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Come and eat
"More people die from overeating than from undernourishment."
- Talmud
It could happen at just about any Valley simcha, noteworthy for lavish buffet tables and sumptuous multi-course menus. While a bar mitzvah, wedding or anniversary is appropriately a joyous gathering of friends and family for feasting and festivity, such events typically include overeating and overdoing.
What better way to offset the very human tendency toward excess than by sharing with those who have too little? Donating to charity a percentage of the cost of a gala reception is an act of consummate kindness. The story in the Celebration special section in this issue notes that a number of Valley congregations encourage congregants marking life-cycle events to also make a special contribution to those less fortunate.
Facts and figures reflect overwhelming needs. U.S. Census figures indicate that 878,306 Arizonans live in poverty, defined as a family of four with a net income of $16,029 or less. Children and seniors are hit hardest. The Arizona Department of Economic Security reports that some 237,100 of the state's residents living below the poverty level are under age 18.
Cutbacks in government funding mean that fewer ill-nourished Americans receive food stamps. Local food banks scramble to fill the need, distributing emergency food boxes to families, as well as perishable groceries to other agencies that feed the hungry. St. Mary's Food Bank hands out 150 food boxes daily to those in crisis and supplies perishable food donated by local grocers to some 537 statewide organizations, among them Jewish Family and Children's Service and several Valley congregations. Last year, such efforts translated into 39,000 meals per day; projections for 1998 are higher still.
If you are planning a joyous family event, consider making a contribution to a local food bank or hunger organization, such as Mazon, the national Jewish organization that allocates funds to fight hunger.
Eat, drink and be merry at your simchas - and feed some of those not otherwise able to come to the table.
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