tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965517076346675902011-11-19T19:52:36.872-06:00because the face of hunger may look different than you thinksusanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.comBlogger861100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-12866128194763888362009-01-17T19:27:00.006-06:002009-01-17T20:52:17.025-06:00

Just wanted to stop by and let you all (the great subjects of this blog and anyone else who still drops by) know - that some images from this blog made it all the way to to the top. They appeared in a video that Second Harvest Food Bank submitted to USASERVICE.ORG. Here's the best part... ready? It won first place. This news caused me to dance a little jig around my house last night for the

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-57686317801538320392008-10-09T20:12:00.004-05:002008-10-09T20:42:01.778-05:00

Jaynee Day, President & CEO, speaks to local news media.Thanks in large part to CMT One Country, Tyson Foods came to Nashville last week, to deliver a little chicken (thirty thousand pounds) to Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee. Check it out here.

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-76435991509747343332008-09-02T19:19:00.004-05:002010-11-05T18:28:08.252-05:00

Here are a few words from Mr. Seay (pictured above) about his food stamps and a bonafide church hymn from Mr. Ernest Tyree (who'd like to give a shout out to Emmanuel, at Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee). This blog is taking a little break. I'll be checking in though, to sort through all the many thousands of comments you folks will no doubt be sending but otherwise,

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-15814889505968759582008-09-01T20:08:00.001-05:002008-09-01T20:12:16.552-05:00

Pastor Robert Evans speaks to volunteers before the monthly food giveaway.

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-52024433626044606992008-09-01T20:04:00.001-05:002008-09-01T20:07:45.742-05:00

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-26904052101649452452008-08-31T17:08:00.005-05:002008-08-31T18:19:58.214-05:00

Volunteers wait with wheelbarrows to deliver food to the vehicles of each person or family. Each are given what appears to be a weeks worth of groceries and supplies that include back-to-school items, diapers and pet food. Pastor Robert Evans says they started out meaning to feed twenty-two people. Here's a link to some footage of their food giveaway in June of 2007.

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-24217218335891803082008-08-31T11:40:00.007-05:002008-08-31T22:25:01.716-05:00

At 8pm on Friday night, people started lining up at Joseph's Storehouse, in Lebanon, Tennessee. They slept in their cars. Typically it's hardest during the last few days of the month. On average, this group of Americans lives whether alone or with their families, on $700. a month.

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-54420849695825693632008-08-31T09:21:00.001-05:002008-08-31T09:23:43.609-05:00

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-35619864874349480962008-08-28T23:18:00.002-05:002008-08-28T23:36:53.334-05:00

Mt. View Elementary School (and the YMCA) does meals (breakfast and lunch) all through the summer. I was able to visit them during the last week before school started. Honestly, I couldn't have asked for a more fun job. Beyond the somber theme of hunger, there's still this resounding, care-free optimism wired into most kids that's irresistible. I went from table to table and everywhere I turned

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-85458684858058010492008-08-28T22:51:00.005-05:002008-08-28T23:41:35.503-05:00

I hadn't thought of this myself but teachers, they know.

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-76478583202684052592008-08-27T09:51:00.001-05:002008-08-27T09:53:10.543-05:00

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-15547206715744780382008-08-27T09:46:00.001-05:002008-08-27T09:49:20.804-05:00

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-91305360044925108722008-08-26T17:39:00.003-05:002008-08-26T17:45:59.810-05:00

"This is only the second time I've been here," he said. "I don't want to come unless I absolutely have to."

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-32842869115491711572008-08-25T16:12:00.004-05:002008-08-26T09:45:56.920-05:00

These wheels were humming the entire time I was at St. Luke's Community House last Thursday. Between visitors, two volunteers (this day it was Jill Williams and Ted McKinney) bagged groceries, helped people to their cars, and sorted a truck load of food, all in one smooth motion. They might have taken a little break along the way, but if they did, I missed it. Visit St. Luke's blog here.News: (8

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-51060093423073441632008-08-25T14:55:00.011-05:002008-08-25T22:30:13.937-05:00

(Update: Tyson reached their limit with over four hundred comments on the following post, thanks to those who clicked through.) Leave a comment on this blog post at Tyson and they'll give a hundred pounds of food to the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas. It can even be a one word comment like: "Awesome."

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-43624068368057099592008-08-25T07:43:00.006-05:002008-08-25T17:33:00.742-05:00

Mom called her Dirt Dauber, but her real name is Kennedy. The doll is Britney (that of course, could change). I made a picture of Kennedy, she made one of me. I made one of Kennedy's doll. She made one of me. We did this for about three rounds while her mom waited for a food box.

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-59120003329944417532008-08-23T20:41:00.000-05:002008-08-23T20:42:17.740-05:00

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-12051613114192096272008-08-23T20:27:00.003-05:002008-08-23T20:41:01.678-05:00

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-13502679313520924692008-08-21T23:11:00.002-05:002008-08-21T23:33:26.224-05:00

This is just a little annex at Bethesda where they keep furniture. The brick building next door (you can just see the edge of it), houses their food pantry and thrift store. Patty, Sandy and Chris, part of Bethesda's dream team of volunteer/employees, on their way to lunch at a nearby restaurant.

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-53169096940963329582008-08-16T21:05:00.006-05:002008-08-16T22:57:16.357-05:00

Here are just a few more shots from the Bethlehem Center's food pantry on Charlotte Ave. The food pantries are set up by zip code, for readers who may not know already. If someone needs food, they generally would go to the food bank in their zip code. Those kids all go together. Aren't they great? They were so well-behaved it was scary. Of course, they weren't without supervision, but still.

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-84606852174716826012008-08-15T13:06:00.001-05:002008-08-15T13:08:46.505-05:00

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-52439490486056626392008-08-13T06:35:00.002-05:002008-08-13T06:40:39.983-05:00

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-35259262076228885372008-08-12T22:30:00.002-05:002008-08-12T22:35:29.321-05:00

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-66587401342975576152008-08-12T22:21:00.002-05:002008-08-12T22:30:24.918-05:00

Roy Reed checks in a long line of people at Bethlehem Center's food pantry last Thursday morning. I've noticed over the last few months how patient people are when they're waiting in such a line. There isn't the same huffing and puffing you might find in a long grocery store line.

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-11775605911091260452008-08-11T22:49:00.002-05:002008-08-11T22:55:25.250-05:00

This message is on the lunchroom refrigerator, at the Dickson Help Center.

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-3887549737180847522008-08-11T22:24:00.004-05:002008-08-11T22:46:34.086-05:00

[thrift store shopper, in training] Joyce

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-2322750494592917372008-08-08T14:02:00.004-05:002008-08-08T14:40:26.376-05:00

After months of grief from the loss of her home, Joyce (on the right), finally went to the Help Center and got a voucher for household items. She went home with a set of dishes, a couple of lamps, some silverware and towels. The only thing the fire didn't claim was her car and the nightshirt she was wearing.I have to apologize to all the guys at Bethlehem Center on Charlotte Avenue. When I said

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-48699835117397046302008-08-08T13:28:00.003-05:002008-08-08T14:01:16.740-05:00

I'm not sure when I last visited the Dickson Help Center. I think it was a little over a year ago. It isn't clear from this photo but they have maybe a third of what they had then. If that estimate is inaccurate, someone correct me. Seth Doanes' backstage account of [his] CBS News story, A Family on the Edge is here.

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-76708802579959208702008-08-06T11:05:00.005-05:002008-08-06T11:37:40.253-05:00

The New York City Hunger Blog is reporting some pretty good news for seniors here. In a similar nod to the value of nutritious meals... Tennessee Schools Serve Free Fruits and Vegetables

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-31643206875482598732008-08-06T10:05:00.009-05:002008-08-06T17:40:53.342-05:00

Very often, it's a thrift store. Volunteers, Ursula Spence and Bobbie Somerville discuss the perils of moth holes, among other things, in a donated garment. I went looking for a website for them, didn't find one, but here's an article that mentions the Help Center. Good resources listed there at the end too if you happen to be needing help in Dickson County. Jessica Donald (mentioned in the

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-62336165556834051922008-08-06T09:30:00.004-05:002008-08-06T10:04:22.203-05:00

People from the community leave donations and leftovers from their yard sales at the back door of Dickson Help Center. I should add: during business hours. The articles are then sorted by a brave woman named Jessica. Brave is appropriate for Jessica because as any thrift store sorter will tell you. There can be a little bit of everything in those bags and boxes. In her words, "Sort at your own

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-31877346583198384372008-07-30T23:19:00.002-05:002008-07-30T23:28:55.346-05:00

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-68992358357475726992008-07-30T22:49:00.002-05:002008-07-30T23:01:55.223-05:00

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-65119625768487153682008-07-30T06:29:00.003-05:002008-07-30T06:38:39.976-05:00

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-57777899956226076282008-07-29T17:36:00.007-05:002008-07-29T19:08:25.058-05:00

We're coming up on the last week of summer. School starts on the eleventh of August here. It goes by so fast, although maybe not fast enough for parents. All summer long, agencies around town (and presumably the country) have fed breakfast to some of America's coolest kids. I didn't get that off a press release either. Fortunately, I was afforded the opportunity to meet them in person. Maybe it's

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-875650149408513512008-07-29T17:17:00.003-05:002008-07-29T17:21:18.539-05:00

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-82997352258272627642008-07-21T22:51:00.004-05:002008-07-21T23:08:00.332-05:00

[meat freezer]

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-7537809655842488032008-07-18T07:35:00.005-05:002008-07-18T08:15:23.350-05:00

"If we had just one month of the cost of this war in Iraq, we could fund a worldwide school lunch program, and the world might be more peaceful.." ~George McGovern Remember the community garden at East Nashville Co-Op? Well, I ran by there the other day and although they were closed at the time, I couldn't resist a peek through the fence. Two of the three back rows are filled with tomato plants

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-86725428362991799172008-07-17T10:56:00.003-05:002008-07-17T11:13:17.848-05:00

About to start a new job in two weeks, Brandy and her three beautiful kids, returned to Nashville having tried and failed, to make a start somewhere else. The defining issue in her case was childcare. She had a great job but was still having to pay three hundred fifty dollars a week for childcare alone. A novice in the area of social services, Brandy came to the pantry this day, for the very

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-44864201758585041312008-07-16T22:55:00.007-05:002008-07-17T10:55:39.167-05:00

What's wrong with this picture? It may not be terribly obvious but the two overgrown zucchinis in the foreground are the only fresh produce in the building. Where food distribution is concerned (*), fresh produce can be tricky and pretty much requires the thoughtful planning and attention of a single gardener or volunteer shopper, willing to search for it on a given day. At Hamilton UMC, there's

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-42459612184566949342008-07-16T19:20:00.005-05:002008-07-16T22:51:39.896-05:00

Elise Nollenberger records client information for emergency food boxes at Hamilton United Methodist Church in Antioch.

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-11110508892034461552008-07-15T06:36:00.006-05:002008-07-17T11:13:58.314-05:00

I offered to bring the grocery cart back from the bus stop. Mr. Patterson was concerned that someone else might need to use it. On the short walk over there, we didn't talk about what brought him to this place or the ninety degree heat, or the fact that he'd had to not only ask for food but also for the bus fare to get back across town. We talked about dentists and Nashville drivers, the price

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-50544453737643983172008-07-12T15:30:00.001-05:002008-07-12T15:50:53.278-05:00

Mr. Patterson rode the bus over to Madison from different part of town. He got off the bus not really knowing where to go. Luckily, the second church he went to was affiliated with the food pantry and gave him directions to get there. He didn't know he'd get to pick out five pieces of clothing at the thrift store to go with the food box so, surrounded by women, he asked for their advice (smart

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-80442523251151788442008-07-10T22:34:00.005-05:002008-07-12T08:23:35.195-05:00

Some years ago, Rose Nicks left a relatively fluffy white-collar job to run the Christian Cooperative Ministry in Madison. "I'm a nicer person because of it", she says. "Before, I would look at the homeless people and I'd look at different people in the community and go: Why don't they get a job? Why don't they do something? but you never know what their story is. You just don't."

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-84858969619267403532008-07-10T21:11:00.007-05:002008-07-12T07:18:10.466-05:00

Don't think for a second these ladies won't hook you up with a food box if you need it. And that's just the beginning. They run the Christian Cooperative Ministry in Madison. It's a food pantry and thrift store, supported by sixteen different churches in the surrounding community. Like everyone, they have some regular customers and some that are only temporarily needy or displaced. From left to

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-40080671315582769162008-07-07T19:37:00.002-05:002008-07-08T19:23:24.145-05:00

Aaron grew up in Memphis. He used to shine shoes at Warren's Barber Shop when he was a kid; went to school with Issac Hayes. Aaron joined the Army when he was old enough. They trained him to be a machine gunner and he went to sniper school right on the cusp of the Vietnam War. He missed combat, but not by very much. After the Army, Aaron went to school and ended up working in the morgue at

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-55839165157941063982008-07-07T19:14:00.004-05:002008-07-07T19:34:50.962-05:00

Trish made dinner for about ten people yesterday afternoon. Barbecued ribs (on that little grill), baked beans, and potato salad. People started hanging around long before it was finished.

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-18128890322295451682008-07-07T09:18:00.007-05:002008-07-11T21:57:52.611-05:00

Last week, as I mentioned before the holiday, I had occasion to go to Smithville, Tennessee, where people spoke highly of a food pantry volunteer there by the name of Betty Martin (aka my mom; don't worry it's only a little bit like The Twilight Zone). Betty helps out at the Smithville United Methodist Church and while she isn't the only person to make the place tick she plays a vital role in

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-27187285757055354712008-07-04T21:56:00.006-05:002008-07-07T08:22:32.122-05:00

July 4, the day set aside to celebrate independence from tyranny, is also a time to remember that there are those who need to be freed from hunger and all the other ills of poverty. ~Stevie Lacy-Pendleton, Staten Island Advance

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-83201245154201992032008-07-03T08:16:00.005-05:002008-07-11T21:53:12.923-05:00

This is a picture of Trish's (from the previous post) urban garden. I took it a couple of months ago and now her tomato plants are taller than me. I think I have a sound file of her talking about it but I'll have to add it in later on. Just a quick update this morning. I'm off on what should be a nice drive to Smithville, Tennessee. My mom works at a Second Harvest food pantry there. I'm not sure

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-86688426463277153702008-07-01T15:51:00.006-05:002008-07-01T20:29:36.832-05:00

Trish and Jesse are neighbors and friends. They each have a room in local SRO housing. Of the two, he's more likely to be without food and she's more likely to see that he gets something; either from her own supply or from the food truck. Apparently, he's offered to take her out to Red Lobster when he gets his check but it's still in the planning stages and their conversation is pretty funny.

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-13419178536852453942008-07-01T06:54:00.010-05:002008-07-11T21:56:59.215-05:00

I spoke to a woman at the food bank yesterday (not the lady in the photo above, a different one) who moved to Tennessee to escape an abusive husband. Without a job, she found that no one would rent her a place to live. She and her son, stayed in a motel until the money ran out. Then along came her savior, a slum lord, who (in spite of the fact that she didn't have a job) offered to rent her a

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-78982011193550875582008-06-29T07:14:00.009-05:002008-06-29T08:33:59.304-05:00

Old James (who doesn't seem all that old) talks a little about the necklace he was given ten years ago, when he was homeless. Today he lives in SRO housing.

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-38779754400364019882008-06-29T06:48:00.007-05:002008-06-29T08:39:15.585-05:00

Now is the accepted time, not tomorrow, not some more convenient season. It is today that our best work can be done and not some future day or future year. ~W.E.B.DuBois

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-58370195855692072592008-06-27T09:16:00.008-05:002008-06-27T12:11:03.285-05:00

Judy used to work third shift at Wal-Mart and then one day her husband had a stroke. From that point forward, misfortune came for both of them, in violent waves. The initial onslaught lasted about three years. He became a diabetic. She became a diabetic. He had vascular surgery - nine times. She became depressed and quit her job. He recovered. She had a heart attack. His back gave out. She had

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-47916690018319556322008-06-26T12:06:00.009-05:002008-07-02T23:27:24.273-05:00

Short Mountain Bible Camp, at the top of Short Mountain. I set off in a white van Tuesday with two women from Second Harvest Food Bank. They were traveling to a couple of outlying counties to do site visits. Just for those who don't know, a site visit is when a Field Representative goes out to the partner agencies either to get them set up initially, or to generally see how they're doing.

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-74164974223935829562008-06-25T16:56:00.004-05:002008-06-25T19:03:55.589-05:00

Met this really terrific woman named Carolyn, in Cannon County yesterday. She runs a food pantry at the Center Hill Baptist Church, just at the base of Short Mountain. Her pantry is about the size of a tiny bathroom closet but thankfully, there's plenty of space in the room that surrounds it for a couple of freezers and a nice-sized kitchen and dining area. They hadn't quite finished the kitchen

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-29505968298443691392008-06-25T15:44:00.010-05:002008-07-11T21:56:59.216-05:00

Five days a week, from ten to five, Mrs. Fletcher and Williams work (bagging groceries) for the Rutherford County Emergency Food Bank. If we're lucky, this time next week, we'll have heard from them personally.Yesterday, Malea and Addison made their second visit to the food bank. Like many other working poor families, she and her husband do the best they can but once the bills are paid, there's

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-24217807495962102532008-06-24T06:30:00.005-05:002008-07-11T21:56:59.216-05:00

There a good bit of brainstorming going on over at Tyson's Voices for Hunger, about alternative ways to prevent food insecurity (that is, not knowing where one's next meal will come from) Feel free to read the responses and make your own suggestions. Also, there's a nice op-ed piece at the New York Times, about getting to know your neighbors. Now, there's a crazy idea. You can get to it through

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-61839218217364657042008-06-23T09:55:00.005-05:002008-06-23T10:23:27.740-05:00

At most places, there's no shortage of volunteers to help unload the food truck when it arrives.

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-90223672541042354702008-06-19T08:52:00.006-05:002008-07-11T21:56:59.217-05:00

I think the sign actually said Pantry Monitor. Whatever it says, volunteer, John Caruthers, is it. John packs and distributes emergency food boxes at the East Nashville Co-op. One of his legs was in a cast the day I visited so here in this shot, he was taking a little break, having just packed about twelve boxes before the doors were opened.

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-22471064843640060282008-06-17T22:53:00.010-05:002008-06-18T09:41:37.336-05:00

Looks pretty tame doesn't it? In truth, the Cedar Seniors Center (say that three times fast), in Lebanon, Tennessee wasn't serving lunch when I was there but it was a lot like being at someone's house. Someone with a pretty big dining room, that is. I guess they had room for about forty people. There was a jukebox too, with a painting of The Last Supper hanging right next to it. For obvious

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-45175708889347705932008-06-16T09:28:00.008-05:002008-06-17T22:52:50.382-05:00

Sid was a pretty ordinary guy, until about twelve years ago. He drove a tractor-trailer truck for a living and had a house, a family and a couple of cars. One night he came home from work and while he was busy making himself a sandwich, an intruder knocked him out cold in his own kitchen. He woke up a month later in the hospital and nothing since then, has been quite the same. The doctors, he

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-30208591308171545332008-06-13T11:26:00.007-05:002008-12-11T13:52:06.975-06:00

Happy Anniversary 2

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-26459312457540157852008-06-11T20:27:00.008-05:002008-06-13T10:32:38.671-05:00

Happy AnniversaryBack in April, the Mt. Zion Baptist Church hosted a neighborhood block party on Jefferson Street. The weather wasn't all that cooperative but it was a lot of fun anyway. It all started when church members wanted to celebrate their pastor's one year anniversary. They asked him what he wanted to do and like all good pastors, he wanted to do it - whatever it was, for someone other

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-45790724574149610922008-06-10T11:47:00.009-05:002008-06-13T10:33:09.049-05:00

Hunger is deceptiveSo if I were to say: "One of these women owns four hundred hats and one of these women has run out of food", you'd have no trouble guessing which was which, correct? Now take away the hat and the food box. The odds change dramatically. It's right in front of us but we can't see it. In this country, and maybe others as well, hunger is hidden. We pass by it every day though. We

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-92036296948635410122008-06-09T11:09:00.009-05:002008-06-09T16:16:56.628-05:00

There won't be a lot of the touting of fund-raisers on this page as that isn't the goal here, but occasionally if I run across something big that's particularly painless, I'll let you know. As such, for the next two weeks, Kroger is Bringing Hope to the Table, where the purchase of certain clearly marked items, garners a donation to your local food bank. Easy. This photo was taken when I rode on

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-85363354946994038982008-06-07T15:05:00.003-05:002008-06-09T08:57:16.759-05:00

Kids Cafe; April

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-85921315240330426842008-06-06T05:31:00.008-05:002008-07-11T21:59:09.010-05:00

"Nothing is more degrading than hunger, especially when man made. It breeds anger, social disintegration, ill-health and economic decline.." ~ UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-45853547466442350162008-06-06T04:53:00.007-05:002008-07-11T21:59:09.011-05:00

"My daughter says I should stop pointing at people when I talk. She says that means I really want them to listen. You know, you spend your life telling your kids what to do and the next thing you know, they're telling you." - Mrs. Elsie Smotherman, volunteerIn the photo, Mrs. Smotherman is speaking to (and pointing at) Mr. H.R. Brown, who along with his wife has been volunteering at East

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-53762372695174322442008-06-04T20:25:00.009-05:002008-07-11T21:59:09.012-05:00

Volunteers at East Nashville Cooperative Ministry on Main St., prepare twenty-five bag lunches for the homeless, four days a week.

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-70374838983650499772008-06-01T19:11:00.007-05:002008-06-01T21:39:26.941-05:00

The thrift store at Gallatin C.A.R.E.S., among other things, helps to support their food pantry. While this pile of donated clothing might look insurmountable to the untrained eye, the staff assured me it would be organized and gone within a day or two. And, they weren't kidding.

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-24913474379174984022008-05-30T22:44:00.007-05:002008-07-11T21:59:09.013-05:00

Nancy Franklin and Ruth McCullen, Volunteers at Gallatin C.A.R.E.S..

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-17649966759004233062008-05-30T22:13:00.001-05:002008-05-30T22:16:33.698-05:00

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-6902561622103855242008-05-30T19:51:00.014-05:002008-06-04T10:45:59.950-05:00

It didn't take long to figure out that Mr. Harper had stories. There were knots tied in the straps of his overalls and an eagle on his baseball cap. He was wearing high-end sneakers and keeping an eye out for a new-used pair, he said. He lives at a nearby nursing facility but thanks to the kind women at Gallatin C.A.R.E.S., a community food bank and thrift store, he still gets to go to work every

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-47104323028157393112008-05-30T10:36:00.012-05:002008-06-01T16:53:42.871-05:00

Wendy Overlock, Program Director of Loaves and Fishes, stands for a picture with friend, Barbara Raper.

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-90490095176522795592008-05-30T09:40:00.006-05:002008-05-30T11:20:02.451-05:00

Construction worker, Robert Wallace at Loaves and Fishes

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-35096634921364264212008-04-12T18:18:00.001-05:002008-05-30T11:21:25.746-05:00

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-60001438210594579782008-04-10T18:54:00.006-05:002008-06-04T10:46:48.619-05:00

I caught up with Maurice Gordon at Loaves and Fishes on Wednesday afternoon. He said he asked someone if it was alright to play the piano and they told him it was fine so long as he actually could play. It's safe to say that a number of people were mesmerized. Maurice has fallen on hard times and currently resides at the Mission.

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-24266369997059793672008-04-08T08:33:00.001-05:002008-04-08T08:35:21.047-05:00

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-90457692812044787042008-03-29T19:29:00.003-05:002008-07-11T21:59:09.014-05:00

Lela and Patrick sort food in the pantry at Berry St. Salvation Army.

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-68632192055535122462008-03-27T22:20:00.007-05:002008-06-04T16:56:31.735-05:00

For thirty years, Second Harvest Food Bank has joined hundreds of agencies in middle Tennessee to provide nutritious meals to people across the state. These agencies, along with a small army of volunteers, and the people they serve are the stars here. It is my great pleasure to introduce them not only to you, but to each other. Feel free to express your own thoughts or stories, feedback,

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-68879068438820687172008-03-27T21:35:00.006-05:002008-06-01T22:47:46.128-05:00

Behind the Salvation Army, on Berry Street, there's a little plot of ground where employees and volunteers grew a garden last year. Until the drought was in full swing, they were able to pass out a few fresh vegetables along with emergency food boxes. This year, they hope to ramp it up a little bit, make the rows longer and more uniform. Before getting started, they need to find someone with a

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-31757784894783207002008-03-27T11:46:00.003-05:002008-06-01T22:47:22.872-05:00

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-68435365107142985542008-03-27T09:45:00.005-05:002008-07-11T21:59:09.015-05:00

Esther came by the Salvation Army this afternoon with her sister. She recently celebrated a birthday and I didn't ask her if I could say how old she is so we'll just leave it at that. She said she normally doesn't let people make her picture, but she could tell this was special.

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96551707634667590.post-77014492444811928212008-03-27T09:33:00.003-05:002008-06-01T22:50:19.443-05:00

Big Harpeth Primitive Baptist Association, Meridian & Berry St.

susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13594452068363808771noreply@blogger.com0