Hunger and homelessness come in many forms: An origin story
Blini: plural noun, singular blin. Russian Cookery.
Pancakes made with yeast and either white or buckwheat flour and traditionally served during Shrovetide with caviar and sour cream. – [blini. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved July 31, 2016 from Dictionary.com websitehttp://www.dictionary.com/browse/blini]
Temperatures were dipping into the lower 30s as young Eric Walker made his way down the street. It was dark and later than he would like to be out, but his boss called him in. Fortunately, work was within walking distance. He was running a little later than he expected because he had decided to make a dinner for himself. He could make up time if he cut through the alley. Not necessarily the safest of choices, but he decided to risk it. Getting to work sooner would mean getting warm again.
The alley was relatively clean. A couple of dumpsters and some cardboard boxes set up by the local homeless lined the sides of the alley. As far as Eric knew, the homeless were lazy bums that couldn’t get jobs because they were uneducated and, he reiterated to himself, lazy. Sure, some of them might have mental problems, and some might be veterans, but those were the exceptions not the rule. Fortunately, most of the bums weren’t violent as long as you ignored them.
Eric proceeded down the alley with confidence. About halfway through, he noticed a family with 2 children huddling on top of one of the large heat exhaust plates. They were all close together. Their clothes were threadbare; they looked gaunt. “Please, sir,” the little boy cried out. His parents hushed him with words about politeness and pride. The little girl whined, and her mom did her best to comfort her. Eric tried to walk past, but he remembered his dinner. He could go hungry for the rest of the evening he decided, and he handed his bag over to the family.
The family was cautious but grateful, and that helped something inside Eric to change. He was becoming someone new. He didn’t know it, yet, but the coming nights would reveal what he could do to help change hunger in the city.
Eric can’t feed the world with his one lunch sack. You can help. Check out the Legacy Initiative in Utah, or find the nearest food bank and make a donation.
According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, in 2014 about 45 percent of homeless people report indicators of mental health problems and 25% of those have serious mental health issues. In 2015, 8% of the homeless were veterans, and just over a third of those who experienced homelessness were people in families.
Not all people who are hungry are homeless. According to feedingamerica.org, 14% of households in America were food insecure in 2014.
Read how Eric gets his superhero name and costume.
Pancakes made with yeast and either white or buckwheat flour and traditionally served during Shrovetide with caviar and sour cream. – [blini. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved July 31, 2016 from Dictionary.com websitehttp://www.dictionary.com/browse/blini]
Temperatures were dipping into the lower 30s as young Eric Walker made his way down the street. It was dark and later than he would like to be out, but his boss called him in. Fortunately, work was within walking distance. He was running a little later than he expected because he had decided to make a dinner for himself. He could make up time if he cut through the alley. Not necessarily the safest of choices, but he decided to risk it. Getting to work sooner would mean getting warm again.
The alley was relatively clean. A couple of dumpsters and some cardboard boxes set up by the local homeless lined the sides of the alley. As far as Eric knew, the homeless were lazy bums that couldn’t get jobs because they were uneducated and, he reiterated to himself, lazy. Sure, some of them might have mental problems, and some might be veterans, but those were the exceptions not the rule. Fortunately, most of the bums weren’t violent as long as you ignored them.
Eric proceeded down the alley with confidence. About halfway through, he noticed a family with 2 children huddling on top of one of the large heat exhaust plates. They were all close together. Their clothes were threadbare; they looked gaunt. “Please, sir,” the little boy cried out. His parents hushed him with words about politeness and pride. The little girl whined, and her mom did her best to comfort her. Eric tried to walk past, but he remembered his dinner. He could go hungry for the rest of the evening he decided, and he handed his bag over to the family.
The family was cautious but grateful, and that helped something inside Eric to change. He was becoming someone new. He didn’t know it, yet, but the coming nights would reveal what he could do to help change hunger in the city.
Eric can’t feed the world with his one lunch sack. You can help. Check out the Legacy Initiative in Utah, or find the nearest food bank and make a donation.
According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, in 2014 about 45 percent of homeless people report indicators of mental health problems and 25% of those have serious mental health issues. In 2015, 8% of the homeless were veterans, and just over a third of those who experienced homelessness were people in families.
Not all people who are hungry are homeless. According to feedingamerica.org, 14% of households in America were food insecure in 2014.
Read how Eric gets his superhero name and costume.