This year, I tried to minimize my exposure to the news—I really did. I subscribed to shorter and shorter summary newsletters, I stopped listening to The Daily, I deleted a few apps, and I expressed gratitude for the fact that I turned off my news notifications a couple years ago. But ignoring the news cycle can’t last forever; after a few short weeks I knew it was time to take the cotton out of my ears, so to speak, and start paying closer attention.
Case in point…federal budget cuts that will affect food banks across the country are starting to impact our communities at the local level. Now, if you visit the Greater Cleveland Food Bank’s web site, they (blessedly) dispel rumors and misinformation about trucks with rotting food being turned away (not happening), but they do let us know that they could lose nearly 5.1 MILLION pounds of food without federal and state assistance.
You can read all about how recent changes may affect our local food pantries, but the main thing to keep in mind is that we are all in this together. We can help make a positive difference for our friends and neighbors who rely on support from food banks, by participating in the Cleveland Food Bank’s Harvest For Hunger Campaign:
“Harvest for Hunger is an annual springtime campaign and collaborative effort of four local food banks across 21 counties to help fight hunger in Northeast Ohio. It is coordinated by the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, Greater Cleveland Food Bank, Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley and Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio….
The 2024 campaign set a new record, collecting more than $9.77 million and thousands of pounds of food to provide over 29.4 million nutritious meals for local hunger relief.
As we begin the 2025 Harvest for Hunger Campaign, we know our communities continue to face challenges. The demand for food assistance is at an all-time high, and many of our neighbors, including working families, are struggling to get adequate nutrition as they cope with increasing costs of living. All too often, those served by the Harvest for Hunger campaign must choose between paying for food and paying for utilities such as heat, or getting the medicines they need to stay healthy.
More and more seniors on fixed incomes are also struggling to make ends meet. Because of this, we recognize the critical role of food banks and partner agencies to remain a reliable resource.
With your support of the Harvest for Hunger campaign and beyond, we can be here for the long haul.”
(https://harvestforhunger.org/)
We have an opportunity to do some good together, and to demonstrate that no matter what kind of craziness is happening in politics or government, we will acknowledge and take care of one another. There are no shortage of places and people doing great work to help others, so I want to express my gratitude to you in advance for joining me in supporting our local food banks.
Click here to order now for Friday, April 4—Pickup at Luster Boutique at Van Aken from 10:30 am to 6:00 pm, Congregation Mishkan Or from 9:30 am to 3:00 pm, or choose local doorstep delivery. Don’t need anything this week? Purchase a loaf for donation! Each Friday, we take pre-purchased loaves to local food pantries, such as Our Community Hunger Center in Twinsburg. Click here to order one (or more) now!
With that, I thank you for being my partner in doing good, and I wish you a peaceful week!
Warmly,
Joanna