Whole Foods Helps Fight Hunger In Milford

Recently I read about this hunger issue in the Milford Mirror on page 16A. My wife, brought the article in the paper to my attention and we were both saddened and struck that hunger could even exist in our wonderful community.

Thankfully for for those looking for a meal, and the generosity of the newly opened Whole Foods Market and the Bethel Center, our friends will be given an opportunity to eat. The program was originally devised by WHY, (World Hunger Year) who is dedicated to providing nutritious meals to 49 Million hungry Americans and their 17 Million children.

This figure has been increasing alarmingly with the economic downturn and the lingering jobless recession. Hunger in America appears to have thus far peaked with one in six people going to bed hungry each night. The photo above is that of Tent City, or Obama's new Hooverviles, aptly named after Herbert Hoover and the Great Depression. California is one of three states where unemployment peaked above 12%. Tent cities have sprung up all over America, and the need to pull our country together is more urgent than ever.

To combat this problem Whole foods, last January 6Th, gave 5% of its stores daily profits to charity. In our community the charity that addresses these types of hunger issues is the Bethel Center who also has been a recipient of my personal charitable offerings of Free computers for disadvantage children, and monetary donations from the Turkey Trot fundraiser that I sponsor with Daytime Lodge in Stratford each year.

The Bethel Center is always on the look out for altruistic people who are willing to contribute to their cause. To offer your help, please call (212) 629-8850.

Struggling to Find Worthwhile Charities

The continued benevolence of Masonic programs hosted by the Scottish Rite Masons and my personal fraternity Daytime Lodge no. 144 has been actively seeking charities who work to help others regain a footing on their lives.

Charities under consideration may include, but are not limited to, education, food for the hungry, shelter for the homeless, and transitional employment and training programs for the jobless. Our incredibly successful and growing charitable events like the Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot and the ComputerFox computer recycling program are a continued approach to offering needy people a hand up, while helping those who live a lifelong dependency in hospitals, or with disabilities an aggregate contribution to aid in their lifelong journey.

So far this year, the combined charitable contributions of the ComputerFox and Masonry has helped raise funds for Earthplace in Westport, the Circle of Care at New Haven Hospital, the gifting of several computers to children whose parents cannot afford one, and sent a truckload of old monitors to less developed nations "For Free."

Our charitable programs now involve apportioning a substantial amount of funds to a wave of new charities in 2008. If you feel, you know or are part of a charity that meets the criteria of lending needy people a "hand up" than contact me at (203) 647-0380 to inquire about an application for funds.