food pantry

Hosea Feed the Hungry Needs Your Donations

in Community by

Hosea Feed the Homeless is a non-profit organization founded in 1971 by Reverend Hosea and Juanita T. Williams, which prides itself on assisting individuals and families, who are faced with hard times, acquire basic necessities such as food, clothing, toiletries, medical supplies etc. Hosea goes beyond these measures however, “It seeks to prevent homelessness by providing rent, mortgage, and utility assistance, financial literacy and GED classes, school supplies and book bags to children, intensive case management and support programs to teach recipients how to develop small businesses and co-ops, as well as leadership training to independent farmers.”

Just as the homeless and those in need rely on the services provided by Hosea Feed the Hungry, the organization relies on donations and support from the community.

According to a 2013 article written in Atlanta’s Creative Loafing, Atlanta has taken steps to help the chronically homeless men, women, and children in the city to get off the streets. A special City Hall innovation team funded by the Bloomberg Philanthropies grant has created a voluntary registry to help link homeless people with the appropriate available services and resources. The group focused first on homeless veterans. Mayor Kasim Reed also recently announced the creation of a nonprofit, overseen by board members who will be appointed mostly by him, that would help address the issue.

Hosea Feed the Hungry, needs your donations now and especially during the upcoming holiday season. Any contributions made would be greatly appreciated.

Please visit www.hoseafeedthehungry.com or call 404-755-3353 to see how you can help with donations or how you can volunteer your time.

The American Dream is Fading Into a Nightmare

in Opinion by

A top of the line education, three square meals a day, a well paying job, a car to drive and a roof over our heads is what every American attempts to acquire in one way or another, but fails to achieve on a daily basis. Living that type of lifestyle sounds easy however, this simple accomplishment is out of reach for many families in this country. In the midst of the battle between the Republicans and the Democrats, the number of Americans falling into poverty still rises. It is poverty by design because part of the battle by the two parties is not about how to eradicate it, but it seems to be more about how to make the problem worse. Cutting programs or reducing funding for things that were put into place to help an American grow as citizens only creates more problems and creates problems that are not yet taken into consideration. A good example would be the Head Start programs that are being affected by the Sequester.

Its not a new concept that a good education, coupled with diversity in the workplace that is also lined with plenty of opportunity, is not only the foundation that is essential for getting out of poverty, but it is what is needed to stay out of it.

Ashley

ABC News, Ashley Horton

NBC News reported a story entitled, “In Plain Sight.” The piece addresses how many college students who are working hard to finish his or her education are in need of food to eat. Some colleges are attempting to bring food pantries to their campuses to help the problem, but some students are not in a hurry to accept.

“Ashyle Horton, 22, was reluctant take help from a University of Arkansas food pantry because of the stigma of need. That program, like others, works to decrease the shame of seeking assistance.”

Although it is not the responsibility of the government to ensure that every American live the dream, it is their responsibility to provide access to whatever tools and resources that are needed for one to realize his or her vision. Being ashamed of assistance is a product of our nation’s leaders who want to label others as being part of the, “47%.” Much like the comment made by the 2012 Republican Presidential Candidate, former Mass., Governor Mitt Romney. There is only one percentage to take into consideration and that would be 100. Everyone is equipped to play a role in the life of another in order to help him or her succeed. Pointing fingers, placing blame and making the simplest of achievement not available to the masses creates poverty. That is why it is by design. If policy makers talk to everyday citizens and ask them what would be needed to help fix the problems surrounding the issues of poverty, they just might be surprised. Getting insight from those who have or are in the situation would bring about the best advice for plausible solutions.