Give Thanks, Then Give

Posted: November 26, 2009 at 4:04 a.m.

• Print item
• E-mail
• Share
• Tweet

Great efforts are made by homeless shelters, churches and charities to ensure that even the least fortunate among us get a share of the national feast that is Thanksgiving. That is a wonderful thing. But there are 364 days in the rest of the year, and hunger never takes a holiday. The challenge is figuring out how to keep people fed all year long.

Northwest Arkansas, for all of its wealth, is home to a substantial number of people who can barely afford one square meal per day, let alone three.

The economic downturn of the last two years has made it increasingly difficult for food pantries to keep their shelves stocked. The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank, which serves Benton, Washington, Carroll and Madison counties, is on pace to distribute more than 4 million pounds of food this year - nearly twice what it passed out last year. The Samaritan Community Center in Rogers, which operates a soup kitchen and a food pantry, has seen a 53 percent increase in clients since 2007. The need is great, even in our relatively prosperous corner of Arkansas.

We hope everyone enjoys their turkey and stuffing today. In addition, we hope people will think about becoming a regular contributor to their local food pantry - not just this holiday season, but in 2010 and beyond. Believe us: Every donation of food will be greatly appreciated.

Opinion, Pages 5 on 11/26/2009

Comments

To report abuse or misuse of this area please hit the "Suggest Removal" link in the comment to alert our online managers. Please read our comment policy.

Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.