Blog Action Day 2008~Addressing Poverty

What is Blog Action Day...find out here. I ran across this with some blogs I follow and decided I wanted to participate. This year more that 10,000 bloggers are taking time out to write about poverty. Each year a different topic is chosen.

As we all know, poverty is one of the underlying conditions that add significantly to the social ills of the day. We live in the richest country in all the world and there are many that go to bed hungry each night. It is shameful!

Many of these are innocent children, the elderly and the infirmed of our society. Blog Action Day is asking bloggers to unite in raising the consciousness of our readers today as a unified group and to share what we will do personally to help alleviate some of the suffering that poverty produces. What can just one person do to help?

For more than a decade Jim has been heading up Scouting for Food in our Region of Northern California. This is a nationally sanctioned effort of the Boys Scouts of America to collect food for the local food banks in the area.

In our area this is done every year in mid-November and is just in time to ensure that many will have a wonderful Thanksgiving through the generosity of others. However, this effort goes far beyond that in being a major source of stocking the food banks for the needy for the entire year. This is a major undertaking and there is something that you can do to help and also make a contribution.

• Be proactive by finding out when the food drive will be run in our area. November 15 in the Bay Area.
  
• If you do not receive a grocery bag from the scouts~use your own and make a canned food donation anyway. Donate only canned goods, please. No perishables, thank you.
  
• If a group of scouts does not come by your home to pick up your donation~be proactive and find out where a drop off sight is.
• Take the food to one of the truckers that is donating their time and company's big rig to bring the food to the food banks.
• Tell your friends and neighbors.

If each of us just did those few things the amount of food collected would be increased dramatically.

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What are Jim and I committing to do?

• We will raise our monthly donation to those in need by 20%. (Money)
  

• I will take a more active roll in making the Scouting For Food Program a success in our area. (Time)
• Donate more things we no longer use or need to thrift shops and non-profit charities. (Non-cash donations)
  

How can you do something proactive to help with the poverty issues in the world today? One or two people can make a significant difference!

If you want to participate in blogging about poverty go to the site and register.

Here is my friend, Laura's, perspective on Poverty in America. Very insightful, Laura!


***flickr photos