BIG Appreciation Month | Day 4 of 28
Blinded by
My Own Blessings
Growing up I never went hungry, without shelter, or even without an excess of everything. As a child, I assumed my experience was the same as the experience of all the people around me. Every once in a while my naivety would be broken and I would catch a glimpse into the lives of those who have been less fortunate. I would feel sick, I would recognize my lack of empathy and ignorance to the situations of people who I claimed to care about (I am a Christian I should care about everyone). The worst part, some were friends to me and my family and to find out that they went without would break my heart. Now, as an adult, I wish I can say my view has been transformed, but the honest truth is that I forget. I forget about others and their situations because I am so blinded by my own journey to support my family. I fall right back into assuming everyone enjoys the comforts that I do, and that's just not the case. I want to take this moment to break away from my ignorance and thank organizations who have made their mission to help those in need. I want to reach out and appreciate Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee for their contributions to our local food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, meal programs, and more.
Food for those in need
I hope we can all learn from my mistake and take a moment to observe the situations of people around us and do something about it. Organizations like Second Harvest allow us, the local community, a way to contribute to those in need as effectively as possible. I may want to feed the hungry on my own, but my reach is short and my knowledge of how to take care of someone in need is minimal at best. I can, however, donate to organizations like Second Harvest who can take my resources and magnify them for the good of the community.
Reach out and let them know how you feel about their efforts and share what they are doing so even more people can help support the area.
In the background above is a picture of the shelves at the warehouse that is stocked, distributed, and hopefully restocked daily. Somehow, for every $1 donated they can turn it into over $8 dollars of groceries. We have provided a link to their site and also a link to their donation page so that you can make a contribution if you wish. If nothing else, I hope that we can be more aware of those in need around us and be empathetic to their situations. I appreciate all the people who have made it their job to support those in need and I want to appreciate Second Harvest for the impact they have had. Reach out and let them know how you feel about their efforts and share what they are doing so even more people can help support the area.
What
A food bank that receives, stores, and distributes an average of 1.7 million pounds of food EACH MONTH
Why
For feeding those in need every day and the programs that support our children and communities.
When
Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee was established in 1986.
*Please note that BIG is not affiliated with Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee at this time. We simply appreciate who they are to this community and the millions of meals they have provided.
