Preston Beckley the Hope Mobile Program Manager at FBSJ is obviously proud of the good work and success of the Browns Mills event. Not only have 600 pre-qualified families received food, another 28 families were qualified at this event. That's well over 1,300 people getting food they need in one quick shot.
Next year, FBSJ's Beckley plans to expand the program from 9 sites to 16 sites. "There's a real need and it's increasing. With this program we are able to supplement pantries that can't keep up with the increased need. We can also bring the truck to places that have no pantry."
That's the point of many of the FBSJ's programs: find ways to get the food to the needy. For seniors it's home delivery. For school children it was a weekend supply of food for the child, but that soon turned into a program of school based pantries were parents could obtain a weekend supply of food for the entire family. FBSJ supplies food to over 200 agencies, homeless shelters, soup kitchens, special services, church and faith based organizations in their four New Jersey county service area.
The Hunger Game shouldn't just be about getting food. It's getting food, keeping a job, working toward a self-sustaining future, getting the necessary education and to the point where you can afford all the necessities of life on your own.
Eliminating the Hunger Game
If hunger is the problem, food is the answer and the Food bank of South Jersey is just one of over 200 such non-profit organizations that serve all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, distributing more than 2.5 billion pounds of food and grocery products annually under the national organization Feeding America.
Traore's organization is the hub of an intricate, charitable food distribution system designed to provide sustenance to anyone hungry in four south Jersey counties when money for food is scarce.
Hers is part of a shadow system to the gigantic profit driven arrangement that has made relatively inexpensive food easily available everywhere. They do a great job at minimal administrative cost and deserve your support.
Shouldn't there be a better way? After all, there are already large caches of food nearly everywhere in places called supermarkets, wholesale clubs and big box department stores? I put that question to Traore and she agreed.
"I'm sure our services are not accessible to everyone who needs emergency food in our area and that's a function of logistics," confessed Traore. So, what can be done?
"My wild idea is that certain food, what I call ground provisions," explains Traore, "should be free and available at all major food outlets." She defines "ground food" as basic, no frills food stuffs. A protein, maybe chicken, maybe just dark meat chicken, though I believe people deserve a whole chicken, a meal and soup after. Flour or basic bread. A green vegetable and a fruit, canned if not otherwise. Milk.
Under Traore's proposal, everyone would have a ground food provision that could be electronically tracked. You would "purchase" up to your provision limit monthly, or not use it at all. That's it. Have a food emergency? Tap your ground food provision. Need to supplement your food supply? Tap your ground food provision. Feel entitled to food Just because you are human, even if you're a millionaire? Tap you ground food provision. Nobody goes hunger. Nobody is put out. Nobody is wasting other valuable resources, like time and fuel, in the pursuit of a self-sustainable life here in America.
You know it's so crazy Traore's scheme just might work and be a boon to the economy.
Please donate to your local Feeding America organization: CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION
Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
4
2
2
