September is Hunger Action Month

Dear Editor,

Why Help Feed the Hungry? Why is there a Hunger Action Month in September? Food – no one can do anything good without food. Workers struggle, students struggle, seniors and people with limited incomes struggle to have enough food. It is very hard, grinding, and wearing down to live in constant, unremitting poverty every day and be hungry. If there is no relief there is a pervasive feeling of no hope. Then even reaching out becomes hard. One in five. One in seven. Those are the statistics of children and adults who do not have enough food in Tioga County.

You might not think of this but hunger can often be an isolating experience, and a situation that people try to hide. You can’t tell by looking at a person if they are struggling with food insecurity, but it’s likely. Food insecurity means that they don’t have enough food at times. People feel shame in not having food, and the more this dynamic happens, the farther behind they feel, and end up feeling that they don’t belong anywhere; that they don’t count. They can easily internalize not having food as their personal failure, which further stops them and helps to keep them stuck.  

Some people ask why should I help feed other people and their children? Because they need it, maybe because it’s your faith, or because you understand that one person’s poverty is linked to complicated social structures that aren’t meeting everyone’s human basic needs, because it doesn’t take a lot of money to help, or because you want to make it just a little bit easier for them and let them know someone cares.  

Some external factors that can plunge a family into poverty are that here in Tioga there is little public transportation, making getting and keeping a job very difficult if you can’t afford a car. Lack of affordable housing here means people with low incomes end up paying 50 percent, or even more common, 75 percent of their income for housing. If you can’t get around, you can’t get to higher education of any sort. Racism, and other oppressions keep people from equal opportunities. Diseases of addiction, and other diseases also ravage a person’s ability to care for themselves and their families. All of these things are beyond an individual’s control, and they are huge hurdles, having nothing to do with a person’s character, background or drive.

What proof of hunger is needed before someone will take action? Not-for- profit helping agencies, churches, government agencies – some are on the frontline of hunger and know, others are studying this and know, congregations know, government workers see the tears and know. There’s that kind of proof. If your circle of people does not seem to have this knowledge, it is only because of your circle, not because it doesn’t exist.

Catholic Charities Tioga Outreach Center works to provide food and take away hopelessness and build back dignity for people in many ways.

1. SNAP (food stamps) outreach normalizes this hunger situation felt by so many. We can talk about it with people and with understanding of the complexities of poverty. We go out into the community to where people with low incomes are and find people to help. We offer practical application assistance and we get results, improving the family’s situation over time, especially if we couple the SNAP assistance with our other assistance programs. Take action and refer someone in need.

2. Our Food Pantry serves 150 to 170 households per month, almost 400 to 450 people and serves anyone in Tioga County. Welcome, warmth, and healthy food are there. All of their volunteers use their food pantry, and know how to help people who visit us. Simply, they are kind and encourage discussion if people want that. This service leads to the other TOC uplifting services such as emergency financial assistance, employment programs, free clothing and house wares, and youth programs to help kids be all that they can be. Take action and bring over some healthy food, or come and be a part of an amazing volunteer crew.

3. Our mobile food pantry, which is when the Food Bank of the Southern Tier brings a truck and we get volunteers to help hand out food in any kind of weather. If you are a hardy person who would like to help one hour every other month – we need you!  You can hand out food and take action against hunger.

4. We chair the Hunger Coalition of Tioga County food pantries. Here we learn best practices from each other and help each other. There is a food pantry in every corner of Tioga, and you can call Catholic Charities to find yours and also come to ours.

5. Catholic Charities helps with Thanksgiving and is need of bags of canned goods such as vegetables and fruits, gravy, stuffing, and instant potatoes to go with the turkeys. About 20 turkeys are also needed to make up a shortfall this year. You can take action and feel blessed at your station in life and your ability to help.

Please take action this September and every month because hunger has no time frame. Hunger is a disaster that you might not see like a hurricane or flood. Why wait to help each other? Let’s work together to treasure each other and show support, kindness and compassion. Take action to change how you show up in the world because others need your example, and they will follow. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Laurie Ellis

Community Services Director

Catholic Charities Tompkins/Tioga, Tioga Outreach Center