We are in the heat of summer and the dry weather has made our lawns look like late August.
Many of us are heading to vacation fun or are already home from enjoying family time. Some of our citizens never leave town because they are working to keep their lives together financially. They may enjoy our community swimming pools and parks but time away is not possible.
Last month I focused our column on the role businesses play in helping FISH. Nucor Steel was featured. My sincere hope is that other businesses big and small will find a way to assist. Financial help provides flexibility but food collections and other donations like a side of beef make our clients truly happy. Think about what your business can do that will engage your employees to donate or participate in a way to help.
One area of our community that does not seem to regularly connect with donations to FISH is our social services organizations. Some groups, like retired teachers or BPO Elks have thought about how they can help and acted upon their ideas. My concern is that it does not seem to be the normal approach for many of our prominent social groups. Reliance on churches and individuals does not provide enough food or funding to keep all in need supported. In many areas of America social groups have charities of all kinds built into their budgets. It is understandable that certain groups have focus desires to help their community but it is hard to understand what could be more important than food and clothing. I ask the organizers of these groups to look at your approach to helping your community and see if there is way to improve your focus on necessities.
In conversation with our site coordinators I was struck by a comment about the foods we try to provide to our clients. With more family units using our services it was sad for me to learn that more choices are being made to control our costs. We focus our purchases on important food groups. One shocking comment was we need to prioritize peanut butter over the need to have jelly. Somehow I think this county can afford to have peanut butter and jelly for our children.
Our gardens are beginning to produce and the first fresh food donations have started to come in. Remember if you have any produce that can be shared we really appreciate your dropping it off at our site at the rear of St. Bernard’s church. Our hours available to accept foods beside our normal open hours are posted on the door.
Remember you can contact us through our P.O. Box #261 in Crawfordsville.
Linda Cherry is president of FISH. She contributes a monthly column to the Journal Review.
