Tis’ the season to help others

By Sharon Weatherall

Tis’ the season of giving but frankly we are living in a time when most people can hardly manage to look after themselves!

It seems to me that there are two halves to society – those who are wealthy and those who are struggling. And unless you get lucky and win a lottery the wealthy just seem to get wealthier while the numbers of people struggling get higher. What ever happened to ‘middle class’ –dedicated hardworking people that managed to create a comfortable life for themselves? I mean there ‘appears’ to be people living like that but in all honesty most of them are relying on credit and work from week to week to pay their bills. God help them if an emergency or job loss occurs because they would instantly fall into the ‘struggling’ category. That’s very scary and no doubt the cause of much stress in people’s lives today.

The proof of how bad it is out there lies in the number of people using food banks and soup kitchens - the stats speak for themselves. Those numbers have dramatically multiplied over the past 10 - 20 years. Christmas season used to be the busiest time but now charities and organizations helping the needy are busy year round. People rely on food banks to make it through to the end of the month when they get a cheque that barely pays their rent and living expenses, never mind putting enough food on the table.

We are not a third world country but there are stories of elderly people eating cat food in place of meat and educational facilities across the nation are now providing breakfast programs sponsored by community charities, to feed children that come to school hungry. The number of homeless people is on the rise and soup kitchens that used to operate once or twice a week are extending their service to meet daily needs. Hunger is like a contagious flu that’s spreading because people can no longer afford the basic means to live.

Maybe it was always this way – I mean there have always been people who relied on the charity of others to get by – maybe it’s just all the more evident now because it’s in our faces. People years ago had a stronger sense of pride and would do anything not to have to ask for charity, whereas today all you have to do is register at St. Vincent De Paul or Salvation Army to get on a list. The service is still confidential but when you are waiting in a line-up outside the local food bank everyone in town can see who is using it. Those driving by might be more understanding to know someone that has fallen on hard times or has maybe used the service themselves at one time or another. After all we live in a day and age when job security is basically non-existent. You could be working today and laid off tomorrow. More and more young people are staying home with their parents longer because they can’t afford to go out on their own.

I am not a stranger to the gift of receiving - or at least my family is not. The trouble is it took me years to figure out just why the church dropped a hamper of food on my grandma’s doorstep at Christmas each year and I imagine Christmas was not the only time she received food donations. I guess as a kid I didn’t ask why – I just thought it was a nice gift and maybe everyone that went to her church got one.  

I was excited to spend holidays at my grandma’s place – she lived on Highway 10 just outside of Brampton. It was considered the rural section way back then. My grandfather had died fairly young with a heart attack leaving my grandma with a houseful of kids to feed. Some of the older ones helped out by working and paying board or handing over cash to pay the bills, but the younger ones still had to be fed and clothed. The house was big but there was no running water. You had to hand pump it into a pail from a well out front and use an outhouse in the back to do your thing. The heat came from a wood stove, although there was hydro to run a fridge and stove for cooking. To me coming from a comfortable middle class home I thought it was different at grandmas but I did not question it at the time.

I can remember my grandma spending an hour or so every afternoon in the sunny living room reading her Bible and praying quietly in thanks for getting through another day. At the table there was never a meal that went by without giving “thanks to the Lord for the food we were about to eat.”

At Christmas I can remember the boys bringing in that hamper so filled with cans, boxes, dairy products and meats that it took two of them to carry it. Then my grandma would sit down and say a silent prayer of thanks before she even put the food away. I asked her once where the food came from and she told me that God looks after those in need. I told her my mom and dad don’t get a basket of food delivered to their place and she said “Thank God they don’t have to”.

So as I got older I came to realize that when my grandfather died he left my grandma pretty much in dire straits. She was a hard working widow with a brood of kids to take care of - no wonder she was so religious. Grandma relied heavily on her faith and the church to help her through those hard times and both always came through for her. In later years her life became much easier when the older kids went together and put her into a senior’s apartment with access to town, shopping, friends and church within walking distance. She was comfortable at last and no longer had to worry where the next meal would come from.

I remember visiting her there and she always cooked up a delicious dinner but we never took a mouthful until we thanked God for the food on our plates.  During those years my grandma never forgot those who helped her – she baked and volunteered helping out at her church. I am glad she was able to spend the last years of her life feeling like she could give back even in some small way. It is because of her that I look at people differently today to understand them. People in need do not always have a certain look about them, some hide it quite well.

So this year when you see the Salvation Army kettle filling up with money, know it goes toward a very good cause. You can help by even giving a dollar. It will go a long way if everyone does the same. Good people are looking after the needy and keeping track to make sure those who qualify get the help. Sadly it has come to the point where all charities have to monitor those on the receiving end so that there is enough to go around.

Many people in need are getting more than food and handouts – they gladly receive support and counselling to help them get back on their feet again. There are agencies out there to help them with specific problems like providing transportation, looking for housing, and even getting back into the work force in some cases. There are also services available to teach them how to eat healthy and budget their money to make it last. Everyone deserves a second chance and more if needed.

Grocery stores are making it easier for people to donate now with pre-packed donation bags at a minimal cost. If you can’t afford to donate that way you can drop a single can of soup into a donation bin or take it to a food bank. If you can’t afford to give what you have away, you can help out in other ways. This Christmas season many churches, restaurants and service groups will be providing free Christmas dinners for the needy - you can take part as a volunteer preparing and serving food. It doesn’t cost a penny but it will make you feel like a million dollars.

With winter season now upon us go through your closet and dig out those coats and boots that are too small or not worn and donate them to a coat drive. Remember most of those who can’t afford food cannot afford warm clothes either. If more of us were generous in donations of food, money or time, there would be less need in our communities. There are many hands reaching out for help in the world today but let’s help those in our own backyard first and start a chain reaction.