HELP FEED THE HUNGRY THIS HOLIDAY SEASON. Support the 4th Annual DU Charity Donation Drive.

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Thu Dec-17-09 01:59 PM
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HELP FEED THE HUNGRY THIS HOLIDAY SEASON. Support the 4th Annual DU Charity Donation Drive.

Edited on Thu Dec-17-09 09:24 PM by Skinner

(Please kick and recommend this thread so more DUers will see it. Thanks.)

For the last three years, the members of Democratic Underground have joined together in a year-end charity donation drive, benefiting Feeding America (Formerly America's Second Harvest) -- the Nation's Food Bank Network. As we approach the end of the year, I encourage all DUers to do what you can to help feed the hungry this holiday season.

100% of your donation goes directly to Feeding America, and you get the tax deduction. Feeding America has set up a secure, dedicated page so we can keep track of donations from our members. DU does not collect the donations, and DU does not receive any of the money donated. To donate, click here:

https://secure2.convio.net/a2h/site/Donation2?idb=0&df_id=1560&1560.donation=form1&s_src=W0912DMU

Here are some of the Faces of Hunger from the Feeding America website:

DANIEL

Little Daniel is out to prove that he is the toughest and bravest of all his siblings. As the youngest in the family, he has a need for power and speed, ready to fall to the ground to do a series of pushups when he is not running laps around the makeshift church and pantry of Denver’s His Hands Ministries.

The five-year-old started coming with his family to the pantry during the fall of 2008, finding that His Hands Ministries offered a safe place to play as well as to get food. Daniel’s parents, who have often been weary of the youth violence in their neighborhood, are glad to let all six of their kids attend the Food Bank of the Rockies agency for after school activities and church services.

Daniel’s mother, Santana, relies on the large boxes of fresh produce and meat she receives each week from the family. Since her husband lost his job with a railroad inventory company, the family has often struggled to come up with one meal a day. The food stamps she receives don’t stretch as far as they did when her children, ages five to fourteen, were receiving free meals through their schools’ lunch programs.

Daniel’s ambition to be a cop, a fire truck, and an ambulance all derive from his mother’s determined drive. Santana is putting herself through school by working at a discount store, training at night to one day work in a hospital preparing medical bills and codes. She dreams of a time when she and her husband can move Daniel and his older brothers and sisters in to a ranch house on a sprawling farm. Wherever this young family is headed, they know they have the support of His Hands Ministries to get them there.

https://secure2.convio.net/a2h/site/Donation2?idb=0&df_id=1560&1560.donation=form1&s_src=W0912DMU

ZOEY AND FAMILY

The job search has been taxing and unpromising for Crystal, a former shift manager at a fast food restaurant, and her husband, who prior to the storm worked at an air conditioning company. Scouting leads in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Florida quickly depleted the family’s savings. They came to South Carolina after an internet search alluded to the state’s booming labor industry.

At the time of this early December interview, Crystal and her family had spent only two weeks in their South Carolina city, cramming the entire crew into a motel. As they had done each morning, the family got up and put on some of the same clothes they’d worn on the day they left their Mississippi home. Alex, Crystal’s eleven-year-old son, often shares clothes with his mother. Now he finds himself continuously adjusting the extended waistline of his ill-fitted sweat pants while attempting to control his three rambunctious siblings.

Crystal’s husband isn’t at the Tricounty Ministry with his family- he spends his days searching for construction work while she brings the children over to the small food pantry. Apart from the hot meals and grocery bags full of food they receive from the Tricounty, Crystal is excited to know that the executive director of this Lowcountry Food Bank agency has even offered to help them find a new apartment. It’s a needed comfort in this turbulent time for the young family, allowing Crystal to concern herself with other ways of keeping her family afloat.

https://secure2.convio.net/a2h/site/Donation2?idb=0&df_id=1560&1560.donation=form1&s_src=W0912DMU

EDWARD AND FAMILY

Since 2004, Edward’s life has been a near-constant struggle. Shortly after losing his job due to a chronic illness, he also received temporary custody of his ex-girlfriend’s four children. He has since drained his savings, and cannot get by solely with the assistance of food stamps and modest disability pay. Faced with virtually no income and a newfound family to feed, Edward began to search for help.

He contacted the San Antonio Food Bank for support. Trough the food bank, he found out about local food services offered at a church—where he now receives groceries two Thursdays each month.

“It’s been a blessing because it gets me through the week,” Edward explains. With the food he receives, Edward creates weekly menus for the kids—with rice and beans, he makes chalupas; with chicken and ham, he makes sandwiches.

Edward grew up in a poor family and learned from his mother that children always come first. He holds true to this lesson today, and when food supply is low, he waits for the children to eat first and then eats their leftovers. He does not believe in letting his children go hungry—he will go without before he sends his children to bed with empty stomachs.

Edward is scheduled to have surgery on his knees and ankles, which will address his chronic health problems. It is his hope that they will heal smoothly so he can gain his strength back to go back to work. In the meantime, his local food pantry and the assistance he receives through food stamps help him get by.

https://secure2.convio.net/a2h/site/Donation2?idb=0&df_id=1560&1560.donation=form1&s_src=W0912DMU

ABOUT FEEDING AMERICA (Formerly America's Second Harvest)

Feeding America is the nation's leading domestic hunger-relief charity. Each year, the Feeding America network provides food assistance to more than 25 million low-income people facing hunger in the United States, including more than 9 million children and nearly 3 million seniors. Our network of more than 200 food banks serves all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.The Feeding America network secures and distributes more than 2 billion pounds of donated food and grocery products annually. The Feeding America network supports approximately 63,000 local charitable agencies that distribute food directly to Americans in need. Those agencies operate more than 70,000 programs including food pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters, after-school programs, Kids Cafes, Community Kitchens and BackPack Programs.

https://secure2.convio.net/a2h/site/Donation2?idb=0&df_id=1560&1560.donation=form1&s_src=W0912DMU

DONATE NOW AND DOUBLE YOUR DONATION!!

Once Again, DUer brooklynite has generously offered a challenge grant to provide a 100% match on the first $7,500 donated through our link! If you donate now, he will match your donation! Please don't leave all that extra money on the table -- Donate today and put it to work feeding America's hungry!

(If anyone else would like to make a challenge grant, please send me a private message with the details of your offer, and the words "Challenge grant" in the subject line.)

https://secure2.convio.net/a2h/site/Donation2?idb=0&df_id=1560&1560.donation=form1&s_src=W0912DMU

ABOUT YOUR DONATION

100% of your donation goes directly to Feeding America (formerly America's Second Harvest). Democratic Underground is NOT collecting or forwarding the donations, and Democratic Underground does NOT get any part of what you donate.

Donations are tax deductible. You will get a receipt for your donation directly from Feeding America.

Democratic Underground does not have access to any of your personal information, or any information about your donation to Feeding America. We won't know who donates, or how much you donate. All we know is the total value of all the donations made through our link.

https://secure2.convio.net/a2h/site/Donation2?idb=0&df_id=1560&1560.donation=form1&s_src=W0912DMU

The Charity Donation Drive ends at midnight December 31, two weeks from today.

If you have any questions, please feel free to post them in this thread. We hope this donation drive is a big success!

David Allen (Skinner)
Dave Allsopp (EarlG)
Brian Leitner (Elad)
Democratic Underground Administrators