Hunger Walk 2014: A Personal Appeal

Clairemont and Bay Park Readers,

Were you hungry today? Maybe in the morning when you woke up, or just around noontime? Perhaps last night you felt your stomach growling a little before dinner.  I think it’s likely that if you are reading this note that you had options to take away that feeling. Whether it be something humble like a bowl of cereal or a nice dinner out with a friend, you didn’t have to stay hungry.  And if you have kids, and they tell you their tummy is empty, you have the wherewithal to fix that too.

That’s not true for many people in our community. You wouldn’t think it in a nice suburban community like Clairemont but there are most definitely folks in our neighborhood that go to bed hungry, or who eat once a day or have to choose between buying their medications and food. Even worse, there are little kids who know the feeling of never having enough to eat.

Fortunately, there is a resource that can help, CCSA (Community Christian Service Agency). You may remember seeing a house on the corner of Clairemont Dr. and Rappahannock, across from the S. Clairemont Rec center that sometimes has a puzzling sign: “Commodities March 22” or noticed a line of people along the street in front. That’s CCSA and the commodities are things like the “government cheese” you may have heard jokes about.  The line is people waiting to pick up donated food from CCSA’s pantry.

Here in Clairemont they primarily serve low-income people and families. That’s right, there are working people who need help getting enough to eat for themselves and their families. That’s a shame, isn’t it, in this country with such tremendous wealth?

So, now that you know, what can you do?  You can walk! Yes it can be that simple, just by participating in CCSA’s Hunger Walk this Saturday March 15th at Mission Bay you will help them provide food assistance to our neighbors that need it. There is no registration fee; just ask family members, friends, and neighbors to sponsor your walk by making tax-deductible donations to CCSA.

Can’t make it? Hate to ask for donations?  That’s cool, I have another option, even easier: donate your lunch money!  Whether it’s the cost of a PB&J sandwich you make at home (what, like $2?) or the $12 you spend when you take yourself someplace nice, it all helps.  It’s tax-deductible too!

Here’s the website: www.ccsasandiego.org.  You will find all the details about the Hunger Walk and a PayPal link to donate.  Thank you for reading!

Janet Poutré, Publisher, Clairemont Community News