Feed the hungry--one at a time

"Where de hungry people, mama?" My then three-year old daughter walked tirelessly through the retirement apartment complex looking for the elderly who I told her would not have lunch unless we brought them food.

Meals on Wheels has been a great avenue to teach my girls about feeding the hungry. For little ones, it packs more punch than writing a check to a hunger relief agency or donating canned food to a food pantry (although both are important, as well!) Having my daughters help me deliver meals puts "flesh" on the face of hunger.

I want my girls to know that they CAN do something about world hunger, even at their age. It is so easy to get discouraged about the massive, global scale of malnutrition, starvation, and other hunger related issues that we think our small efforts could not possibly make a difference. But Mother Teresa wisely said, "if you can't feed 100 hungry people, than feed one."

Mother Teresa also remarked that "the most terrible poverty is loneliness and the feeling of being unloved." I remind my girls that for many of the people on our route, we are the only human contact they will have all day long. I tell them, "Give our Meals on Wheels friends a big smile and make them feel special, because they're valuable to God."

As Mika and Macy gingerly place a fresh-cooked meal in the hands of an elderly shut-in and match her wrinkled smile with one of their own, I say a silent prayer that their little hearts will be tenderized to serve others who are hungry--physically, relationally, and spiritually.

For information about volunteering with Meals on Wheels, contact: Dallas area: Betsy Cox coxbe@vnatexas.org 214-689-2639

Other areas: see http://www.mowaa.com/ and enter your city/state to find a local group