Blog Action Day 2008 - Poverty

Last year, the theme for Blog Action Day 2007 was the environment and I participated by posting one of my "green reports", while incorporating the main topic of this blog, which is sewing and crafting. It was easy to come up with this post, since "going green" was something we were already trying to do *and* it has become trendy.

This year, the theme for Blog Action Day 2008 is poverty, and I've been struggling to find a way to post about this while staying on topic. I still haven't come up with something crafty to write about.

There are already tons of websites devoted to links for sewing for charity, and I don't want to add another list of the same links. So, instead of a sewing related post, I'll keep it short and simple.

I'll share a prayer and a question for us to think about . . .

Here is A Thanksgiving Prayer that I saved from one of the numerous mailings from charitable organizations. I keep it on the refrigerator where I can read it often, usually about once a month.

Oh, God, when I have food,
help me to remember the hungry;
When I have work, help me
to remember the jobless;
When I have a warm home,
help me to remember the homeless;
When I am without pain,
help me to remember those who suffer;
And remembering, help me
to destroy my complacency
and bestir my compassion.
Make me concerned enough
to help, by word and deed,
those who cry out
for what we take for granted.
~Samuel F. Pugh

"For I was hungry and you gave Me food,
I was thirsty and you gave Me drink.
I was a stranger and you welcomed Me . . . "
~ Matthew 25:35

Here's the question to ponder:

What can you and I do today, tomorrow, next week and beyond to help those who are less fortunate, both locally and globally?

We already donate money to lots of charities; in honor of Blog Action Day, I plan to make additional donations to local food banks (Center for Food Action and Community FoodBank of New Jersey) and other worldwide food relief organizations (such as Heifer International and Oxfam America).

OK, that's a start . . . hopefully, before next year's Blog Action Day, I'll have something else to report besides monetary donations.


For more information and ideas, check out The Action Blog