Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Short-term vs long-term

Yesterday, Hunger-Free Minnesota launched a three-year campaign today to close Minnesota's gap of 100 million missing meals. Almost twenty-seven years ago, Store To Door began delivering groceries to people like Betty, who sent this note recently: 
"Originally we lived in an upper level of a duplex with many stairs--and my arthritis making it more difficult to carry the groceries all the way up the steep stairs. I heard about Store to Door and it was very helpful. Now I am 2 1/2 years away from 80, living in a senior building and finding it is more difficult to go out on my own to do any grocery shopping and no relations close to help.   I  am very grateful for Store To Door".

Hunger-Free Minnesota reports hungry Minnesotans, including kids, families and elderly, are missing 100 million meals every year.  Shopping for and delivering 18,000 grocery orders into the homes of homebound eldelry adults each year takes a small nip out of that overwhelming need.  And, providing personal contact every other week, checking up on people we can't reach and working with the caregivers that are available to our clients is what we do every day. 
While Hunger Free Minnesota hopes to achieve its goal by 2014, I hope we're still serving homebound elderly in 2040, when I might (if I live long enough) need the service.