Welcome to the Real World.
As the vast majority of Americans continue to sit back pretending nothing to terribly wrong is going on with the country, the lower echelons of society are feeling the first huge waves of the coming economic storm. There are hundreds of thousands of upper middle class Americans who honestly can’t say it makes a bit of difference what gasoline is selling for since they never look at the bill; they have enough money to not be bothered.
On the other end of the spectrum are hundreds of thousands of lower income people, many trying to survive working minimum wage jobs, who are daily having to make choices between food and gas or medicine or electricity. With more and more of their income being devoured by ever escalating prices for food staples and gasoline; there is no disposable income left for any emergency.
In many of the bigger cities as well as along the Gulf coast, many food pantries and shelters have already closed and what few are left cannot find supplies. As more and more of the last elements of the social safety net are withdrawn it leads to desperate people doing more and more desperate things. Crime is dramatically rising in areas which only a few months ago had little or no crime. Petty thefts as well as armed robberies are increasing at an alarming rate.
If the shelters, community outreach programs, food pantries and other services designed to help people get through the tough times until they can stand on their feet again collapse; who is left to cover the needs? Fewer and fewer churches play an active role in helping the poor. Fewer and fewer charities have the resources to offer more than a referral service to other agencies. State and local governments are strapped for resources and do not have the means to step in and help.
If within a few days a mid-sized community has several bank robberies, numerous dollar stores held up and even the school cafeteria broken into to find food; is this not a pretty clear indication something is wrong? The numbers of hurting people are climbing each day. The numbers of homeless are increasing daily. The numbers of frustrated people who are at their wits end and ready to snap is dramatically increasing every day.
Fuel Costs Make Transporting Food Difficult
One of the most frustrating situations to have arisen is that there is still food in the warehouses of major charities who send tons of food every year overseas and to outreach centers in this country. The problem at the moment is finding the money to pay the sky high fuel costs to transport food from the warehouse to the destination it is needed. With diesel prices well over $4.00 per gallon, even the truckers who want to help cannot afford to run an empty semi to a warehouse, pick up a load of food, take it to the outreach center needing it and then run an empty truck back home—all for free.
There used to be many truckers willing to pick up a load if it were on their way and their truck was empty. It is even getting difficult to find those able to do this anymore. Independent truckers are just barely making enough to stay in business running full loads all the time. As much as they want to help, the cost of diesel is making it extremely difficult to provide “free hauls”.
A case in point is Tri Coastal Community Outreach in Grand Bay, Alabama. They have a full semi of food available to them if they can pick it up in Nashville on April 24th. It is a one time and one day shot. All attempts to find anyone to help have failed. The best offer from a trucking company was close to $1,500 to transport the load less than 500 miles from Nashville to Mobile. Where on earth does a small community outreach center find $1,500?
For lack of any better way to do it. Members of the group will drive to Nashville, rent two 26 foot trucks and one car tow bar, load the two trucks, and then drive them (with one towing the car) back to Alabama. The estimated cost for all this will be $700-800. But, being good stewards, this is the only way to get the food. Or is it?
The Need for Fuel Sponsors
There is an urgent need for sponsors to step up and help with fuel costs to transport food and other supplies to destinations in need. I see no reason why groups of professionals could not pool their charitable gifts together and make them available to groups such as Tri Coastal to provide for proper transportation of goods instead of the kind of arrangement they must do this week. Even doing it as they are, the cost is still staggering. Transportation costs are quickly becoming a huge issue for not only non-profits but many charities doing construction and other services.
If you are a professional and desire to really see your charitable giving do the most good, consider making a special fund that is to be used strictly for the transportation costs of getting resources from supply houses to outreach centers. Any group doing full scale community outreach is in desperate need of food and other supplies that many times are located all over the United States. Any of these groups who are 501 (c) 3 charities should be able to develop a program where donations can be received specifically designated for transportation costs.
The Need for Consistent Resources
The directors of most community outreach/homeless shelters/food pantries and other service charities spend most of their time trying to locate money or resources. Instead of being able to oversee case work or develop plans and programs to better serve the people in need; too much of their time has to be spent tracking down the means to meet the needs. They all need consistent and reliable sources for food, clothing, furniture, building supplies and other vital resources.
Church groups, service organizations, clubs and societies as well as schools and businesses can all do drives on a regular basis for some of these groups. Many of these groups have programs in place for organizations or individuals to systematically give on a regular and set basis. To stick around for the long haul, these groups need to know where supplies are coming from next.
The Need Will Only Get Worse
As the economic situation is this country continues to go downhill, the needs among the poor will only skyrocket, and this is due to a dramatic increase in numbers of people in need in addition to greater and greater need. The first round of failures among care givers is staggering and quite discouraging. Those left are handling far more case loads than they were expecting. Budgets and resources are being stretched to the absolute limit.
Before the situation gets much worse, please consider providing assistance where you can to those still involved with trying to help those in the lowest socio-economic levels. If there is anyone who deserves a helping hand and someone to aid them in their times of intense personal and financial turmoil it is those who through no fault of their own have “fallen through the cracks” of our social welfare system.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
A Disturbing Dream; Impending Darkness on the Land
There is an uneasiness that is creeping over my soul. I feel a curtain is being pulled shut. What was left of the light is being blocked by something thick and oppressive. I see swarms of what appear to huge flying insects, each carrying something that looks like a case under their arm. They are flying in formation and the closer they get the louder the buzz becomes.
As they approach the shore, they split and go different directions. Some to the north and some to the south. Yet, in spite of splitting, they are as numerous as before. As they cover the sky, the day becomes dark as night. They literally block the light of the sun.
Screams are heard as the first of these demons lands and disrupts the entire landscape of a town. All goes haywire and nothing works as it was designed. People panic for there is no day. A massive cloud hovers over the town and then moves on. This process is repeated over and over again around the country. One town after another is thrust into darkness and then seemingly loses its ability to function.
There is a numbness spreading over the land. A type of resolution that there is nothing that can be done to hinder or stop this plague. At the back of the swarm there is the faint light of dawn but the light is distorted and things are not as they appear. There is no longer the sharp lines of demarcation between black and white. Gray is the predominant color and haziness is the predominant view.
No one knows what has just happened, although everyone knows something of profound importance just did. Confidence has been replaced by doubt and boldness with fear. The mighty have been brought back to earth and the poor have been squashed beyond recognition. The land is barren and the shelves are bare. The markets are empty and the roads are untraveled. There is a hush that lies over the land that is missing all sounds of industry and traffic. Commerce has ceased and all stay huddled in their abodes.
What has happened, a few dare ask, as they tenderly walk outside in the murky twilight. Where are the lights, the roar of big trucks, and planes taking off and trains roaring down the tracks? Where are the kids normally yelling and screaming? Where are the sirens of police and ambulances and fire trucks going about to save people’s lives?
What has gone here and what is to happen. There is no electricity, no radio and no television or computers. Even the dogs have ceased to bark and nowhere is found the sound of life. People are still there for the hushed sounds of whispers can be heard coming from dark houses and even darker buildings. No one wants to move lest they be discovered by a foe they do not know. No one can call for help. No one is injured or trapped in demolished buildings or heaps of rubble.
Finally a baby’s cry breaks the silence. Then there is another and another. Cries can now be heard erupting from all over the town. Wailing and moaning as if people were crushed and in intense pain. Yet, there is no physical trauma and nothing to account for the cries filled with pain and sorrow.
People are awakening to the stark reality that life as they knew it was over. Whatever had blown through was so devastating it demolished all that everyone had built their lives upon. Nothing worked, no running water, no air conditioner, no vehicles, no computers, to telephones and no light. As the sun starts to set, the reality of the impending total darkness starts to settle in. The wails turn to screams as countless people must confront their worst nightmare; a night with no light.
Into the town ride messengers of the most High God delivering a message directly from Him. The message is not what anyone wants to hear. The message is one of repentance and turning to the truth and not that all will be well. The people riot and rip the messengers off their horses and kill them. They wanted a message that the lights would be turned back on shortly and heard just the opposite.
Screams pierce the night air as helpless women are raped in their homes with no one to protect them. Houses across the town are pillaged by robbers who take everything of value with no one to stop them. Fights erupt as people trip over others, unable to see them lying in the streets. There is no reason and no comfort to be found. Only gloom and dismay hangs over the town.
After what seemed like thirty hours of night, the sun did come up, but not as they expected. It lacked the brilliance they were used to. It was not cloudy, but the sun looked like it was shrouded in clouds. There was not the heat that usually came with the sunrise. Everyone was cold, tired and scared.
There was no news for there was no media. There was no way to find out what had happened or if it were going to get better or worse. Lack of knowledge aroused even greater frustration and fear. Panic set in as people literally went insane.
The sick soon died for lack of medicine. The weak soon died for lack of food. The infirm soon went crazy unable to cope. The ruthless soon went on rampages fulfilling every evil desire they ever imagined. There was no order and there was no compassion. Every man was for himself and every man sought to destroy his neighbor before he was destroyed.
As they approach the shore, they split and go different directions. Some to the north and some to the south. Yet, in spite of splitting, they are as numerous as before. As they cover the sky, the day becomes dark as night. They literally block the light of the sun.
Screams are heard as the first of these demons lands and disrupts the entire landscape of a town. All goes haywire and nothing works as it was designed. People panic for there is no day. A massive cloud hovers over the town and then moves on. This process is repeated over and over again around the country. One town after another is thrust into darkness and then seemingly loses its ability to function.
There is a numbness spreading over the land. A type of resolution that there is nothing that can be done to hinder or stop this plague. At the back of the swarm there is the faint light of dawn but the light is distorted and things are not as they appear. There is no longer the sharp lines of demarcation between black and white. Gray is the predominant color and haziness is the predominant view.
No one knows what has just happened, although everyone knows something of profound importance just did. Confidence has been replaced by doubt and boldness with fear. The mighty have been brought back to earth and the poor have been squashed beyond recognition. The land is barren and the shelves are bare. The markets are empty and the roads are untraveled. There is a hush that lies over the land that is missing all sounds of industry and traffic. Commerce has ceased and all stay huddled in their abodes.
What has happened, a few dare ask, as they tenderly walk outside in the murky twilight. Where are the lights, the roar of big trucks, and planes taking off and trains roaring down the tracks? Where are the kids normally yelling and screaming? Where are the sirens of police and ambulances and fire trucks going about to save people’s lives?
What has gone here and what is to happen. There is no electricity, no radio and no television or computers. Even the dogs have ceased to bark and nowhere is found the sound of life. People are still there for the hushed sounds of whispers can be heard coming from dark houses and even darker buildings. No one wants to move lest they be discovered by a foe they do not know. No one can call for help. No one is injured or trapped in demolished buildings or heaps of rubble.
Finally a baby’s cry breaks the silence. Then there is another and another. Cries can now be heard erupting from all over the town. Wailing and moaning as if people were crushed and in intense pain. Yet, there is no physical trauma and nothing to account for the cries filled with pain and sorrow.
People are awakening to the stark reality that life as they knew it was over. Whatever had blown through was so devastating it demolished all that everyone had built their lives upon. Nothing worked, no running water, no air conditioner, no vehicles, no computers, to telephones and no light. As the sun starts to set, the reality of the impending total darkness starts to settle in. The wails turn to screams as countless people must confront their worst nightmare; a night with no light.
Into the town ride messengers of the most High God delivering a message directly from Him. The message is not what anyone wants to hear. The message is one of repentance and turning to the truth and not that all will be well. The people riot and rip the messengers off their horses and kill them. They wanted a message that the lights would be turned back on shortly and heard just the opposite.
Screams pierce the night air as helpless women are raped in their homes with no one to protect them. Houses across the town are pillaged by robbers who take everything of value with no one to stop them. Fights erupt as people trip over others, unable to see them lying in the streets. There is no reason and no comfort to be found. Only gloom and dismay hangs over the town.
After what seemed like thirty hours of night, the sun did come up, but not as they expected. It lacked the brilliance they were used to. It was not cloudy, but the sun looked like it was shrouded in clouds. There was not the heat that usually came with the sunrise. Everyone was cold, tired and scared.
There was no news for there was no media. There was no way to find out what had happened or if it were going to get better or worse. Lack of knowledge aroused even greater frustration and fear. Panic set in as people literally went insane.
The sick soon died for lack of medicine. The weak soon died for lack of food. The infirm soon went crazy unable to cope. The ruthless soon went on rampages fulfilling every evil desire they ever imagined. There was no order and there was no compassion. Every man was for himself and every man sought to destroy his neighbor before he was destroyed.
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