No Kid Hungry: A Follow-Up

And a follow-up to the last post:

Dear Friend, Millions of America’s children head back to school this month where they’ll focus on reading, math, history and, well, just being kids. But for 1 in 5 of our kids, an obstacle stands in their way: not having enough nutrition to live up to their full potential. Too often, the only meal that these children receive is a school lunch. Please join the No Kid Hungry campaign and educators across America to help end childhood hunger and create a nation of healthier, smarter children. We can’t let them do this alone. Principal McElhaney, from a middle school in Maryland, has seen the effects of hunger firsthand, like when, one morning, a student failed a test and told him he just didn’t care because he was too hungry to think about his school work. Like many of our heroes in the school system, he knew he had to do something. Educators like Principal McElhaney and the No Kid Hungry campaign know that one critical solution to fighting hunger is offering school breakfast. Today, Principal McElhaney’s school offers breakfast to all their students, making sure they start their day with the nutritious food they need — so when it’s time to focus on instruction, hunger doesn’t stand in their way. Please take a minute to hear Principal McElhaney’s story and make a donation to the No Kid Hungry campaign. Your donation helps connect more kids to school breakfast. For every dollar you give, you can help provide up to 10 meals for a child, including a nutritious breakfast. By supporting the No Kid Hungry campaign, you can bring us one step closer to helping millions of hungry children across the nation feel better, learn better and reach their full potential. Thank you for all that you do to build a No Kid Hungry America. Sincerely, Billy Shore Founder and CEO ©Share Our Strength, 1730 M Street NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20036 Website: www.strength.org Contact us: contactus@strength.org To unsubscribe: unsubscribe

No Kid Hungry This Summer

The No Kid Hungry foundation is running a special campaign this summer. Here is the information:

Out of school, out of food

Donate to help make No Kid Hungry This Summer

With school out for the summer, 17 million children across America are at greater risk of going hungry without access to the vital breakfast and school lunch programs they rely on during the academic year. And if we don’t act now, these kids will be facing missed meals and hungry stomachs instead of the fun childhood summers they deserve.

You can make a difference for hungry kids this summer by making a tax-deductible gift to Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign. Every dollar you give can connect a child with ten meals — and when you give today, the Arby's Foundation will match your gift, dollar for dollar, to double the impact of your donation.

With your help, the No Kid Hungry campaign can surround kids with healthy food where they live, learn and play. Thank you for making a gift to Share Our Strength today.

Krystal and the Panhandler

The following story was shared with me by a young lady named Krystal. I am posting it here as an example of a random act of kindness in support of someone in need. (Thank you, Krystal, for sharing this.)

Hello, my name is Krystal,  I came across your blog, and I wish to share my story about helping a panhandler:

One day, my mom and I were on our way to my psychotherapy session around (at the time). As we were walking down 23rd St and heading towards 5th Ave,we've noticed the regular panhandler (he's in his 20's) and his brown Labrador Retriever. Mom had a conversation with him and things so far have been difficult for him, and I've felt a nudge from within to offer him something to eat, so I did, despite lacking time to buy him something to eat. On our way home, we saw him again and I asked him if he wanted anything from the 7 Eleven that was two blocks away from his location, and he said yes. So, with the spare $10 in my wallet, I've bought him a Big Gulp cup of Coca-Cola and four slices of cheese pizza. We gave him said food and he said that we didn't have to do that for him, but he really appreciated it.

* I didn't reveal his name to protect his identity

The Hungry Man and Mass

A week ago Wednesday, I had a 9:00-12:00 meeting at headquarters that I hoped would not last all the way until noon, since noon is the time of Mass at the little chapel near my office, about twenty minutes from headquarters. I squirmed as one hour turned into two. After all, I don't sit still readily, so these three-hour meetings, of which I have had many recently, are killers. Then, two hours rolled over into the start of the third hour. 11:00, 11:10, 11:15 ticked by. It seemed like all we were doing at that point was wrapping up AND wrapping up AND wrapping up. Of course, I could not sneak out of the meeting. I was supposed to be leading it! However, I was working together with our Human Resources folks, and, of course, I could not ride ramshod over their input. So, we continued to wrap up. 11:20, 11: 25. At that point, I just assumed I would not make Mass and starting to plan on lunch over the noon hour, followed, sigh!, by another 3-hour meeting from 1:00 - 4:00.

Right before 11:30, though, we finished our work. Yes! Not only would I be able to catch Mass, but I would be able to do a quick drive-through McDonald's to pick up lunch. Yippee! It was going to be a better day than I had imagined.

So, I headed to my nearby car, hopped in, and took off. As I came to the intersection by McDonald's, there was a man holding a sign, asking for help. Oh, oh! I knew I had no cash in my wallet. So, I looked around the car. Nothing laying around there, either -- not even the spare McDonald's gift card that I usually keep on hand. I did not remember giving out the last one, but apparently I had. Hm...

Talking myself into thinking that I had no way to help (which, of course, I did; I could have invited the man into McDonald's and paid with a credit card, which is how I planned to pay for  my own meal), I drove into line at the drive-through, ordered, and started to drive away when I noticed the man was still there. Now, I seemed to have a dilemma, and I was aware that I did have options: (1) give the man my lunch (but he probably would not like it -- I never get anything except meat on my hamburger -- no fixings and no dressings -- and that would not be very filling for him); (2) go to Mass and ignore the man; (3) go back and get a gift card (probably would take too long, having to wait through line and all); or (4) invite the man in and blow off Mass.

Mass or man? The verse where we are told that what we do "for the least" among us is what we do for Jesus kept coming to mind. Was I being given some direction? I took a step back and looked at the real choices: (1) do something for myself -- going to Mass was at some level for me, to allow me the opportunity to worship, to continue to develop my relationship with God, or (2) do something for God -- feed one of His children. Seeing it in that light made everything clear. So much for Mass, I thought, and headed toward the man. When I reached him, I explained that I had no cash on me but would be happy to take him inside and buy him a meal. He responded that he was not really hungry at the moment but that he would love to be able to eat later and would appreciate a gift card. OK, that would be option #3.

I headed back to McDonald's, parked, and walked inside. Amazingly, there was no one in line. I quickly purchased a gift card, returned to the car, and handed it to the man.

Happy that I had done what seemed to be the right thing but somewhat saddened at the loss of opportunity to attend Mass ("daily" Mass is offered only twice a week at this chapel, and it is the only church near where I work), I headed back to my office. As I drove, I noticed the time: 11:48. Not quite enough time to make it all the way back, or was it? As I came to the intersection where I needed to go straight to the chapel or make a left to my office, I looked at the clock in the car: 11:58. How could that be? It was like time had stood still for for a few minutes. Since the intersection is only a minute or two from the chapel, I drove straight, arriving at the chapel exactly at noon.

Sometimes discernment comes slowly, but when it is right, it is obvious. And, often, I have found, when right, it gets rewarded. After all, I got both options: helping a child of God (something for God) and attending Mass (something for me). Lunch never tasted so good!

Homeless Hotspots

Saw this in the news. Thought I would share. (Yes, I know --- little new posting this year; I have been traveling and when not traveling, recently got laid low in the wake of an immunization that was supposed to prevent that very thing.) Anyway, here goes:

In the bygone days of print, homeless people made money selling "street newspapers," publications created to promote entrepreneurship. Now that the world has gone digital, the New York-based advertising agency Bartle Bogle Hegarty agues, it's time to update the model.

Such is the rationale behind Homeless Hotspots, a program the company's BBH Labs is debuting at this year's SXSW Interactive in Austin. It works just like it sounds: During the convention, homeless volunteers walk around downtown with MiFi devices. Attendees wishing to partake of their Internet connection can pay what they wish, either via PayPal or with cold-hard cash.

All Homeless Hotspots participants are enrolled in the case management program at Front Steps Shelter, a local nonprofit, but even with that organization's endorsement, the project is proving extremely controversial.

"It is a neat idea on a practical level, but also a little dystopian," wrote David Gallagher of the New York Times. "When the infrastructure fails us ... we turn human beings into infrastructure?"

Defending the idea to Jon Mitchell of Read Write Web, Saneel Radia of BBH Labs said the main priorities are "social engagement" and "daily income."

"Somehow, our intent has been lost in here," Radia said. "What we're trying to do is say the street newspaper model works. It's the output of it that ... We fear for its future, and there's no one working on solving this problem."

This question was posed at the end of the article I read on Spinner, which has a video interview that you might like to watch. I think it is a good questions: "What do you think -- is this a new twist on an old idea or the first step down a slippery slope?"

Happy New Year! Weclome, 2012!

Wishing one and all a blessed 2012, which has dawned bright and sunny here in San Ignatio. Along with it has arrived my first decision of the new year: whether or not to take revenge on Donnie.



As usual, Donnie and I had made plans to welcome in the new year with a mini-party. Some champagne. A few snacks. And Doah.



As usual, I feel asleep and became nigh onto comatose around 10:30. Doah lasted another hour, then toddled off to bed, emerging, according to Donnie, around 12:30 in the morning, like a groundhog on Feb. 2, saw his shadow, and scurried back to the bedroom.



As for me, I never did wake up. Donnie, ever the photographer -- and, in this case, as is typical of our New Year's eve celebrations, the lone celebrant -- took a picture of me zonked out on the couch and pasted it on Facebook. Of course, that brought it a lot of comments!



Now, he is sleeping in after all his heavy partying, and I am wide awake, greeting the sunny day and new year. Doah is dancing about, demanding breakfast, and I am ever so tempted to take a picture of Donnie, zonked out in bed, and paste it on Facebook!



Happy days and interesting decisions, my friends, I wish you in 2012!



(note: image from stunningmesh.com -- it stunned me; hope you like it)

Merry Christmas! God Bless Everyone!

Since I do not blog on Sundays, I will post a Christmas message tonight, Christmas eve. Plans? With all the kids having flown from the nest a decade ago, Donnie and I will be having our Christmas eve dinner at a local Chinese restaurant, run by Korean, prior to midnight Mass, which is at 10:30 this evening. (It finishes at midnight, so the name is not entirely misleading.)

As he does every year, Finnegan, our priest's cat, has wandered from the cold into the warmth of the manger. Both he, and Sula, are parish cat, take turns sleeping in the manger. Sometimes they share it.

Sharing warm Christmas wishes with all! May God bless each one of you tomorrow and all days of this happy season!