How does one end the year on a breakfast note? A wonderfully fluffy antidote. Stuffed to the max with optimism and good cheer! At year's extemity, the only duty a writer should have is to tell it like it is! So on that note, one would be hard pressed to discuss food and omit hunger.
Almost two years ago I found myself like many Americans and indeed numerous New Hampshirites. I found myself down sized, micro managed out the door and/or laid off due to restructuring. Soon after this frost heave in the road arrived, many other adult misfortunes followed. Threat of foreclosure. Credit rating the size of my shoe. Depression. Lack of confidence. And, more importantly, a hunger and fear I will not soon forget.
Statistics? There are all sorts of statistics. One in four Americans go hungry everyday. One in eight kids go to bed hungry every night. By all estimations, this hungry frost is at your local McDonalds or Burger King. Next time when in line take a look to your left or right. In all truth the family of four that you see ordering a meager but expensive to them meal, that family is most likely eating their one and only meal of the day. Many kids in school from Concord to Dixville Notch dread Friday or school vacation because they are never sure where the next hot meal will be coming from.
I don't know how it happened exactly, but my small family has pulled itself out of the "food insecure" category. Actually it happened like this; family, friends, hard work and a high tolerance for humility. When looking for an ending to the year in search of a topic that would wow my audience, I went to the source. Depicted in my article is a shanty town. It is behind a liquor store a stones throw from a dirty and dusty parking lot. This little pop up tent burg is made up of down but don't count them out citizens location Concord New Hampshire. There I met Addie, Richard, Jeff and a gentleman who wished to remain nameless. Their breakfast consisted of Van De Kamp's baked beans boiled in a soiled sauce pan over a beat up Coleman stove. Mustang cigarettes dotted the dirt floor and Pabst Blue Ribbon seemed to be the beverage of choice. Everyone that greeted me, greeted me with the same message. The church keeps us warm when it's cold. The A.A. meetings provide strong and hot coffee. And, just four blocks from here is a family that used to be mine. In other words, this too could happen to you. Don't I know it. This New Year make a change, make a difference not matter what it may be.
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