Father Larry, Food Box Challenge Participant
Friday, 11 May 2012
Day 5: What I have realized this week is that Hunger is not
a Game!
Because of the Food Box Challenge - I heard this week about a single parent (a regular food bank client) who keeps empty boxes (like granola bars) in the cupboards at home so that if someone comes by and happens to look in them, it doesn't look like the shelves are bare. This father does the same thing in the fridge with expired condiments ... How we have all been schooled in the game of keeping up appearances ...
Thursday night we had another confirmation retreat. I was thinking - I won't bring a peanut butter sandwich (I don't want to be eating alone again) so I'll bring my rice and chicken salad. Guess what I forgot to pack??? So there I was - nothing to eat - and then I remembered the 2nd meat pie I had cooked earlier this week (You remember the one - with 42% of my daily saturated fat allowance!)... so I heated it up in the Microwave. The young people at my table thought the pie looked tasty! But they still ate their pizza!
While I have been able to get by this week, a number of my normal routines have changed:
All in all - I am aware of how nutritionally poor a
Food Box diet is, and how easily I snack on all kinds of things at all kinds of
times!
I pray that we as a community will have the courage to commit to a food security program that will allow for fresh vegetables and fruit for those in need. Eating Peanut Butter sandwiches (even alone) is not a game!
Because of the Food Box Challenge - I heard this week about a single parent (a regular food bank client) who keeps empty boxes (like granola bars) in the cupboards at home so that if someone comes by and happens to look in them, it doesn't look like the shelves are bare. This father does the same thing in the fridge with expired condiments ... How we have all been schooled in the game of keeping up appearances ...
Thursday night we had another confirmation retreat. I was thinking - I won't bring a peanut butter sandwich (I don't want to be eating alone again) so I'll bring my rice and chicken salad. Guess what I forgot to pack??? So there I was - nothing to eat - and then I remembered the 2nd meat pie I had cooked earlier this week (You remember the one - with 42% of my daily saturated fat allowance!)... so I heated it up in the Microwave. The young people at my table thought the pie looked tasty! But they still ate their pizza!
While I have been able to get by this week, a number of my normal routines have changed:
- I did not eat Pizza with the young people, preparing for Confirmation while they were on retreat;
- I did not go out to any restaurants;
- I did not participate in the Tim Horton's Coffee Pool at the office;
- I did not use any drive-thru places, even for a snack or bagel;
- Sometimes I ate late, because I forgot to pack my meal;
All in all - I am aware of how nutritionally poor a
Food Box diet is, and how easily I snack on all kinds of things at all kinds of
times!I pray that we as a community will have the courage to commit to a food security program that will allow for fresh vegetables and fruit for those in need. Eating Peanut Butter sandwiches (even alone) is not a game!
Good for you to do this. I read all of your posts for the week, and I, too, am reminded of how blessed we all are. It is so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day reoutine and not think that there are people in our community that have to rely on food banks. We need reminders like this to bring it all in focus. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThanks Angela - Indeed we are blessed!
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