On Monday of this week over 350 individuals visited our emergency relief Resource Center here in inner city East Dallas.
Monday was "PAN day" at Central Dallas Ministries. People and Nutrition is a collaborative endeavor underwritten by the North Texas Food Bank, our good friends at Catholic Charities and the U. S. Department of Agriculture.
The intention of PAN is to provide supplemental nutrition to elderly and disabled adults and to children.
PAN is a blessing to the very low-income participants who visit us each month.
There were so many people here on Monday that we literally found walking through our interview room almost impossible.
In the stress and the heat, everyone cooperated with joy, hard work and gratitude.
The following day over 200 individuals visited us. Things were "back to normal."
Hunger is real in Dallas.
Finding food for your family is a real challenge, if you are working and still impoverished.
It is very, very clear to me that the nation is failing its people who live at "the bottom."
There is no national strategic plan, no logic model for attacking poverty and overcoming it.
In light of all of our resources this fact is a genuine national tragedy.
It is our national shame.
Wanna talk values today?
This situation is immoral.
Disclaimer: reading your blog today hit a very emotional note. That said, living in the US as a Christian, I fear, is soon going to feel like living as a Christian in El Salvador in the 1970's. Or, the US in the 1960's. We are on the brink of revolution, or doom. Christian communities must join the struggle of the 'bottom' to teach and embody a prophetic message of non-violent justice in the name of brotherly love or else.
ReplyDeleteLarry,
ReplyDeleteI was a bit confused as to why a Christian man would have a link to "Mother Jones" on his blog. That is a horrible site. It does not honor God in the least.
Anonymous, thanks for your comment. I respect your point of view. However, the links to this site have been chosen because of the kinds of essays that they often publish. While I do not agree with or endore all of the essays or reports in any of the publications linked here, I do believe that the points of view represented should be considered and evaluated. One of our problems today is that we read only what confirms our existing points of view. That is why you see the variety of journals listed. I regret any offense to you personally. I had a professor in graduate school who once told me that "truth had nothing to fear from open and honest inquiry." I believe he was correct.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, have you ever READ an article in Mother Jones?
ReplyDeleteYup.
ReplyDeleteSo, tell me, what did you object to in Mother Jones?
ReplyDelete