Thursday, November 28, 2013

So it's Thanksgiving . . .

. . . and a lot of people in America have done some serious eating.  If you're among them, great.  You can't beat full bellies: the world would be better off if everyone had one.

But not everybody does, which is something that should concern all of us--and not just today. Millions of people, worldwide, routinely struggle to feed themselves and their families.  This includes Americans, as many as 1 in 6 by some estimates.  

Many of the hungry in America are children; others are middle-aged; many are elderly.  Some live in cities, some in suburbs, some in rural out-of-the-way places.  Though their situations and circumstances vary, all share a common plight. 

Hunger is a complex issue, one not easily understood or solved.  But while individuals may not be able to remedy the economics, psychology, and (yes) politics of poverty, they can respond to the needs of those for whom decent food is a luxury.

In your travels around campus lately, you've probably seen signs about food drives and fundraisers for the hungry in our midst.  The drives are sponsored by campus groups, including the Newman Club, the Student Organization of Latinos, and the Programming Board. Donations will go to local food banks and homeless shelters, which--sadly--are doing more "business" these days than they'd like to. 

These groups need your help.

You may think that a single donation--a can of food, for instance--won't make a dent in the world's hunger problem.  But such gestures count far more than you realize. They will most definitely make somebody's life better, even if for only a short while.  And they'll also be a statement, on your part, of our responsibility to each other.  We are all in this life together, something worth remembering on this Thanksgiving Day.

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