"If ye have done it unto the least of these, ye have done it unto me"

[Padraig18]

As Thanksgiving draws near, I would like to ask those of you who have enough food to eat and a warm, dry place to eat it to consider the plight of the many throughout this nation who are not so fortunately situated. Even in my relatively economically-stable area, true hunger and want exist; we are blessed here to have some socially-responsible parishes and congregations who come together to provide hot, nourishing meals to the poor on a daily basis, to operate a food bank which helps those who are 'food insecure' and to provide other services and grants to the economically-distressed among us.

Even with some of the terrible things that have happened to me in life, I have never even come close to being either hungry or homeless, nor have I been without a loving family and friends to willingly care for and support me, for which I thank God daily. I can only imagine the cold, awful feeling that must neccessarily attend those for whom the possibility of hunger or homelessness is an enemy that must be kept at bay, and for whom simple day-to-day existence is a bitter struggle.

Please, in the name of common humanity, if you can afford to spare a few dollars (or some time), give them to some agency in your community that deals with this life-or-death issue. To you, your gift may seem embarrassingly small, or inadequate in some way, but to those who have nothing, it's value will be without price.

Thank you, and God bless!

:hi:

[Metatron]

1. You are good people, Padraig.

Thanks for the reminder. Hunger and homelessness in America are very important issues to me. I even feel bad when I see those "what are you eating today" threads, because there are probably hungry DUers who avoid them. (No offense whatsoever to anyone who creates those threads, I can certainly be over-sensitive!)

[Padraig18]

3. A gentle reminder is all most people need.

Thank you for your compliment, but I'm simply trying to be a good steward, as my Church teaches me is my duty to my Lord and my fellow Man.

:hi:

[qnr]

2. Well, I've nothing to contribute. but I do volunteer a few days

a week at the local food bank.

[Padraig18]

5. It all helps.

Thank you for your work.

:hi:

[pagerbear]

4. Pagersniff

I'm moved by your words and my own gratitude.

[Padraig18]

6. Awww....

You're good people,'bear.

:hug:

[pagerbear]

7. Thanks buddy

I'd consider it an honor to serve soup beside you some day!

[Padraig18]

8. I'd be honored, as well.

Tony and I will be working Wednesday night at the parish hall, helping make dressing, pies, side dishes, etc., and we'll be serving Thanksgiving day from 11-1, then home to prepare our own meal for our family and friends.

:hi:

[pagerbear]

11. What time should I come over?

[Padraig18]

12. We're eating at 6:00.

It's a wild-game dinner: goose, venison roast and steaks, and rabbit. We'll have a ham for the kiddies and timid adults.

:)

[pagerbear]

13. I'll be there!

(Checking maps, estimating driving time from NYC....)

[Padraig18]

14. Be careful!

It's going to snow here Wednesday afternoon and evening, and the storm will be moving generally east/northeast.

;)

[pagerbear]

15. Oh dear

I might have to take a rain check then.

[Padraig18]

16. You're welcome any time.

:hi:

[pagerbear]

17. Do they get any sweeter than you?

I don't think so!

[Padraig18]

19. Tony's just as sweet!

In that macho, Latin way, of course.

;)

[frictionlessO]

9. as somone hwo has been without a home before and hungered

I'd like to thank you from the bottom of my heart. Hunger knows no boundries. It is without doubt the most despairing feeling... I wont describe anymore because you have to empathize in order to start a thread like this to begin with.

[Padraig18]

10. I feel so bad some times, for the people we help.

It breaks my heart that they are in the situation they're in, and to see how grateful they are for the relatively little we are able to do to alleviate their plight.

:hug:

[DemBones DemBones]

18. Excellent post. Liberals know what Jesus would do,

and that would not include reducing the taxes of the wealthy while so many are in need. :cry:

[no name no slogan]

20. You mean he wouldn't destroy a city to 'save it'? (n/t)

:hi:

[Padraig18]

21. Bingo!

While hunger and want still exist, to 'ease the tax burden' on those who know neither one is unconscionable.

[Padraig18]

22. Kick. n/t

[Padraig18]

23. Kick for the afternoon/early evening crowd.

:hi:

[Padraig18]

24. kick n/t

[UrbScotty]

25. God bless you, Padraig.

:hug:

[Padraig18]

26. As Lincoln said, the Lord must love poor people, ...

... because he made so many of them. My Church teaches that we are our brother's keeper, and I believe it with every fiber of my being. I cannot solve all the world's problems, but I can work on those which are close at hand, and capable of being solved.

:hug:

[faithnotgreed]

28. beautiful. may i ask

where you attend church (what denomination if it has one?) i was raised evangelical friends which is quaker

that IS exactly what Jesus would do and wants so very much for us too. all this destruction that is sold as Christianity is nothing less than blasphemy

thank you so sincerely for your love and humanity

[Cuban_Liberal]

30. We're both Roman Catholics.

Faith, plus good works, is at the heart of the Church's teachings.

:)

[UrbScotty]

32. How true, how true.

WE must all do our part, regardless of our differences.

[Padraig18]

27. Evening-shift kick.

:hi:

[yellowdogintexas]

29. tomorrow I will spend the day with my Sunday School class and

other church members packing Thanksgiving baskets which go out to the underprivileged in Fort Worth. I am very excited because this is the first chance I have ever had to do this..(there are some advantages to being unemployed)

In December, our church will feed chili lunches (all you can eat) to homeless and others equally underprivileged every day for a week. Hopefully I will be able to do this at least one day but will try to do more.

[tjdee]

31. And you're so cute!

Blah blah blah, good person, blah blah blah nice message...poor people....helping....blah blah blah.

:P

[FuzzySlippers]

33. Early morning KICK.