Wednesday night my mother and I went to a charity event for an organization called City Harvest. This 25 year old group of volunteers and workers rescue food from markets, hotels, restaurants, etc., to feed the hungry all over New York. I was so touched by the giving spirits of the people who founded and run this project that I feel compelled to volunteer whatever time I have to this noble cause. Only $1.40 can feed a person for a week; that's cheaper than a train ride. So I figure, the more I walk, the more transportation money I save that can feed a hungry child or an elderly person who can't feed him/her -self. I won't miss that money, and I'll be better off for having "sacrificed" it. And that's just one of many things I plan to do to help the people involved, which include such notables as Rachel Ray, Eric Ripert, American Express, Credit Suisse, DKNY, and all the "little people" who aren't famous that make this all possible.
A man who is a truck driver shared his life story with us, telling us how he was homeless 20 years ago and was in soup kitchen lines, wondering how he was going to feed his family. A worker at the kitchen, part of City Harvest, suggested that he could work with them since he was jobless, had no place to go, and could use the help. Fast forward 20 years, and this man has a steady job, can feed himself and his family, and is helping others in their time of need. What could be better or feel more rewarding than that? Listening to him and seeing all the people who need aid, makes me feel so grateful for everything I have. I wrote not too long ago to complain about not having my own place--now I feel like a fool. Sometimes it takes occasions like this dinner to put things into perspective. I am one of the lucky ones, and I know that. I will not take for granted; rather I will give back as a token of my thanks to the universe.
People now more than ever, need to band together to help those who can't help themselves. These number will continue to climb as the recession in this country continues to lay workers off of jobs they've held for years, as more and more people can't afford the houses they live in; as graduates come out of college and into a workforce that can't accommodate them, and as senior citizens can't afford to retire because they no longer have pensions and/or not enough social security with which to sustain a peaceable life, we must lend a hand whenever we are able. I vow to do my part, give up the superficial outings and purchases to uplift the rest of my community. I urge you to do the same.
Volunteer here.
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