Consider, Homeless, Poverty

Convenient concern for the homeless and poor.

Leave a comment

“Where was your concern for our low-income families then”?

This comment from a recent newspaper column took me back to a very similar thought I had while reading the editorial pages of all the local papers and finding letter after letter denouncing slots because “they are hard on/bad for the poor”. I was left sadly shaking my head at such blatantly self-serving morally objectionable behaviour.

I do mean to christen as immoral those who are concerned for those in need only when it is convenient or serves their self-interest and ignore those in need when it could inconveniently required effort or even (shudder) some small sacrifice or there is no self-interest to be served by being concerned for the well-being of the poor.

Immorality: something that is a cause or source of suffering, injury, or destruction: the social evils of poverty and injustice (American Heritage Dictionary).

Week in and week out papers were filled with letters about how bad for the poor slots would be, a vast outpouring of concern for the poor to the papers and to council. Before or after the slots debate?

Precisely.

Poverty

Senior Citizens hunger for – food

Leave a comment

A friend came up to me and sat down at the table at the Street Hope meal at Global harvest and stated, “You have to write about all the seniors needing the Food Bank.” I’ll skip the discussion as to why I had to write it instead of him and speak to his concern.

Mr. O wanted me to draw people’s attention to how fast the number of seniors who need the Food Bank in order to eat is growing. There is also growing numbers of seniors eating at the Salvation Army and/or accessing the food distributed there.

Housing costs in Abbotsford are skyrocketing. For seniors owning their own homes property tax increases outstrip available grants. For those who don’t own, rental rates are climbing with increased demand for housing providing an additional boost to soaring rent costs.

To pay for their housing seniors are being forced to reduce what they spend on food and rely more and more on charity to eat.

Compounding these concerns we are beginning to see senior/retirees who not only cannot afford food but also can no longer afford housing. They are ending up in emergency shelters – in shock and lost.

Both hunger and homelessness will continue to grow in the seniors/retirees population – until we as a society choose to say it is unacceptable and act. Volunteering at their local food bank would be a real eye-opening experience for many.

Speak to your family, friends and neighbours; write, talk and demand that our so-called leaders take action; and be a little extra generous to the Food Bank and people such as Street Hope or the Open Door seventh day Adventist church who feed so many hungry.

We may not be seeing hairy caterpillars but all the signs are that this is going to be a cold, wet, hungry winter for many senior, poor and homeless.

Homeless

Starbucks Sunday

Leave a comment

It was Starbucks Sunday at lunch today. Once a month the Sumas Way (near the Super 8) Starbucks provides coffee to the Open Door Church to serve with the lunch the church provides. Not only do we get the high octane of Starbucks but there is lots of coffee for seconds and thirds. On a cool rainy day such as today was, hot coffee puts a nice warm glow in your stomach.

I would be most remiss if I did not mention Cobs Bread and their weekly donation to the Open Door of bakery goods for the sandwiches they make. In particular I must mention the occasional special treat that comes in the form of leftover sweet items mmmmmmmmmmmmm. For an epicurean delight of the baked goods variety I can attest to the tastiness of our local Cobs and to their generosity in giving support to different groups the other six days of the week as well.

Although I must acknowledge that Costco’s Kirkland brand of apple caramel pie and shortbread cookies are pretty tasty, especially when hunger has sharpened the appetite and being homeless in the cold and wet weather has your body demanding extra fuel, extra calories, to burn for warmth.

A community often does not see all the little ways that franchisees and corporate citizens contribute to the community not just through big dollar donations but in the day to day, month to month contributions to local groups like the Open Door Seventh Day Adventists who use this generosity in order that there might be a little less hunger stalking the streets and homeless of Abbotsford.

So give Cobs bread a try, the great flavour is well worth the trip and take time to tell them “that homeless guy who writes all those letters and other stuff” said to say thank you for being generous and helping feed the hungry. If you get the chance, tell management at Costco “good job” for giving back to our community.

Swing by the Sumas Way Starbucks and say thank you as a citizen of Abbotsford for being part of the community. You might also want to work into the conversation a suggestion that since that is the favourite Starbucks of “that homeless guy who writes all that stuff” they might want to consider donating a Venti or two a day to fueling his fingers ….

Thank you to these and to all the businesses that give back to the community through their generosity, from homlelessinabbotsford and the many others who benefit from and appreciate their kindness and thoughtfulness.