Feeding Tarrant County's hungry also feeds the souls of volunteers

By Bill Fairley

Hunger is everywhere. And I don't mean the slight gnawing feeling many of us get just before lunch or dinner.

I mean the soul-crushing, mentally debilitating everyday hunger that way too many people in Tarrant County suffer from, especially children.

The statistics are overwhelming: 345,000 children in the 25-county area served by the Tarrant Area Food Bank; 25 percent of families in Tarrant County report being hungry, not knowing where their next meal is coming from, compared with 20 percent nationally; the 26 million pounds of food that will be distributed this fiscal year by the aforementioned food bank.

And we are in one of the most affluent areas of the country, not to mention one of the most affluent countries in the world.

It's not just those living in what we would characterize as abject poverty, either.

The poverty level is a family of four making about $42,000 a year. That's the cutoff for many of the programs available. The average cost of living in Fort Worth is $46,000-47,000 per year. That presents a gap.

An ever-widening gap, it would seem.

These numbers, this problem can seem daunting. At some point the numbers run together and it seems like there is nothing you or anyone can do. But there is.

Like the old saying about eating an elephant, one bite at a time, small actions can lead to big solutions.

I can't throw money at the problem; I don't have enough. But I do have some time. All organizations that deal with hunger have many opportunities for volunteers.

I have chosen an organization to lend my time to, one hour a week, Meals on Wheels of Tarrant County.

While children, rightfully so, get the most attention when it comes to hunger, there is another population that is growing and will continue to grow exponentially: the elderly and disabled. That is the population that Meals on Wheels targets.

Full disclosure: I have volunteered with the organization for more than 15 years. It is near and dear to my heart, and I love its mission.

The agency allows many elderly and disabled people to continue to live in their own homes, a goal we all share. The volunteers and case managers for Meals on Wheels are often the only visitors these folks have on a daily basis. They see that they get at least one hot meal a day that is nutritionally balanced, and breakfast and weekend meals where needed.

The only way Meals on Wheels is able to do this is through the volunteer drivers. In fiscal 2010, it delivered 985,187 meals.

I could regale you with many statistics, but the bottom line is organization officials are projecting a 51 percent increase in the number of clients served by 2020.

It takes one hour a week, on a route close to your home or place of employment. And I don't know who gets the most out of it, the client or the volunteer. That's certainly my experience.

I have grown fond of many of my clients. I grieve when they pass away; I worry when they're not there one week. They miss me if I'm not there one week.

So, in my very small way, I'm helping 10-12 people a week keep from being hungry. That's not going to solve the problem, but multiply that by more volunteers. I encourage you to do something, whether it's Meals on Wheels or another worthy organization. We can make a difference.

I want you to have a hunger to help, a hunger to get involved, a hunger to eradicate hunger in Tarrant County. It's the right thing to do.

Bill Fairley of Fort Worth is a member of the 2011 Star-Telegram Community Columnist Panel.

wefair@8787@aol.com

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