Today two things won’t leave my head:
- the new chalkboard paint wall in our warehouse, and
- $40 billion dollars in food assistance cuts over the next ten years
The two are playing back and forth in my head.
It’s the little things that are making our move into the warehouse so incredible (ok, yes, the thousands of diapers are pretty awesome too!). I see kids coming in and writing on that wall, drawing their ideas in bright colors and bold streaks. I see neighbors coming together to help – asking, “What else can we do?” after volunteering for four straight hours.
That wall is a bright point – a place, in my mind, where all the energy and vision and love of this work comes together and shines out. I see donations coming in whenever we are open. I see us writing messages and love notes to our volunteers, our donors, our families, and our distribution organizations.
And today it has to shine out against a lot. The House passed a version of the Farm Bill last night that will cut $40 billion in food assistance over the next ten years. Let’s be entirely clear, that hurts babies. It hurts children. It hurts women. It hurts families.
There is no debate in my mind about whether hungry children should be given food. To be honest, there is no debate in the minds of everyone I know. The debate comes in when we slap political parties, government agencies, and ideology on top of the idea of feeding children who are hungry.
If you’re as confused and sad as I am about these cuts I want to ask you to do something for me, and for the thousands of babies and moms and families we help. I want you to chose the chalkboard wall. I want you to choose your neighbors. We need more people to write on that wall. We need more people who can to give – to us and to others doing this kind of work. We need more voices to sing out to your Senators.