Many helping to
fight local hunger

by LIZ THOMPSON 

"Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which, in prosperous circumstances, would have lain dormant."

-- Horace, Roman poet

When my stomach growls because I'm hungry, I know I can walk to my kitchen and find something to eat.

There was a short period in my adult life when this was not the case; 30 years ago when I was a single mother. I knew I qualified for food stamps but refused to get them.

All we need to do is turn on our television or radio to hear about real hunger in faraway lands where pencil-thin children who have no food or clean water wander the streets. It is difficult to erase this visual from our minds.

America is not exempt from this dilemma. There is a wide disparity within our country There are children and entire families without food and fresh water. It is likely that a few miles away, there are those living in the land of plenty. Is it fair? No, but it's a fact of life. Hopefully those with plenty take opportunities to share their good fortune. I know many who do. There is no joy in criticizing anyone.

Our energy is better spent on solutions than placing blame on any one person, organization or branch of government.

My concern peaked when I read the U.S. Government planned to cut the Commodity Supplemental Food Program which would affect at least 12,000 Ohio seniors. The program provides $50 worth of food each month which would be changed to $20 worth of food stamps per senior. That amount would spread about as thin as a small slice of cheese on a large pizza.

My first thought was my immediate neighbors and then I wanted to know what my town, Grove City, is doing for those in need.

Plenty, I learned.

My eyes were opened and my faith in humanity renewed.

First I talked with Dick Jameson, one of five volunteer managers of the Grove City Food Pantry and part of more than 70 volunteers who work tirelessly. He is a member of First Presbyterian Church. The other volunteer managers are Brad Hughes and Don Swogger of Grove City United Methodist Church (UMC), Noel Hubler of the Nazarene Church and John Wachsmuth a member of Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

The Grove City Food Pantry helps those in need in Grove City, Urbancrest and Harrisburg areas. The food pantry is housed at Grove City UMC on Columbus Street. The pantry also maintains an off-site storage unit for overflow items.

Emergency Services, which is part of the Southwest Christian Ministerial Association, helps people in need who are passing through, with short term motel, gas, or food needs. The E.L. Evans Senior Center, 4330 Dudley Avenue, provides Meals on Wheels to homebound seniors.

The South-Western City Schools have gotten bad press lately but much good happens within the school walls. The students and staff are the largest contributor to the city's food pantry.

This is a life lesson you cannot find in any textbook.

At Christmas time, the schools hold the White Christmas Drive and get huge donations. 240 boxes filled with ham, eggs, and basic food are given every year. Extra donations go to the food pantry. Money donations help buy bread, ground beef and margarine throughout the year.

The fact there will always be opportunists who take advantage of the system must not be ignored but they should become our second priority. Families with the near constant growling stomachs must have the louder voice.

Anyone who wishes has a chance to help on May 6. If you have time, $10 and a can of food, you can take part in the 3K walk (Just under two miles) at Gantz Park, 2255 Home Road. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. and the walk begins at 9 a.m. You can also choose to have sponsors. The event is sponsored by Grove City Parks and Recreation and the Southwest Christian Ministerial Association. The city's food pantry is the sole beneficiary of the proceeds.

When I consider people who are destitute because of poor life choices, I realize if I had made a few bad choices or had no family I, too, could be in the same boat. How do we determine the best way and who to help becomes a roadblock to giving.

Jeff Davidson, philanthropist and advocate for the working poor of Central Ohio, answered many questions.

He says that 90 to 95 percent of the needy in Central Ohio are victims of unforeseen circumstances such as illness, loss of employment or income, and the like; not the five to 10 percent we read about or see on television who are destitute because they chose a self-destructive path. "What bothers me the most are the innocent children, and our seniors who did 'everything right in life', who are struggling with basic needs issues," Davidson says.

If possible, take a walk May 6 when hopefully the sun will shine on you as you help those who cannot help themselves.

For more information about the walk or how you can help the food pantry, call 277-3050. For more information about Jeff Davidson's Angel Donors Fund and his mission, call him at 580-1561. Call 277-1060 for information on the Senior Center program.

Liz Thompson is a freelance writer and former Suburban News Publications reporter who lives in Grove City with her husband, Bob.

Printed in Suburban News Publications
04-26-06

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