Social Action
In the wealthiest nation on earth, there are 50 million people, one third of whom are children, who are hungry. Jewish tradition teaches that feeding the hungry is a vital responsibility; Leviticus 19:9 tells us, “When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap all the way to the corners of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and the stranger.” What is food insecurity? The term refers to consistent access to adequate food, limited by a lack of money or other resources. The impact of food insecurity is most acutely felt in children, whose physical and mental health is at risk. It has been linked to delayed development, poor attachment and learning disabilities, especially when experienced early in life. Food insecurity may result in lower attendance in school
and a number of behavioral issues, resulting in lower likelihood of success in adult life.. How can you help? A number of Temple Chai families participated in Maot Chitim, providing food parcels to over 4000 Jewish families across the Chicago area this year at Rosh Hashanah. The next opportunity will be at Passover. For other organizations needing assistance, please refer to the Temple Chai web site, under social action. Advocate on behalf of SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that provides school nutrition and food stamps for families living
below the Federal Poverty Level of $19,000 for a family of three. Contact your member of Congress to support this important legislation: http://
www.elections.IL/gov/districtlocator/ districtofficialsearchbyaddress.aspx.
The average person enrolled in the Food Stamp program receives $86, or about $200 per household. To better understand what that means to an average family, you might consider participating in the Food Stamp Challenge. Food Stamp Challenge participants live for seven days on the standard weekly food stamp allotment of $31.50. We can all pitch in, whether by participating in programs or by donating food and funds to help to end hunger in our community.
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