There are a lot of sad stories Sunday morning April 3, 2011 in the parking lot of the Golden Rainbow Center food pantry in Palm Springs. There's the gay youth shunned by his family, hungry and shy in line as he waits for someone to call out his number so he can grab a bag of groceries and split. A man who once owned five houses but had to file bankruptcy when the economy tanked. Another man who has four generations living in his house.
In the line as well is Scott Hines, a councilman from Rancho Mirage, who is living on the streets for a week to bring attention to the problem of hunger in the Coachella Valley.
There's a misconception that everyone at this food pantry and other food distribution centers is homeless. Not necessarily. But everyone is there in an attempt to stave off hunger.
Across the street, cars pull in and out of a gated hillside community, a juxtaposition not lost on those paying attention. It's getting warmer by the minute in the parking lot outside the pantry with today's high expected to be 85. Still, there's no disorder, no hot tempers, just people grateful to walk away with their food stuffs.
Among the faces and voices in the parking lot Sunday morning is Ellen Zimmerman, an articulate and forceful voice for those in need.
Here is her conversation with Lisa Houston, Chief Executive Officer and President of the FIND Food Bank in Indio, California.
-Matt Hamilton, Cathedral City High School
No comments:
Post a Comment