When the topic of acts of loving kindness arises, food is always part of the discussion. I think that this is so because feeding someone is such a fundamental and essential act. Food is sustenance, and it is directly connected to our survival as human beings. To be without food, or to be forced to loot or steal it, is, to me, a travesty. This is the scary reality in Haiti these days.
If you are a regular visitor to the BettyCrocker.com website (and I hope that you are), you may have noticed last week that a large portion of the web page was devoted to information about providing aid for relief efforts in Haiti. The General Mills Foundation even announced its support.
With the second powerful earthquake in Haiti this morning, the direness of the situation there is even clearer. Like so many people, I found myself wanting to help, but I wanted to do something more spiritually meaningful to me personally than just giving money. As a food writer, I tend to think in terms of food (I guess the way accountants think in numbers maybe), and the magnitude of having little food or water available to survivors struck me. I got to thinking about how the food in my cupboards, refrigerator, pantry and deep freezer chest would feed so many people. This also made me realize just how much I take my fortunes for granted, and how something so simple as a box of Cheerios can be a means for cultivating gratitude. I decided that I am not going to spend any money on food for at least two weeks, though I am going to try for a month, and that I am going to donate my usual monthly grocery budget to the relief efforts in Haiti. I know that this gesture pales enormously in comparison to the challenges faced by those in Haiti, but during this period, I am going to be more mindful of the things I have and more grateful for them. I’ll let you know how things go.
Are you doing something special to raise awareness or funds? Tell us about it.