Letter to the Editor: Food Is the Sustainer of Life

We seem to have an innate pleasure not only to eat food, whether dining in or out, but pleasure in seeing someone or something enjoying food.

Most people love to watch hummingbirds drinking and squirrels munching away at feeders, and what of that poor stray cat that finds his way to your back porch? Oh sure, there are always those few that will run for their shotgun, but most will get some food out for the poor feline.

Is it not heart-wrenching to see pictures of malnourished or even starving kids? It’s sad enough to see or hear of those that are homeless, but for those that have little or no food, it is even worse.

That is why we now have so many local as well as national food programs. In 2012 the declining economy and increasing rates of unemployment drove a record-setting 46.6 million Americans to obtain SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits and half of those recipients were children. The benefit was $135 per month with a total cost to taxpayers of $75 billion. Whether it is acceptable to have 22 million children living in poverty and reliant on SNAP benefits depends on point of view.

Nutritional meals for growing kids can be especially beneficial since kids, if left to their own meal choices, would have fruit loops for breakfast, jelly donuts for lunch and for their dinner cake and ice cream. Food advertisements help to keep their mind on junk foods. For example, Kellogg’s spent $13.1 million to advertise “Froot Loops” and $51 million to push Pop Tarts.

We can be thankful that more children and senior adults are getting nutritious meals both locally and nationally. Among local food programs there is the Salvation Army, Visiting Nurses and the Light House just to name a few.

Our school-aged children are being provided for and the senior centers are even delivering meals to senior adults that are homebound, some due to the virus and some due to physical conditions.

You can be certain that seniors throughout Lewis County are very thankful for the ongoing efforts of senior centers along with a very hearty thank you to Twin Transit for delivering those meals right to our very doorstep.

Thomas Hicker

Vader