Someone in Your Zip Code is Hungry

Can you imagine a child in your neighborhood being hungry?  The thought is hard to bear, but in too many places, it is a reality. In the United States 13 million children are known as “food insecure.” They have no idea from where their next meal will come. That number reflects the hungry children counted in 2019. The number of hungry adults is also massive. They are all hungry and they are our neighbors. Think about it, 13 million. So, no matter in which zip code you live, work, or worship, somewhere close by a hungry child resides.

Many Americans learned about this problem from, of all places, Sesame Street. Yes, Sesame Street as in Big Bird and Cookie Monster. The Muppet who first talked about hunger on Sesame Street is Lily. She made her debut in October 2011 on a one-hour special called “Growing Hope Against Hunger”. In that year, the number of hungry children was 17 million. Since then, Lily has been a regular character, continually reminding families who love Sesame Street and its residents about the challenges that we work on every day at Friendship Mission. The families who tune in to Sesame Street know and care, and so should all of us.

Friendship Mission, Inc. is a small shop operation—two homeless shelters and a public soup kitchen—that currently runs with just 12 staffers and a lot of volunteers. Small but mighty, with a ton of effort and potential, kind of like the Little Engine That Could. The struggle is always uphill, but in any given year we manage to provide shelter for more than 300 people and serve more than 40,000 meals.

November is the month assigned to officially recognize hunger and homelessness. The colors of the awareness campaign are orange for hunger and blue for homelessness. (Just like the colors of a certain team in one of Alabama’s other official November traditions!) Do you know what we could accomplish at Friendship Mission if you made our service of caring one of your November priorities along with Thanksgiving and a football game? Let me help you with that…

A bed, from the frame to the linens $400

Kitchen supplies $250

Keeping little ones safe $175

Necessities to secure a job $165

Storage drawers $150

A week’s worth of meals for one person $64

Plumbing, heating and air, security…I could go on.

“A hungry person can’t hear about the love of Jesus until you demonstrate that love of Jesus to them. Give them your sandwich. Provide an opportunity for them to receive nourishment…” The Right Reverend Vashti Murphy McKenzie, of the African Methodist Episcopal Church speaking with Bishop Michael Curry, of the Episcopal Church on his podcast The Way of Love with Bishop Michael Curry, the episode is “Love Beyond the Church Walls“.

This week is specifically designated for Hunger and Homelessness Awareness. These times require us to social distance, but not to be distant from the needs of those whom Jesus calls the least of these. Friendship Mission is offering you a chance to join us in this mission to feed and shelter people. Taco Mama, Frutta Bowls, and Panera Bread are on board for activities this week. We have a BIG fundraiser coming in the first week of December and a lot of businesses and individuals have committed to give. Helping will not take a lot of your time and effort, but we need you. After all, somewhere in the zip code in which you live, work, or worship, a hungry person resides.

Sincerely, In Service,

Tara