productive member of society and all around good person. As you would expect, my friend knew many more details of her boyfriend’s upbringing than I and she mentioned that as a child, he was hungry more than a handful of times and more often than not, he was not given money to buy lunch at school, nor a packed lunch to bring with him. When he had money, that he had saved himself, as little boys do for toys, baseball cards or candy, he used it to buy his own lunch. It’s a miracle he grew up to be over six foot, strong and healthy considering he likely had inadequate nutrition as a boy.
I’m sharing this story because it shocked me. This guy is someone I know very well, someone I spend time with and share a drink with now and again. I knew that his childhood was rough but it never occurred to me that he ever went hungry. It’s very easy to lose sight of the reality outside our own. I don’t have to remind you that these are tough economic times and as a result we all have problems. We have debts, bills to pay, jobs to worry about keeping, the list goes on. We forget to be grateful that we have food on our tables and the luxury of grabbing even something as simple and inexpensive as a sandwich from WaWa now and again. There are many people throughout the country and here within our own state of New Jersey who have no such luxury and problems worse than our own. We don’t ignore them because we’re heartless or cruel. We do it by accident, because it’s not knocking at our door, because our problems are not always the same. But they easily could be.
In 2010 there were over 1 million people in food insecure households in New Jersey - 1,101,570 to be exact. Food insecurity, as you might expect, is the inability to provide food for oneself or one’s family. It’s living with hunger and in extreme cases, the fear of starvation. Of the households within New Jersey that receive emergency food from soup kitchens, pantries and the like, 42% of the members within that household are minor children under the age of 18. 8% are under the age of 5*. These minor children, especially the 8% 5 and under are at a precarious and important stage of life during which nutrition is essential for growth and health not just in the now but for their future as well. New Jersey’s population as of 2010 was 8,797,894. That means 12% of the population within our own state are living without access or means to sufficient food. That is a staggering percentage and one that we can lessen by pitching-in in small ways.
There are food banks and soup kitchens throughout our state devoted to helping people with this problem. The New Jersey Anti-Hunger Coalition’s website has a section devoted to a listing by county of area food banks and I guarantee that every single one is in need of donations and volunteers. No one, least of all me, is asking you to spend all your hard earned and very precious dollars. You may think that you’ll never meet the person your can of food or monetary donation could help. It’s easy to say no and ignore a stranger, a non-entity. But you may know someone now, you may know someone in the future who benefited at one time or another from a local food bank or could have used that help and was unable to access it for whatever reason. Someone like my friend, living in a food insecure household and fending for himself without a responsible adult to get the help he needed.
All it takes to help is a few cans of food. Take a five minute break from Facebook or your Fantasy Football lineup and follow the link to the list of New Jersey Food Pantries. Find the one closest to your work or home and look at the list of needs. The next time you’re at the grocery store, pick something up that’s on-sale and forego the chips for yourself for a week. On your way home from work or errands, just drop off what you can give. It’s so simple. You may never know the person you helped directly but with 12% of our state’s population in need, odds are you’ll know someone who benefitted from the small kindness shared by someone like you.
(*Statistics provided by The New Jersey Anti-Hunger Coalition - http://www.njahc.org/hunger-in-nj.html)
This is really Lauren's blog but I didn't think she'd mind if I borrowed it for a quick second... I just wanted to say one small thing:
I believe that massage therapists, yoginis, reiki practitioners, tai chi instructors, and all those involved in bodywork are in a very unique position in life- we are seen as caring, compassionate professionals who strive for wellness. We work to help people find balance in their lives, whether it be physically, mentally, emotionally or spiritually. We provide valuable services, classes and workshops, and most of us try to be reasonable and understanding when it comes to rates, and this unfavorable economic climate. Many times we may offer donation-based classes, free workshops for the community, and discounted rates for those who need what we offer, but may not be able to afford it.
It is with this mindset that the MBCG was formed. Our belief is that it doesn't take much effort, time or money to make a difference in the world- if everyone does just a little something, collectively we can make change. The MBCG is intentionally simple- become a part of an incredible network of like-minded professionals and collect donations in whatever way you choose. The spirit of giving is contagious and the example you set by catching it is stellar. Giving is not only admirable but INSPIRING!
I find that when you give, you not only are doing a very charitable thing indeed, but also experience a deep wave of gratitude. By giving what we have to those who have not, we can't help but feel a great thankfulness for the people in our lives and the moments we are lucky enough to experience.
The point of all of this is for every massage and bodywork professional to raise the bar for their business, and to make giving back simply a part of their business model. No matter how, where, or what is done- it will be valuable.
Thank you to all who are helping to spread the word about the Massage & Bodywork Community of Giving, and for everyone's positive feedback! To those who have joined in the past week, thank you for leading the way. Because of you, others will become inspired to give back as well and will join in the fight against hunger, poverty, and animal abuse in New Jersey.
In extreme gratitude,
Val
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