One Billion Starving People On Thanksgiving?

As we walked out of Ralph's Grocery Story this afternoon, a canned food drive was being held in the parking lot by a local car club chapter. We felt so obliged to drop our non-perishables in the bin and continue on throughout our day.

Later this evening, the United Nations launched an online appeal in which they noted that more than 1 billion people across the globe are affected by starvation. They have developed an initiative to help reduce this astronomical number:

The World Food Programme's "Billion for a Billion" campaign aims to reach 1 billion individuals.
"If a billion Internet users donate a dollar or a euro a week, we can literally transform the lives of a billion hungry people across the world," said Josette Sheeran, executive director of WFP.

Feeding 1 billion people might seem like a challenge, but small donations can make a big difference, Sheeran said.

"Year in, year out, governments have supported WFP in its mission to feed the world's hungriest people, but they cannot be expected to do it alone," Sheeran said. "It's time for members of the public to act."

The campaign comes on the eve of a summit planned for Monday by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization. The agency called for a daylong global hunger strike to highlight the issue. (CNN)

It is so sad to know that people are still hungry in masses, even though we now have access to more food resources and greater technology to dispense food. 

Some people are displaying empathy through various means.

"Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon plans to fast for 24 hours to show "solidarity with the planet's 1 billion people who do not have enough to eat," said Marie Okabe, his spokeswoman."

I would rather adopt a family for the holidays or give time to a local shelter on Thanksgiving Day. Yes. I believe I will. Part of our thanks is giving away what has been so graciously given to us: the will to serve.

***As I make my list of Thanksgiving Soul Food, it's so ironic that many Americans are looking to eat less and take diet pills while so many are hungry across the globe.

If we all do our parts, we can decrease this number and help to restore humanity to the globe.
WE are those 1 billion starving people. WE are responsible to help affect change.

Whoa... it makes me wanna holler! This ain't livin'.

Check out Marvin Gaye's "Inner City Blues" and do something: