I Fed A Hungry Person Today.

[Lunabelle]

My ritual on Saturdays when I have to work is Chinese food. (My favorite!) I am walking to my car when this little, but obviously pregnant woman approached me and said she was hungry and hadn't eaten all day. I was saddened to tell her that I didn't have any money (true, no cash) and she said, "That's ok, but thank you anyway." I then said to her, "Wait, do you like Chinese Food?" Her face brightened and she said "YES!"

I took her into the restaurant and bought her a meal of shrimp fried rice and spare ribs. I couldn't stay to talk to her because I had to go to work, but her short story is that she was laid off and travelling form the north down to Ft. Lauderdale where she had family. She had just enough gas money to get her there, but no money for food.

I suppose I just wanted to share this because it felt really good to help someone who was so in need of help. Please be kind to a stranger. If you can't stop to give help, at least give a little wave or a peace sign. Times are tough out there.

[mattvermont]

1. good on you, Lunabelle

Acts like that are what gives meaning to our sorry myopic lives.
I love how these acts lift us up as well.

[Liberal_in_LA]

2. k&r

[CurtEastPoint]

3. EVERYONE WRITE THIS DOWN (well said!) "Please be kind to a stranger. If you can't stop to give help.

at least give a little wave or a peace sign. Times are tough out there."

[socialindependocrat]

4. A friend of mine

was in a Boston Market and he ordered his meal and
they said they had a deal - whatever - you get so
much and they give you a whole chicken.
He thought - for free - why not
But, he didn't know what he was going to do with the extra chicken.

When he went outside he saw a homeless person sitting there in the parking lot and he gave the chicken to him.

My friend was tickled pink!!

It was a happy moment for them both..

[HockeyMom]

5. This is where restaurants, even school cafeterias could help

In the past I worked in a school cafeteria. People would be amazed at all the food that is thrown out at the end of the day. I am sure it happens also with restaurants. All this perfectly good food (not SERVED) could be given away to the homeless and the hungry rather than be thrown in the garbage.

[Mnemosyne]

16. My daughter was fired, twice, for giving food to the homeless. Shakes head. Good one for the OP! N/t

[renate]

21. being fired once for giving food to the homeless--well, live and learn, but...

Being fired a second time for giving food to the homeless means that you have a lovely and compassionate and incredibly selfless daughter who puts others' wellbeing ahead of her own with full knowledge of what the consequences to her could be. What a wonderful person!

[Mnemosyne]

29. She is a good woman, now 32, and did this at ages 17 & 19. Guess she just doesn't learn! :)

I am so very proud of her. She is now helping to open a free clinic in her small town. It's a volunteer position until she finishes her medical office internship, then she will be on the payroll.

[Liberal_in_LA]

35. nice!

[unapatriciated]

19. I work for a grocery store, that has been doing that for years.

We don't have sales, one of the reasons why is we donate daily to the local food bank.
At store closing we pull all date coded items with two - three shelf days before expiration. We box it (freezing the meat) the next day the local food bank picks up the donation.

The other reasons my company does this is that it saves them money. They get a tax deduction and do not incur the cost related to constant weekly sales. It also promotes good will in the community for our stores.

[liberalmuse]

6. Bless your sweet heart!

I love stories like this. Times ARE tough out there, but there are more people like yourself stepping up than we would think. Thank you for sharing. Beautiful post!

[Nye Bevan]

7. A good approach. Better to actually buy food than to give cash,

which may well end up being spent on drugs or alcohol.

[demosincebirth]

10. ...or food to take home for their family.

[Nye Bevan]

11. Yes. I have given food to homeless people

to take home for their families.

[shireen]

23. i always give cash

I never assume anything about them. If someone asks for money, I give them what I can, no questions asked. What they do with it is their choice to make.

[Nye Bevan]

28. I gave cash one time

and later found out that the person I had given the cash to was a "professional", not really homeless, and probably making more money than me. Given that I have limited resources to donate, I now prefer to make sure that what I give actually helps the homeless to eat.

[ret5hd]

34. Did you feel that that tiny little white spot on your soul...

was just tiniest bit smaller becUse of how the money was spent?

i didn't think so.

[Mnemosyne]

31. Cash can save a life when withdrawal occurs. I agree, no questions asked. n/t

[LuckyLib]

32. Giving is the charitable act itself. When it happens to be money, it's better

for all if we withhold judgment about what it will be used for. That's not the giver's decision to make.

[MarianJack]

8. Good for you!

PEACE!

[whathehell]

9. Very, very nice, Lunabelle....I always give to the homeless when I have $ on me.

I once gave some poor middle-aged woman panhandling in the street a

twenty dollar bill...It was worth twice that much just to see the look on her face.

[handmade34]

12. one nice thing about buffets

when the situation arises we take people asking for help into a buffet restaurant and pay... let them have their fill

[SomethingFishy]

13. I used to walk right by the homeless without a second glance

and then... A musician sang to me:

"Out of the way
It's a busy day
I've got things on my mind
For want of the price of tea and a slice,
the old man died."

Those words really meant something to me. That was 30 years ago. I still give whatever I can.

[Little Star]

14. You warmed my heart Lunabelle. Nice job! n/t

[Dragonbreathp9d]

15. More evidence DUers are good people

[dembotoz]

17. this touched me

thank you

[rustydog]

18. As you treat the least among you, you treat me...

You did GREAT! You are my hero.

[Lunabelle]

20. Thank you all my DU friends.

I still have a warm glow from giving. I feel so truly blessed in this life. I'm not rich and don't have a high paying job. I'm just a nurse with a big fat liberal bleeding heart!!!!!

[applegrove]

22. I give when I have small amounts in my wallet - I can't afford to give more than that these days.

I'm too skittish to sit down with someone and feed them. I just trust that the money will go to where they need it most. Good for you for helping that woman out.

[Lil Missy]

24. Good on you!

[Prism]

25. Sigh, we're there as a country

In North Berkeley, there's this little old woman - a bone cancer survivor - just about the nicest person you could ever want to meet. Sometimes she sits outside Chez Panisse, a very high-priced, trendy restaurant, with her little cup. I talk to her sometimes when walking a patient around the neighborhood at night. Around New Year's, it was so cold out, and there she was, all wrapped up, sitting on a bucket. I couldn't help it. I reached into my wallet, grabbed what was in there, and put it in her cup. I don't know how much it was. I didn't care.

Sometimes you see suffering and need and just have to do something.

[AverageJoe90]

26. You, Lunabelle, are a wonderful lady, and people like you ought to be praised more in society. =)

[BrendaBrick]

27. K&R

touching post.

[joeybee12]

30. Good for you...

[Rex]

33. Thank you!