Fighting childhood hunger in Baltimore
Proverb 22.9 – “The generous themselves will be blessed, for they share their food with the poor.”
Two splendid organizations, MOD Pizza and Generosity Feeds, teamed up, and with the help of hundreds of spirited volunteers, held an event Sunday to feed the hungry children in our city. It was staged in Locust Point, at the Francis Scott Key School (P.S. 76), on Fort Avenue in Baltimore, only a short distance from historic Fort McHenry.
The energetic volunteers were able to pack “10,000 meals” for the poor within a time slot of 9:30 a.m. & 10:30 a.m. This was only the first part of the day-long program.
Another team of volunteers would replicate their laudable efforts between 11:30 a.m and 12:30 p.m. It was an assembly line type of operation and the organizers took time to carefully prep the participates how to manage. To witness the young children engaging in this noble effort, with their family members, friends and neighbors by their sides, was, indeed, a joy to behold.
When the food packages are collected, the final number – “20,000 meals” – will be forwarded primarily to another fine organization, “The Maryland Food Bank,” for distribution to the poor of our city, plus to other groups.
The event’s sponsors estimate that about “60 percent of children in Baltimore struggle with food insecurity.” This is a shocking and disgraceful number in a land of plenty.
This is especially so when you consider the billions of dollars wasted by our national government yearly on wars, threats of wars and playing the role of Global Cop. Bottom line: While the Military-Industrial Complex gets fatter off the national taxpayers, many children in our city, in our own back yard so to speak, are continuously put at risk. This has to stop!
On a national level, too, hunger is also a growing problem. Unfortunately, Washington isn’t listening! The president’s fiscal 2019 budget will make “hunger and poverty worse in America.” See http://frac.org/news/
Just before the program ended this morning, I had a chance to chat with Pastor Andy McNeely of Baltimore. He is with the “Front Porch Church.” Here is what he had to say about the event: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Rob Stendel, the moderator of the program, who is with Generosity Feeds, gave me more details about his organization and its ongoing plans for feeding the city’s poor. He also took time to tip his hat to the movers and shakers behind the scene who made this experience today a reality. Here is what Rob had to share: https://youtu.be/zNj6tVFX8Rk.
To learn more about Generosity Feeds and how you can contribute to their ongoing cause of fighting hunger in our city, check out: https://generosityfeeds.org/. If you want to know more about MOD Pizza, then go to https://modpizza.com/
To see more of my photos go to my Facebook Page.
Bill Hughes is an attorney, author, actor and photographer. His latest book is “Byline Baltimore.” It can be found at: https://www.amazon.com/William-Hughes/e/B00N7MGPXO/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1