"HUNGRY, ANYTHING HELPS"

Cardboard signs abound on many corners in Portland, Oregon. And behind them are invisible people. Some profit handsomely, some take turns working shifts, and many are exploited.  Handing people money rarely solves a problem. The best way to help is to financially support local pantries, shelters, and churches that are set up to serve the public or volunteer your time.

This is an update on consulting work with a church in S.E. Portland. Their initial goal was to launch a community pantry in a diverse neighborhood with higher than average food insecurity.

After nearly a year of probono work, it has been well worth the small investment of time.

The pantry team has doubled in size, and added several community partners. The pantry served 12 families in January. Growth has steadily increased and in the month of September, the pantry served 73 families.

This group is mirroring Jesus's words to feed the hungry. Hunger is what happens when a person doesn't have enough to eat. And it begins to impact a child in school, or a parent at work.

Food insecurity refers to a long list of problems that contribute to hunger-job loss, no high school diploma, loss of housing, no affordable child care and more.

Addressing food insecurity requires building relationships, identifying needs, assessing readiness, community partnerships, financial resources and a huge core of trained volunteers. 

Pantries offer emergency assistance, and give families time to improve their financial circumstances to prevent food insecurity as a way of life.

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Resilience: Elder and Childcare. Part 3

The first two posts in this series dealt with two other concerns that reduce employee resilience: financial distress and health problems. The last post is on the effects of elder and childcare.
The pressure is on. Families are juggling work, caring for their aged parents, and sometimes for children simultaneously. Alzheimers or dementia are on the rise. Alzheimers has been referred to as type 3 diabetes. Cancer, parkinsons or multiple schlerosis also rob senior citizens of their freedom and sometimes their dignity. How can an employee perform well at work, when their mind is on what is happening at home?

For a family with two or several children, child care costs diminish any retained earnings that a tax hike, health care dollar or inflation spared.

Compassion and a listening ear help employees ventilate frustrations. Allowing employees to work flexible hours can reduce cost if there is someone else in the household that can take a shift at home.
Equipping elderly persons with an emergency assistive device to summon emergency help can reduce anxiety. Some churches employ a parish nurse. Employees who are affiliated may access additional support which ranges from checking on elders to providing home-based foot care. Resource sharing agreements may provide free access to medical equipment loans. Encourage caregiving support groups and invite special speakers. Consider forming several long term support teams to help co-workers by running errands, bringing in meals, and tackling service projects such as painting, minor repairs or yard work. Finally offer human contact and respite services. Eldercare is often isolating. It is difficult for caregivers to keep pace with their peers. Consider bringing activities there such as a game or movie night. Finally, offer to spend quality time with aging parents, to give caregivers a night out with friends or a day at the spa.

On-site day cares or after school programs can help reduce anxiety and contain cost. Host a parents night out once a month and staff it with employees who pass a background check, and have some training in child development. Children may be a great resource for helping elders. To support parents, consider a quarterly clothing swap, or book sharing club. Team building activities such as rafting or beach trips allows opportunities for kids to get to know each other. This can be a type of extended family. As co-workers get to know each other outside of work, they may form various types of informal support networks. When a critical event happens in a family, closer relationships may make it easier to ask for or accept support. Many difficulties can cause children to derail developmentally such as a sudden acute illness or injury, sudden death, being forced to move to a new house or school, becoming the victim of violent crime or bullying. Early identification and support can help children cope and reduce the long term impact. Employees who have no family in the area, single parents or those with little support benefit from a family friendly work environment. For children it can become an important safety net.