Serving Neighbors in Our Judea

Posted on 3/15/2010 by Jose | 0 comments

A study from Feeding America, the nation's largest food bank operator, shows that the number of Americans in need of food aid has jumped 46 percent in three years. There has been a 50 percent jump in the number of children needing food assistance, and a 64 percent increase in hunger in senior citizens' homes. The study shows that a growing number of people have to make difficult choices about what to spend their diminishing dollars on, with the rising cost of health care a major contributing factor to hunger. More than 46 percent of people helped by Feeding America report having to choose between paying for utilities or heating fuel and food; 39 percent said they had to choose between paying for rent or a mortgage and food; 34 percent report having to choose between paying for medical bills and food.


Governor Bob McDonnell said: "Too often, hunger is an issue we believe exists only in “other” places. But any official at one of the many Food Banks in Virginia will tell you hunger can be found “everywhere.” There is not a zip code in this Commonwealth where someone doesn’t need help to get a full, balanced meal."


A recent study by the Food Security Institute, Center on Hunger and Poverty found that 594,000 people in Virginia are considered “food insecure.” Another 121,000 Virginians are considered “food insecure with hunger.”


It is a daunting task which can intimidate us to the point of paralysis. But, in eliminating hunger in America, we can start with small steps and make an all out effort to reduce it first in our neighborhoods. In the case of Point Harbor Community Church, we can start by working to get rid of hunger within zip code 23321 and then 23701, 23702, 23704…. 

We started our small steps during March's Second Saturday. 62 people gathered at Point Harbor to sort out food and put together grocery boxes for families in Chesapeake, Norfolk and Virginia Beach. After working for 90 minutes in the foyer of the church filling boxes with groceries, the gathered group departed to make 28 deliveries for 44 families in need. 

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