Before I had my baby boy late last year, I was a regular at the Table of Plenty, a Marion-Polk Foodshare distribution site in south Salem.
Once a month, I was helping the site’s customers navigate the system by serving as a personal shopper.
Sadly, I can’t get down there anymore. My son’s schedule and his own mess calls prohibit me from the 4-7 p.m. shift.
But hunger is an issue that is near to my heart. And hungry children? I can tell you that if you saw the faces of the families at Table of Plenty you’d wish you could do something, too.
Well, now we both can.
You might have noticed that I started taking ads on this blog last week.
I know my readers — a few hundred a day at last count! — care about Salem. And so, I will be donating the proceeds from all of the advertising from this blog to the Marion-Polk Foodshare for this entire month.
You Can also Show Your Face Downtown September 1
Hungry kids have trouble learning.
On First Wednesday, September 1, Go Downtown Salem and the Salem Assistance League are sponsoring a big back-to-school celebration during which they will be collecting school supplies, giving out information, and supplying other resources to Salem-Keizer students.
Because hungry children often have a very difficult time at school (learning problems, behavioral problems, health issues) Women Ending Hunger and Marion-Polk Food Share would like to call attention to the fact that we have a huge number of children who are probably going to school hungry by creating a visual image for the community of just what that number looks like.
The two groups are asking all friends and supporters of the fight to end hunger to join us in what they are calling a FOOD FOR THOUGHT STAND-IN: a long, long line of volunteers holding empty plates from the steps of the State Capitol through eight blocks of downtown Salem, from 5:00 p.m. to 5:20 p.m. on Wednesday, September 1.
They estimate that they will need a minimum of 370 people to cover the distance, each representing 100 children — but they welcome many more.
Join us — for info contact Kat at the Foodshare at 503.581.3855 x322.
This is a good idea. I also recently heard about Give a Shirt (http://igiveashirt.org/) Another cool idea. I didn’t realize that old clothes would be such a deterrent to homeless kids attending schools until I read The Glass Castle. It’s a true story…it’s a really good but heartbreaking book.
The Glass Castle is a phenomenal book. I have handed it out to quite a few friends already… Jeannette Walls is a hero of mine.
Ever since I became a mama I can’t stop wanting to feed people. It’s either part of the hormones or the ethos.
I can’t tell you to click on ads on the site to help this cause — that’s against the adsense rules — but I’d like to encourage any readers of this blog to learn about Click-through ads….