Our Take: Decisions, Decisions

1/27/10 8:06pm

It's not news to our clients that "food insecurity" has soared in the past couple of years. Clients who suffer from "food insecurity," simply stated, don't have enough to eat. As of last November, nearly 50 million people in this land of plenty were classified as "food insecure," according to the USDA.

They're hungry. Why? According to an article published in the Chattanooga Times Free Press on Nov. 19, 2009, they're hungry because of "a lack of money and other resources."

Why? Because of the decisions they've made. Decisions that may surprise you.

Joanne lost her job. She decided to use the funds she had to pay her rent. She also decided that it was a priority to continue paying for her blood pressure medication, although, along with her job, she also lost her health insurance. Joanne decided that she could not live without running water, so she paid her water bill. Then her car broke down. She doesn't have the money to get it fixed, much less pay car insurance. The downward spiral, well, continues to spiral.

Decisions, decisions. What would you pay first? Would you pay for your housing? Your food? Your medications? Maybe you'd get your car fixed? WWJD?

Patsy, one of Metropolitan Ministries expert intake volunteers, tells me that I'm asking the wrong question.  Patsy says the real question is What would Jesus have YOU do?

Are you convinced, like me, that there is enough to go around? Are you convinced that it is downright shameful that "food insecurity" in our neighborhoods, our city, our country, has reached devastating highs?

DECIDE FOR YOURSELF. If you decide to help your neighbors - those whose options have run out - know that Metropolitan Ministries has been in this business for 3 decades. We know how to help, right here, right now.  That's our decision, and after 30 years of service to those in our community with nowhere left to turn, we're sticking to it.