The True American Hunger: Meaning

Here is a recent excerpt I wrote on the Council on Foundations “Thought Action Implement” blog. You can view the article that prompted my response here.

Thank you for an insightful article from Ed DeSeve, President Obama’s senior advisor, who is responsible for implementing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). It’s so encouraging to see new ways of thinking of supporting our economy, philanthropy and community. My favorite statement was the government’s efforts to “pull stakeholders and affected communities together through technology and face-to-face functions that will address those problems.”

Please call on us to help with this area. UniversalGiving (www.universalgiving.org) has created the technology — a marketplace — to help bring people together face-to-face through international volunteer opportunities in more than 70 countries across the world. Our stimulus plan can also incorporate helping not only ourselves, but other countries less fortunate in this dire time.

Additionally, we have a true — and different – hunger in our world, and particularly in America. People are “starving” for meaning in their lives. By allowing them to help those even less fortunate than ourselves, we can be grateful, humbled, and help others. As we speak, more than 1/4 of children under 5 are malnourished, in the developing world. (Bread.org) Not having enough food affects people’s well-being on so many levels, including health, productivity, mental development, energy, and even hope.

Nearly 1 billion do not have enough to eat. 65% of these people are located in 7 countries: India, China, Congo, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan and Ethiopia. 25,000 people die every day from hunger or related issues. (Food and Agriculture Organization, 2008)

We must help our country and those that are hurting here. At the same time, we must also realize that no matter how much we are hurting, we already have — and I say this gently as so many people have been devastated by this economy – so much… With what is going on in our world, we can perhaps push ourselves to help one other brother or sister under our wing by encouraging ourselves to try to give more… We can fill a child’s need for food, and our need to live life with meaning, purpose and care.

Here’s one way to help, by simply sending $30 to help an orphaned child eat: http://www.universalgiving.org/donate/help_save_a_child_from_hunger...

Join us or tell us how you’d like us to help!

Sincerely,

Pamela Hawley
Founder and CEO
UniversalGiving (http://www.universalgiving.org)