Dinner For The Homeless

Can you imagine never having tasted a steak in your life?

The biggest barrier the homeless have to re-entering society is not money it's peoples attitudes. The line about how you can never reclaim your social status really hurts.

You do not realize how 'but for the grace of God" you're own life is different and how fast it could change.
-- mary ellen anderson

Can I please plug local food banks here, Hal?
Our closest food bank feeds 38,000 people a week....all year long, not just for a holiday meal. ( and that's just one section of Tucson.)
Much of the food is donated by food companies but the shipping isn't free...For each dollar donated, over $10 worth of food can be transported for the needy. If you give a food bank $5, it will turn into $50 worth of food, which is phenomenal!
You don't have to shop for food, you don't have to work...just empty your loose change or write a small check...it won't hurt...and oh man, does it help!!

Mary Ellen, the first time I saw this video choked me up and made me realize just how close to being homeless a lot of Americans are in this crazy roller coaster ride our economy is suffering under today. But to see those poor people so grateful for a few morsels of food was to much for my tear-ducts to take.

Marlene, you can do anything your heart desires on one of my topics. Marlene I think it just demonstrates how generous our country is to the poor. The number of food packages leaving our country this Christmas would bury the economy of many countries around the world.

" leaving our country this Christmas would bury the economy of many countries around the world."

I am just glad to see that we have feed all of the hungry and homeless in America and still have plenty left to feed the rest of the world.

I know, I know...

But it just really upsets me to see people, even people I know that give money to charities that send it overseas and then walk right by a homeless person and look at them like they are some sort of low life. Especially people that damn well can afford share a lot more.

My companies have sponsored food baskets through the local Salvation Army for years. We stopped sending out Christmas Cards to all of our friends, realities and customers and put all that money and more into our food basket program. Been doing it for years.

When people ask me why they don't get a Christmas card from me I tell them why and a lot of business friends started doing the same thing. I got that idea from an old and wise car dealer friend of mine.

Talk about paying it forward. I always wondered how many food baskets have been donated because of this guy spreading the idea around.

Something to think about.

Floyd, I couldn't agree with you more. Thank God for people like you and your companies. I believe in that old saying: "Charity begins at home."

What does it really say about the United States when ONE city in Arizona needs to feed 38,000 hungry folks every day? I of course - live in a much smaller town - but there are homeless and hungry - and what do I see - hundreds if not thousands of dollars going to kids for toys - there is something missing in Santa Claus's bag.

Roy, of course you are right in your thinking. But we can't avoid giving toys and presents to children of this great country. I look back at the most happy times of my life and they were when I believed in Santa Claus waiting for him to appear with all of the presents. When I grew up and realized that Santa Claus was my parents, I was very sad and believed that I just lost the very best friend I ever had.

Roy, to clarify, we have 5 food banks in Tucson....I gave stats for only one....Tucson greater area has about a million people.

Auh Hal, you sweet little boy. Santa Clause isn't your parents, it's a miracle inside parents. It's that space of hope and wishes that all miracles come from. Recently we had a chance to help God out and helped save Abbie's dog Hannah from a lifetime of disability.

Frankly, I've been in a lot of groups, organization, forums, and discussions and the people here are the best I've ever seen in their sincere caring. I have enormous pride in being part of this group.
-- mary ellen anderson

My regrets - when "I" was growing up - you know how that line goes - we got ONE toy - and clothes or shoes. And if we'd ever waited for Santa - we'd have got not even the clothes. Children will survive without toys - folks won't without food and in some places a warm safe place to sleep.

Thank you Harold for sharing. I live in a very affluent area and many times a year where I work we collect for the local food banks and charity organizations. The generosity of some is just so wonderful and then there are others, too many others, that obviously have so much, just can not open their hearts up to the idea of giving to those in need. So many times I see those that I know are struggling open their wallets and contribute 5, 10, 20 dollars that I know they could use and then see those that are probably wearing more in worth than all I own refuse to donate 1 dollar. Just another of those things I don't get.

@ Roy,
Children will survive without toys - folks won't without food and in some places a warm safe place to sleep.

I don't know about this, Roy. People can physically survive a lot, but lose hope and dreams; that's at least as unhealthy.

-- mary ellen anderson

Our family, consisting of my daughter, her husband and son, my son, his wife and son, and myself and husband put what we can all afford together and go and buy personal hygiene items for all ages, like toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, soap, razors, brushes, combs, deodorant, etc etc and give it to Sister Christina who runs the Drop In Center in our city - we had asked her what she would like us to do and this is what she suggested - her reason was that most homeless people absolutely love to be clean, and have clean underwear, it boosts their morale and makes them feel a little better about themselves - the food they get at the center, and most of that is donated or cheques given, and many local businesses donate sleeping bags, blankets, clothes, including underwear etc to assist - if you are on the street, toys aren't going to help you - if you are in a safe warm place but have no extra money for toys then maybe a small toy for a child but I have seen families who are in need ask for IPads, phones, etc - are you kidding me?

Make believe dreams - Christmas is not even (although it's possible) most peoples own birthday - that's when you get presents and toys - not celebrating someone else's. Santa Claus, the easter bunny, and the tooth fairy - The un-reality of reality. Of course the biggest losers if we gave REAL things to children and adults - the retailers and manufacturers. OK - I'll go quietly.


But tell me - what is homelssness and hungriness - if not a disaster of dreams.

^ Mary Ellen, I grew up without ever knowing christmas celebrations - but I was well fed, housed and educated. I'm fine. I back Roy on his statement based on experience.

It's kind of funny really because I honestly cannot see what it's all about, and I sure missed out on nothing.

I like going to the kitchens and helping feed the homeless.

I student taught in the inner city. My supervising Art teacher was playing them opera daily, to 'refine their tastes.'
They were battling rats the size of cats and trying to fit 5 siblings in one twin sized bed at night.
I doubt that any of them are still alive, for any number of horrific reasons...none of which was a lack of exposure to opera.

The only purpose a toy would have served in their lives would have been to sell it for money for food.

Thankfully, most of us have no clue .