by Robert Wilkinson
One aspect of the coming era will be a universal realization of our interdependence. We are all part of one life, one love, one consciousness throughout the world, despite all of the apparent physical, emotional, and mental differences. One of the global spiritual teachings is that we are here to do forms of compassionate service for others. There are many different ways we may serve others without surrendering our integrity or profitting someone or something resulting in the detriment or disadvantage of another. What you are about to read demonstrates a truly compassionate example. Welcome to The Potato Project.
The Potato Project is a sane response to hunger in America. This nationwide produce salvage program provides direct relief to the hungry while addressing one of hunger’s major causes: Food waste. Hunger in the USA is a reality and an obscenity. 34 million Americans regularly go without food. 3 days a month too many people have no food at all. An entire segment of our population is underfed and malnourished, including children, the homeless, and the working poor. In our present era, it is a widely-known fact that hunger is needless, hunger is senseless, and hunger can be eliminated, easily and inexpensively!
We in America have the best quality food in the world. However, much of our produce is marketable only if it looks perfect. Any imperfections cause many fruits and vegetables to be thrown out, dumped to rot needlessly. There is nothing nutritionally wrong with this food – it just doesn’t look perfect.
The Potato Project, begun in 1983 by the Society of St. Andrew (SoSA) is a produce salvage operation that delivers food to the poor and hungry all over the USA. It solicits donations of potatoes and other produce from growers, shippers, brokers, and processors. This program is a common-sense, cost-effective solution to the obscenity of hunger in America.
SoSA pays the cost of packaging and transportation when these are not donated. They network with groups and agencies serving the needy across the nation to distribute the food, and SoSA delivers an average of 17 millions pounds of food each year at an extremely low cost, less than 2 cents per serving! This cost includes everything – packaging, labor, freight, and all administrative expenses.
The policy of SoSA is to deliver as much food as possible for each dollar donated to this non-profit, tax-exempt ministry. They control costs as much as possible; to this end, more than 85% of all funds raised are spent on the direct delivery of food and services to the hungry. This organization embodies the principle of truly compassionate service in an exemplary way, and I recommend that you check out their work if you are moved by the suffering of hungry men, women, and children in our country.
Hunger Facts:
*38.5 million US citizens (14.5% of the populaton) live below the poverty line.
*34 million Americans are hungry each month.
*20 million children under 18 years of age are hungry or at risk of hunger.
*14 million children under the age of 12 are hungry or at risk of hunger.
*5.6% of the US population is unemployed.
*Approximately 20% of all food produced in the US is lost or wasted each year.
*The food wasted annually is sufficient to feed 49 million people.
Contact: Society of St. Andrew, 3383 Sweet Hollow Road, Big Island, VA 24526
1-800-333-4597, 1-804-299-5956
Email: [email protected]
Website: EndHunger.org
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