“Soldier ask not”

Posted on June 10, 2023 by jilldennison under Global Issues, History, Law and justice, Political commentary, Re-blogs, Social commentary

My blogging friend Brian (Equinoxio) typically posts about art in many venues, many styles. It was he, I believe, who first introduced me to the famous street artist, Banksy. I’ve long enjoyed Brian’s art posts, but until yesterday I had no idea that he, himself, is a very talented artist. Brian is also a humanitarian who shares my horror at the continuing war in Ukraine and in his latest post he uses his artistic talent to share his thoughts on Ukraine. It is a very moving post and I warn you … you may need a box of tissues. Thank you, Brian, for this post and your permission to share it … it needs to be seen far and wide.

Equinoxio

I forgot my name. I forgot everything, or most of everything. I forgot where I am. On a lonely country road in winter it would seem. There are still patches of snow on the ground.

Wait! Wait! I do remember one thing. I’m a soldier. That’s for sure.

Yes. I’m a soldier. Now what is my name? Does it really matter? “Soldier ask not”, the Captain told us.

Oleg? Nah. that’s a R*ssian name. In Ukrainian it is Oleh. We used to joke with the R*ssians that they had a bad accent. That they mispronounced everything. And they would laugh. I guess they’re not laughing any more…

Oleh, or Oleg, comes from the Old Norse ‘Helgi’ or ‘Helge’, which means ‘Holy’. Old Norse? Yeah, the Vikings. We’re all cousins of sorts, aren’t we? The name is very common in our parts. But Oleh is not…

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Chef José Andrés Speaks … We Better Listen!

Posted on May 24, 2023 by jilldennison under Economic issues, Environmental Issues, Global Issues, Social commentary

I have written before about Chef José Andrés and his organization, World Central Kitchen, the not-for-profit non-governmental organization devoted to providing meals in the wake of natural disasters. They travel all over the world, feeding those displaced by natural disasters, war, or famine, and since February 2022 they have been a huge presence in and around Ukraine as they help feed the hungry there.

More recently, though, Chef Andrés has partnered with George Washington University to found the Global Food Institute, the goal of which is to deliver solutions to the biggest challenges facing the world’s food system. Chef Andrés wrote the following OpEd for The Washington Post on Monday evening and I hope everyone will read it, think about it, for what he says is true: hunger is a global crisis that is already a world-wide threat and will only grow worse over time.

Why global hunger is a national security threat

José Andrés

22 May 2023

Threats to U.S. national security are not just measured in missiles, armies and terrorists. Political and economic turmoil, in countries that are important to America and its allies, can also be overwhelming.

That’s why fighting hunger and thirst is no longer just a challenge for aid workers. The scale of the global crisis is so great that hunger now represents a threat to our security, our borders and our projection of power.

Don’t take a chef’s word for it. Over the past decade or so, the U.S. intelligence community assessed the likely impact of global food and water insecurity.

U.S. security agencies predicted a world, right around now, when water shortages and floods would “risk instability and state failure, increase regional tensions, and distract them from working with the United States on important US policy objectives.”

They forecast that in countries of strategic importance to us, “declining food security will almost certainly contribute to social disruptions and political instability.”

I have argued for a national security adviser for food and a secretary of food. I have proposed the creation of a National Food Agency to center food policy on the needs of American citizens.

But I have not succeeded in convincing my friends on either side of the aisle on Capitol Hill or at the White House that food must stop being a policy afterthought [emphasis added].

The time has come for us all to prioritize food in our public policy — at home and internationally.

Consider one of the most divisive factors in politics today, both in the United States and in Europe: immigration from the Global South.

What is driving so many families to risk their lives on perilous journeys through the jungle, across rivers or on the open seas?

Violence, corruption and lack of opportunity are nothing new in the Western Hemisphere. Though they are clearly factors in the surge to the U.S. southern border, there is something new about what is moving so many people today.

That is food. To be precise: malnutrition, hunger and food price inflation.

Three years ago, the majority of migrants came from the Northern Triangle countries: Honduras, Guatemala and El Savador. Now, most migrants at our border come from other countries, including Venezuela, Colombia, Nicaragua and Cuba.

What ties these countries together?

Cuba is suffering extraordinary food shortages and price hikes. About three-quarters of Venezuelans live on less than $1.90 a day, which, economists say, is nowhere near enough to feed one person, never mind a family. In some regions of Nicaragua, almost 1 in 4 children under the age of 5 has chronic malnutrition.

I could tell you the same stories about the Northern Triangle countries a few years ago. Or I could tell you about the Honduran family we fed as they sheltered under a bridge in McAllen, Tex. They recognized the logo of World Central Kitchen, the nonprofit I founded, because we had fed them in Honduras the year before, when back-to-back hurricanes wiped out their farm.

As severe drought devastates crops across South America, the World Food Program recently warned that “the whole continent is on the move.”

We cannot build a wall high enough to stop the army of mothers with hungry children in their arms.

Our problem is not that we lack the resources or know–how to relieve these unbearable pressures. Our problem is that we lack focus.

The United States spends around $25 billion a year on Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Texas alone wants to spend $4 billion on the border.

That’s what the United States spends on feeding the whole planet through the World Food Program in a normal year. It’s four times what the administration proposes to spend on stabilizing the democracies and economies of Central America to help stop migration.

Food is not just an existential challenge beyond our borders. In the United States, about half of the adult population either has diabetes or is prediabetic. Two in five adults are obese. Last year, supplies of baby formula collapsed because of contamination at one factory, and the shortages endure.

The Government Accountability Office recently found that the federal government leads 200 different efforts across 21 different agencies to improve our diets. Yet we still cannot match our farming subsidies to our nutritional needs.

Everybody and nobody is in charge of food.

Food can be the solution to multiple crises: from our health to our climate, from immigration to global security. But only if we think differently and prioritize our food.

Our global food systems are broken, and we urgently need structural change. That starts right here in Washington.

Good People Doing Good Things — In The Aftermath Of Ian

Posted on October 5, 2022 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, Environmental Issues, Good people doing good things, Social commentary

Last week, Hurricane Ian struck the state of Florida, wrecking homes, businesses, and taking over 100 lives in its path of devastation. Some of our own friends — Horty & MJ, Scottie & Ron, Mary, Larry and others — were directly affected and our heart goes out to them. Just as with any natural disaster, people dig down and find their good side, putting pettiness aside to help those in need. Today’s ‘good people’ post focuses on just a few of those good people.

Small in stature, but with a big heart

Dominic D’Andrea is 7 years old and lives in Indiana … some 1,100 miles from Ft. Myers, Florida, but when his mother explained to him what a hurricane is and how Hurricane Ian had destroyed homes and cost people their lives, he rallied to the cause. Dominic retrieved his ‘piggy bank’ (actually a rather large jar) and said he wanted to give it to the people in Florida …

“I’m sending it to people in need in Florida … because they had a hurricane… and they need more stuff. Because their house might fall down and they’ll have nothing. I was really saving up for a Corvette or an electric scooter, but people need this.”

His mother, Jaclyn, was so moved by his gesture that she recorded it on video to share with his dad, who was at work. She also posted it on social media, where it understandably went viral. Methinks young Dominic could teach us all a lesson! The piggy bank, by the way, held $280 … far more than any piggy bank I owned when I was 7 years old!

Helping the helper

Tony Atkins is a reporter for WESH 2 News in the Orlando, Florida, area and early last Thursday morning, he became a hero to at least one woman. While covering Hurricane Ian, Mr. Atkins noticed a car stuck in floodwater and could see a woman inside waving for help. Atkins waded through waist-high waters to the vehicle.

“She handed me her purse. I just told her to get out. She got out through the window. I thought it’d be best to carry her on my back. She got on my back. She asked for help one time, and then I got her to safety.”

He carried her just until they came to a place where the water was only ankle deep, then she proceeded on her own steam. The woman, a nurse, was on her way to work early Thursday and attempted to drive through the flooding caused by the hurricane. You can imagine how important it was for her to get to work … no doubt many are in need of medical attention during this disaster … and Mr. Atkins made sure she got there all in one piece.

From Afghanistan to Sanibel Island

South Florida’s Sanibel Island was cut off from the mainland when Hurricane Ian swept away the connecting bridge. Sanibel Island is home to about 7,000 people, many of them elderly. Add in wind and flood damage to their homes and it’s a recipe for disaster. Enter Bryan Stern, a veteran of the U.S. military, and co-founder of Project Dynamo, a grassroots group that helps rescue Americans from Afghanistan and Ukraine.

On Wednesday night, as the storm was battering Florida, Stern and others began gathering crews, boats, and even crowbars for the urgent task that would soon be at hand: rescuing hundreds of people who might get trapped by floodwaters.

“As soon as the sun came up, we started rolling.”

As of yesterday’s news report, Stern and his group had rescued about 20 people, some trapped atop furniture within their homes. According to Tim Barrett, the training division chief for the Sanibel Fire Department …

“It sort of restores your view of humanity. You see people chipping in and they aren’t getting paid for it. There’s even people whose homes are destroyed, but they’re helping them. They’re still helping other people.”

World Central Kitchen to the rescue!

Whenever and wherever there is a disaster, Chef José Andrés and his World Central Kitchen will be there feeding those in need! The non-profit is currently operating a kitchen out of Fort Myers and distributing free meals at multiple sites throughout Southwest Florida. From wildfires on the west coast to Ukrainian refugees and now to Florida where thousands are still without electricity, water, and some are left homeless by the devastation of Ian.

As of Monday, World Central Kitchen had distributed more than 150,000 hot meals and sandwiches. Those include both meals prepared by World Central Kitchen itself as well as around 30 food truck and restaurant partners, including Sarasota fine-dining staple Michael’s on East and Manatee County’s Anna Maria Oyster Bar (with assistance from Gus Sokos of Demetrios’ Pizza House.)

Once again, thumbs up to the fabulous people who give so much of themselves to feed the victims of disasters all ‘round the globe!

Something A Bit More Uplifting

Posted on July 1, 2022 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, Environmental Issues, Global Issues, Good people doing good things, Social commentary

I needed to step away from the politics of the day for just a few moments, and had just about decided to skip doing a morning post today, but as I scrolled through the 400+ emails awaiting some disposition, I came across one from World Central Kitchen. You all remember them … the organization started and led by renowned Chef José Andrés. I thought that maybe you guys could use a break from the angst of the moment, too, so I decided to share Chef Andrés’ letter with you for a bit of extra ‘good people doing good things’ around the world to remind us all that not everything is doom & gloom.

As missiles hit shopping mall and apartment buildings in Ukraine, WCK jumps into action

The past several days in Ukraine have seen horrific attacks on purely civilian targets, including a busy shopping mall in Kremenchuk, and apartment buildings in Kyiv & Mykolaiv–and just tonight, an apartment building in Odesa where at least 10 people were killed. In response to the missile strikes, WCK teams have jumped into action, bringing food & water. After the shopping mall was destroyed, we delivered hot meals, sandwiches, fruit, 2 tons of water & tea—and brought a generator & built a rest area for rescuers.

Hot meals, water & baby formula for communities devastated by deadly earthquake in Afghanistan

The most damaging earthquake in two decades struck the remote, mountainous provinces of Paktika and Khost in eastern Afghanistan last week. Killing more than a thousand people and injuring many more, families and rescue teams continue to care for survivors as medical facilities become more overwhelmed each day.

Together with Hospitality for Humanity–whose team lead is from the affected region–we are distributing thousands of hot meals every day to shelters, hospitals & clinics working around the clock. To increase capacity and serve more communities in need, we established two Relief Kitchens cooking for families. While the UN delivered tents, WCK is the only organization currently providing food & water.

Serving both lunch and dinner, fresh meals have included lobia chalaw (beans with tomatoes, parsley, mint, and spices), kabuli palaw (considered the national dish of Afghanistan composed of meat with rice, raisins, and carrots), naan, and fruit.

Assisting families and medical staff in need of clean water, we are also providing both bottled water and six 15,000-liter water tanks with our fresh meals. Damage from the earthquake destroyed entire villages and has left many families sleeping outside in the rain.

Tragically, many children have lost both of their parents. To provide as much comfort to these kids as possible, we’ve set up a special tent to give them a safe space where they can draw, read books, and enjoy some fresh fruit. Additionally, the team is starting a baby formula program to deliver bottles to mothers in hospitals.

Meet Some of the #ChefsForUkraine Team

WCK’s work across Ukraine is managed and carried out by thousands of brave Ukrainians every single day. Our team now includes more than 4,500 people—chefs, drivers, warehouse managers, logistics experts—who help us serve over 1 million daily meals.

In Zaporizhzhia, Alex Beluga and his namesake Beluga Restaurant feed thousands of people every single day. One village he serves is Mala Tokmachka, a community near Russian-occupied territory—prior to the invasion, Mala Tokmachka had 3,000 residents, but there are now just 600-800 people left. Alex brings WCK food kits for families here living with no power or electricity. Deliveries here are dangerous—their vehicle has been damaged by shelling—but Alex is dedicated to supporting families not receiving any other form of help.

Katya, WCK’s regional lead in the eastern city of Kramatorsk in the Donetsk region, delivers critically needed food to families in the area. It was in Kramatorsk where we witnessed the horrific missile attack on the train station as families—including many young children—were desperately trying to flee. But Katya and her family have stayed behind, playing a vital role in supporting many who are unable to leave, even as attacks from Russia increase. Despite the danger, she says, “I really enjoy meeting and communicating with people, helping them—and this gives me the strength and desire to keep working.”

Earlier this month, a boxcar carrying pallets of WCK food to be delivered in eastern Ukraine was hit by a missile. Working with the incredible team from Ukrainian Railways, Katya helped clean up the mess and get the salvageable food to families in need.

Artem works with our WCK team in Dnipro to distribute thousands of WCK food kits and meals to families every day. He’s been traveling to frontline communities in the occupied Kherson region, and villages under attack in Donetsk. When he learned that water had been out for 2 months for 2,000 families, Artem brought a WCK generator to get the pumps working again–and 5 villages now have access to clean water.

Nastia is only 12 years old and came to Dnipro from Kharkiv with her mother Yulia in early March. They left their native town, home, and everything else, trying to save their lives. After receiving hot meals from a local WCK restaurant, they both began volunteering every day to help prepare meals for other Ukrainians forced to flee home!

Good People Doing Good Things — In The Wake Of A Storm

Posted on September 2, 2021 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, Environmental Issues, Good people doing good things, Social commentary

On Sunday, exactly sixteen years after the infamous Hurricane Katrina swept up through the Gulf of Mexico along almost the same path, Hurricane Ida made landfall in Louisiana. At least seven are dead and more than one million without electricity. Sounds like a perfect place for a few good people to step in, doesn’t it?

Back in February when an unexpected snowstorm hit Texas I wrote about Jim McIngvale, owner of Gallery Furniture in Houston, Texas, who opened the doors of his showroom to anyone in need of warmth and shelter. McIngvale’s generosity and kindness dates back 16 years to the time of Hurricane Katrina when he opened his doors to those in need of shelter. And today, in the wake of Hurricane Ida, McIngvale, age 70, is once again heeding the call of those in need.

But this time, McIngvale is sending dozens of trucks loaded to the brim with the most essential things. Says McIngvale …

“Our hearts go out for the residents of Louisiana, especially in New Orleans residents are getting hit by this terrible hurricane. So on Monday at Gallery Furniture from eight to five in the afternoon, we’re gonna have a giant drive. Looking for people to bring non-perishable foods, diapers, all the normal things for hurricanes and we’re gonna get about 30 trucks and take them to Louisiana to help the people out and be doing that as long as the need’s there. And we’re also having Louisiana residents that evacuated to Houston sleep here free.”

And as Hurricane Ida swept through New Orleans causing massive evacuations, the nursing staff at the NICU at Ochsner Health Hospital in New Orleans volunteered to stay through the night with the babies who desperately needed them. Says Nurse Paula Jean Simon …

“I am so proud. My team pulls together, doesn’t matter what’s happening, they’re going to make sure the babies are taken care of.”

And lastly, wherever there is a disaster, you won’t likely have to look far to find Chef José Andrés and his World Central Kitchen staff setting up shop and providing food and more to the people in need. This week is no exception … Andrés came to New Orleans straight from Haiti where they have been providing food and assistance to the people displaced by first by an earthquake that killed over 2,000, followed by Hurricane Grace.

Andrés tweeted on August 29^th …

Hello friends of @WCKitchen! I’m on the ground in New Orleans with @natemook & WCK’s Relief team…Winds are getting bad as Hurricane #Ida makes landfall…We have 3 kitchens ready with supplies already for 100,000+ meals! Now we will shelter until Ida passes…

My apologies for both the lateness and the brevity of this good people post, but I hope to get back up to speed soon!

Good People Doing Good Things — Random Acts of Kindness Day … And More!

Posted on February 17, 2021 by jilldennison under Good people doing good things, Social commentary

Do you know what today is? It’s February 17^th! And do you know what February 17^th is? It’s National Random Acts of Kindness Day! Now, we should all be kind to everyone we encounter every day, but National Random Acts of Kindness Day is intended to make us more aware of the little things we can do to help someone out, or maybe just bring a smile to their face. In this, the era of the pandemic, many more people are struggling than ever before, financially, emotionally, and in other ways.

In the U.S., Random Acts of Kindness day is celebrated on this day, but in other countries, such as New Zealand, the date is different, but the meaning is still the same. The goal, according to the National Kindness website, is to help make kindness the norm by spreading it in the simplest ways. So, what are some simple ways we can do a random act of kindness? You tell me. My favourite is usually to help someone I see struggling, perhaps to reach an item on a high grocery shelf, or a person in a wheelchair trying to get their groceries onto the conveyor belt, then out to their vehicle. Or, paying it ahead at the drive through line is always a good one, one that tends to spread.

As I always tell you guys at the end of each week’s Jolly Monday post, share those smiles. Sometimes, just a kind smile can bring joy to someone who’s a bit down. Thank someone … the mail carrier or trash man. Help a neighbor carry their parcels in. Or, if you’re feeling really energetic, get out that shovel and shovel a neighbor’s driveway and sidewalk! It’ll help them, and you’ll get some much-needed exercise, too!

Anyway, let’s all try to do one random act of kindness today …

I usually get some flak when I highlight professional athletes or other celebrities who are making a difference, being good people, but when I think it’s deserved, I will shine a light on them. Not all of them are selfish jerks. This week, I have several that I think deserving of kudos.

I’m sure you all remember last May, when a Black man, George Floyd, was brutally murdered by a white police officer – an event that triggered many of the Black Lives Matter protests during the summer. The most important thing Mr. Floyd left behind was his 7-year-old daughter, Gianna. The Floyd family, like so many of us, lived payday to payday, and without his income, times were harder than ever. Enter a bunch of good people …

NBA professional basketball star Kyrie Irving learned what the family needed most and stepped up to provide it. Kyrie Irving, the point guard for the Brooklyn Nets, bought them a house. Irving, who felt he was just doing the right thing, tried to downplay his generosity.

“I just want to keep continuing to fulfill our purpose in serving a lot of the underserved communities. Those don’t necessarily get the same attention. So just trying to do my part with service, that’s all.”

Irving is not the only celebrity to reach out to Gianna and her family. Lil Wayne’s manager bought them a Mercedes-Benz. Barbra Streisand gave them stock in Disney.

In addition, Kanye West (whom I cannot stand personally, but I give credit where credit is due) donated $2 million to help Gianna and the families of Ahmaud Arbery, the 25-year-old victim of a racially motivated murder in Georgia, and 26-year-old Breonna Taylor, who was killed during a botched drug raid by police who showed up at the wrong apartment.

And ordinary citizens are reaching out, as well. A GoFundMe campaign has raised more than $2.3 million, providing a fund when she’s ready to attend college—if she doesn’t want to take advantage of a full scholarship already offered by Texas Southern University.

Then there’s Stephen Curry, considered by some to be the greatest shooter in NBA history and treated as basketball royalty. But there’s another side to this man. Last summer, as the COVID-19 pandemic stalled the economy leaving many out of work, he and his wife Ayesha launched Eat. Learn. Play., a foundation that helps families struggling to put food on the table, through donations to the Alameda County Community Food Bank and the Oakland, California school system.

“We know the world is changing before our eyes in terms of dealing with the spread of coronavirus and we just found out that the Oakland Unified School District is closing the doors for the foreseeable future, so we want to intercede on behalf of the kids that rely on the daily services and try to help any way we can.”

Since then, the initiative has expanded exponentially. After joining forces with the world-renowned, Chef José Andrés, founder of the nonprofit disaster-relief group World Central Kitchen, Stephen and Ayesha’s foundation has gone from serving 4,000 meals a week to 300,000.

In total, more than 15 million meals—and counting—have found their way to those in need.

But more than just serving up meals, Eat. Learn. Play. is also giving the local economy a much-needed financial shot in the arm—about $20 million that has “led to the rehiring of more than 900 Oakland restaurant workers.”

“It’s all about impact. The things my wife and I try to do, separately and together, are to raise awareness, to find impactful partnerships, to be human and understand the urgency of the moment.”

My thanks to all the good people who are doing what they can to help people, and let’s see if we can do just a little something today to bring a smile to someone’s face, okay?

Good People Doing Good Things — Short Snippets

Posted on February 3, 2021 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, Good people doing good things, Social commentary

I must admit to cheating just a bit on today’s ‘good people’ post, as my time was short tonight. Every week, I get a CNN newsletter about good things happening, people helping others, etc. Today’s good people post is a compilation of good people from the last few of those newsletters. I may be a bit lazy, but these are still good people!

Looking out for each other

Trust your gut. How many times have we all heard that advice? When Shonda Lemon, a mail carrier in Chicago, noticed a senior citizen on her route hadn’t picked up her mail in a few days, her gut told her something was wrong. Lemon has a soft spot for the elderly, and she often greeted Helen Iwanski, 89, during her day. Iwanski would even sometimes attach candy to outgoing mail to thank Lemon for her work. After she noticed Iwanski’s absence, Lemon called the police to ask for a well-being check. When police entered the house, they found Iwanski on the floor, where she had fallen and been unable to move for several days. Luckily, after a hospital stay, Iwanski is on the mend, and her family says she calls the postal worker her angel. Lemon says she’s relieved the older woman is going to be OK. “Each person has an intricate part of your life, and you never know how important they may be.” Words of wisdom, my friends.

Brilliant idea

This is the “Teeter-Totter Wall,” a set of three seesaws slotted in between the gaps of the steel border wall that separates El Paso, Texas, and the Anapra community in Juárez, Mexico. The bright playground staples allowed children from both communities to play together despite the 20-foot wall between them. The temporary installation just won the 2020 Beazley Design of the Year, an annual award and exhibition run by London’s Design Museum. Ronald Rael, one of the California-based architects behind the project, said the seesaws were almost like the wall itself: “What you do on one side has an impact on the other.” Truer words were never spoken.

Giving what you have

It’s a special kind of selfless when someone chooses to help others even when they’re struggling, too. Take Carolyn Alonzo, who owns a Fetch! Pet Care franchise in Chicago. She’s seen her business take a huge hit during the pandemic, and to make matters worse, two of her dogs died. But out of her grief, she created the non-profit Obi’s Pet Pantry to help people who are having a hard time financially providing for their pets. She used some of her stimulus money and some donations to keep it stocked with food, blankets, collars, shampoo and other pet supplies. Others are using their stimulus money to pay it forward, too. Jeff Suchon of Highland Park, New Jersey, has purchased more than 30,000 masks with his economic relief payments, even though he lives on a fixed income and can’t work due to health concerns. Matthew Pierce, a teacher at Milton Hershey School in Hershey, Pennsylvania, has used his stimulus payments to buy Uber Eats gift cards for many students and their families. “We have to model good civics. It’s not something we’re born with. We need to give back in times of need.” 👍👍

Getting an early start on being a good people

Five-year-old Aryana Chopra rang in the new year in the most productive, positive way possible: She designed and handmade 200 cards to send to every resident at a senior living home in Vestal, New York. Aryana’s father is a doctor on the front lines of the pandemic, so she knows how serious coronavirus is. “I got an idea of making cards for the people in the nursing home who cannot go out and meet their friends and family,” she says. When her mother noticed Aryana hard at work making the cards, she called the local nursing home and asked how many residents were there. Two hundred is a tall order, but Aryana worked for almost two weeks to make them all, decorating each one with a unique combination of rainbows, snowmen, kids holding gifts and special New Year’s messages. Even then, that wasn’t enough for the little girl. She broke open her piggybank and bought the resident a few more gifts, including a very cute Santa Claus statue. This kid has been taught well. Thumbs up to Aryana and her parents!

Feeding the soul

What’s one of the most reliable ways of providing help and support to people during a crisis? Food. And few people do it better than star chef José Andrés. I’ve written about Chef Andrés before — he’s fed survivors and first responders during natural disasters, he’s fed pandemic heroes, and last month he helped feed National Guard members and law enforcement responding to the deadly attack on the Capitol. Since a curfew was imposed to increase security, Andrés said he knew these hard-working men and women wouldn’t have a lot of options to eat, so he drove around the area and collected about 120 pizzas. Later, in the wee hours of Thursday morning, he opened his own kitchen at his area restaurant Jaleo, and was seen making eggs, sandwiches and pasta. World Kitchen, Andres’ non-profit organization, said the team was able to feed about 700 people.

Good People Doing Good Things — Helpers In These Trying Times

Posted on March 18, 2020 by jilldennison under Global Issues, Good people doing good things, Social commentary

We’ve heard a lot in the past few weeks about human swine who are hoarding large amounts of commodities such as toilet paper, disinfecting wipes, hand sanitizer, and even foodstuffs such as chicken, fresh fruits & veggies, etc. And then there are the scammers … people who are finding unique ways to profit from other people’s troubles. But today I want to focus on people who are finding ways to be good people in the midst of the pandemic crisis.

A tip that will be remembered …

On Sunday afternoon, the governor of Ohio announced that all restaurants and bars would close at 9:00 p.m. and remain closed indefinitely … another casualty of the pandemic coronavirus. We were eating at TGI Fridays when the announcement was made, and our server broke into tears. I was chuffed to see that a few minutes later, the family dining across the aisle from us gave her a $100 tip … she broke into tears again. We gave her a $50 tip … and she broke into tears yet again! But none of that compares to what a diner in Columbus, Ohio, did.

An anonymous man dining at The Coaches Bar and Grill in Columbus, received his bill shortly after the governor’s announcement … the bill totaled $29.75. To that check, he added a gratuity of … $2,500! On the check, he wrote a note requesting that the tip be split equally among the five servers who were working that night. Needless to say, the tears were flowing in The Coaches on Sunday night. Thumbs up to that anonymous man!

Helping the neighbors …

Becky Hoeffler lives in Durham, North Carolina and works for Duke University. These days, she’s working from home, and when she spoke by phone with her grandfather in New Jersey, she was concerned when he mentioned that he was going out grocery shopping. She wished she could do it for him to lessen his risk, but obviously she couldn’t. However, it gave her the idea to make grocery runs for her senior neighbors, in lieu of helping her grandpa.

She started with her next-door neighbor, an elderly lady who only asked her to pick up paper towels, fresh fruit, and flour. The neighbor then returned the favour in the form of fresh-baked banana bread!

Next, she walked down to the housing community for senior living at the end of her cul-de-sac. She talked to people on their porches and introduced herself—and the offer of kindness.

“They told me I could post the sign with my information near the mailbox station, so all members of the community would be able to see it!”

Becky has posted on a local Facebook group to try to get the word out and to see if anyone needs help.

“In these situations, when the community steps up, you really lessen the pressure on first responders and medical personnel,” she said in an email. “If you’re able to decrease, even by a little bit, the number of patients that have to seek care because they’ve been exposed to something, it’s good for the community as a whole.”

Thumbs up to Becky Hoeffler for caring about her senior neighbors!

Chef Andrés is at it again …

I have written before about Chef José Andrés before. He and his charity have been praised time and again for helping feed those in need during hurricanes, fires and other disasters. This time, he is turning his 5-star restaurants into food kitchens for families who may be having trouble making ends meet during the coronavirus pandemic.

The makeshift soup kitchens will begin serving takeout meals starting today between noon and 5:00 p.m. Furthermore, all of his employees will be getting paid time off for the first two weeks.

Andrés’s charity, World Central Kitchen, has also been serving up meals to people affected by the coronavirus, including the quarantined cruise ship passengers and staffers aboard the Grand Princess. And from Little Rock, Arkansas to San Francisco, the charity has already served up several thousand meals to students and families amidst school closures.

Caremongering in Canada

The first “caremongering” group was set up by Mita Hans with the help of Valentina Harper and others. Valentina explained the meaning behind the name.

“Scaremongering is a big problem. We wanted to switch that around and get people to connect on a positive level, to connect with each other. It’s spread the opposite of panic in people, brought out community and camaraderie, and allowed us to tackle the needs of those who are at-risk all the time – now more than ever.”

Valentina said the rapid growth of the trend was far beyond her expectations, with the Toronto group itself now having more than 9,000 members.

“We thought we’d have a couple dozen people. It’s grown to thousands. But the most positive thing is the local groups that have started, geared to specific neighbourhoods. It’s really shown us the need that people have to have some level of reassurance and hope. Anxiety, isolation and lack of hope affects you. In providing this virtual community which allows people to help each other, I think it is really showing people there is still hope for humanity. We haven’t lost our hope.”

But they do more than just offer moral support or a kind voice to break up the loneliness. These include a single mother in Ottawa receiving food for her baby, a group of people in Toronto offering to cook meals for those who are unable, and a community in Prince Edward Island who gave grocery store gift cards to a woman who was laid off because of closures related to coronavirus.

One of the most popular acts is to go to the supermarket for those who are unable – though depending on luck this can prove to be an act of extreme patience as one Hamilton woman discovered when going to a Walmart at 5:30 am on Saturday – the queue was a long one.

These people aren’t rich, don’t have a lot to give, but they are giving of themselves to help others in small ways. Thumbs up to them all.

In memory of …

The family of 88-year-old Darrell Blakeley, who died at North Manchester General Hospital on Friday after testing positive for coronavirus, have asked people to carry out acts of kindness in his memory.

“We invite you to forget flowers and cards. Instead we would like you to give acts of kindness. Help someone who is lonely or struggling during this time, who needs shopping, childcare or a chat. Post tiny acts of kindness given and received and share. Build something beautiful in Darrell’s memory.”

These are just a few examples of the many, many people who, instead of seeing this crisis as an opportunity to make a buck at someone’s expense, are seeing it as an opportunity to do something good for others. I think we can all find some things to do to help people out in these trying times, don’t you?

On Feeding Our Children …

Posted on May 20, 2019 by jilldennison under education, Social commentary

Imagine you are a child in school. The lunch bell rings, you head to the cafeteria with your friends, stand in line, select your lunch, and when you get to the cashier, you are told that you cannot have your lunch, for your parents haven’t paid your lunch bill. You are handed a sandwich … or worse, the cashier throws your lunch in the trash and tells you to move out of the line. Your friends … they are looking at you … you feel as if every single kid in the cafeteria is looking at you. You are so embarrassed you wish the ground would open and swallow you. You run to the bathroom in tears. This is happening all over the United States.Some children are eligible for free lunch, but those who are not must rely on their parents to keep money in their school lunch account. Sometimes perhaps the parents are a bit short one week, or perhaps they simply forgot. It happens. Children should not have to go without a nutritious lunch and be shamed in front of the entire school for something over which they had no control. And yet, that is exactly what is happening across the nation.

In Warwick, Rhode Island earlier this month, the school district implemented a new policy that any child who has unpaid lunch fees or cannot afford to pay for his/her lunch will be denied a hot lunch and given only a “sunflower seed butter and jelly sandwich”. The district claims to have “tens of thousands of dollars” of unpaid lunch fees and can no longer afford to extend lunch credit to the children.

Enter a good Samaritan, Angelica Penta, owner of a local restaurant, who offered $4,000 to help pay some of that lunch debt, but her offer was firmly rejected … twice! She was told that the school would have to decide which children’s accounts to apply the money toward, and so unless she specified whose accounts she wished to pay, or unless she paid the total they claim is owed, they could not accept her generosity. Meanwhile, children are being embarrassed and subjected to a sandwich made of … sunflower seeds???

But Warwick is only one such example, as I found out on researching for this post. This is happening all over the country and has been for some years! In Phoenix, Arizona, children’s arms are stamped with the words “Lunch Money” if their accounts are empty. In Santa Fe, New Mexico, lunches are thrown in the trash, rather than given to the children if they cannot pay. What a waste!!! A few states have recently banned what is called “lunch shaming”, but in others it is standard practice. In Rhode Island, legislation requiring all students to receive the same hot lunch regardless of their financial circumstances is pending, but meanwhile kids in Warwick schools are eating sunflower seed sandwiches and continuing to be embarrassed.

There are any number of steps the schools could have taken other than hurting the children. They could have contacted the parents by phone, discreetly sent a note home with the child, or even called the parent in for a consultation. The children do not have control of the family finances! There are a few heroes here, though. Ms. Penta’s assistance was ultimately accepted by a portion of the district, West Warwick, and she has set up donation jars in her restaurants where patrons can add money to help the cause. The rest of the district, however, continues to insist that she must specify which children she wishes to help. She has posted on her Facebook account that if anyone needs help paying for their lunch, to contact her and she would help.

Chobani, the yogurt makers, has given the district $47,650 to apply toward the debt the district claims it is owed. Now, oddly, the district first claimed the lunch debt was in the $40,000 range, but just a few days later claimed it was $77,000. Something fishy here … surely they do have an accountant? Thumbs up and hats off to Chobani for their compassion and humanitarianism, and thumbs down to Warwick, Rhode Island, where officials are putting profit ahead of the nation’s children.

It is wrong to punish the children for their parents’ oversight, and in most cases it is simply oversight. We’ve all forgotten to pay a bill, or other important tasks. We send our children to school to learn, and it’s hard to learn much if you are hungry, or if you have been embarrassed so badly in front of your friends that you just want the day to be over so you can go home. School lunch … such a simple thing … and yet it has become a monumental issue in this nation. We are so obsessed with money that we are harming our greatest resource, our children.

Along those same lines …

Remember a few days ago when I posted Nicholas Kristof’s piece about Teresa L. Todd, the good Samaritan who stopped to help three immigrant teens and was arrested by Border Patrol agents for her efforts? Well, here’s another similar story.

Bonnie Kimball was a cafeteria worker at Mascoma Valley Regional High School in Canaan, New Hampshire until recently. Then on March 28^th, she was fired by vendor Café Services for letting a student have a lunch even though his account had no money in it. Turns out that Café Services’ contract with the school was coming up for renewal and the school was considering switching to another company, so Café Services had head honchos in the school keeping an eye on the staff. Her letter of termination stated …

“On March 28, a District manager was on-site and witnessed a student coming through the line with multiple food items that you did not charge him for. This is a strict violation of our Cash Handling Procedures, the Schools Charge Policy and Federal Regulation governing free meals.”

Once the story was reported nationally by CNN, The Washington Post and others, the company told The Post that they would offer Ms. Kimball her job back, but it was obvious to all that their purpose was to stop the negative publicity that was having a negative effect on their contract negotiations, and Ms. Kimball declined.

The situation came to the attention of chef José Andrés, a humanitarian who has provided thousands of meals to victims of natural disasters and the homeless. Chef Andrés tweeted …

“New Hampshire school cafeteria worker fired for giving food to student who couldn’t pay … The hero is Bonnie Kimball! If she needs a job we have openings at @thinkfoodgroup if you know her, let her know!”

Is our society becoming so self-focused, so intent on squeezing every last cent out of people that we punish those who try to help others? It would seem so.

Filosofa's Word

Cogito Ergo Sum

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