Merry Christmas!! One day late...but none-the-less...Renewed Awakening wishes everyone an amazing Christmas Season! This morning looking back I was reflecting upon how society has lost a lot of the traditional meanings of why we celebrate Christmas. While there are a mirage of articles found just about everywhere on this planet concerning opinions of this particular season, there is no denying its origins of spirit which can be traced as far back as book scholars can document. The spirit of Christmas is here to stay as we evoke its national traditions and honors, each one taking into effect their own reason and cause for the last months celebration at hand.
For many this is a season of debt, pain and loneliness. These souls come in many shapes and colors. Circumstances prevail for these that no one can imagine. Hunger, disappointment, lack of ...the list goes on. The pressure of this month alone is enough to catapults its yearly rein of attempted suicides and dismay. And guess what...the people that need the Christmas Spirit the most can be found right under our breaths. Renewed Awakening invites you, while you are out and about through the New Years season, to please keep an extra smile and a sweet gesture of kindness to those who are least to receive it. The mind, the spoken word and the heart. These are the most powerful things in existence. With those amazing gifts we all posses, we can deliver the best Christmas gift to everyone that comes in contact with us...and it doesn't cost one red cent! Stay beautiful people...and make sure your next encounter with a stranger is a blessed one. God bless! Founder and Managing Director Beverly Gonzalez www.RenewedAwakening.org ~ Beverly Gonzalez A former Wound Nurse and Hyperbarics Director, with over 20 years of web design and marketing, founded and built 5 online companies and is now sharing the good news to all in one place, www.RenewedAwakening.org.
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Army vet, Homeless, humiliated and hungry. WOW...can we just take a look at that image above for just a second more. This is crazy. Not only are are CURRENT ACTIVE members going to food banks and shelters for help, but our VETS that served their time are now facing a growing number in cities across the USA. These are hard times and its just not fair.
Our veterans have had experiences that most of us can’t even comprehend. Stories and scars inside that can’t compare to what real life looks like. Despite their sacrifices, veterans and tens of thousands active-duty military families still have to worry about putting food on the dinner table. Here are some hard facts taken from www.moveforhunger.org. Twenty-percent of households that are supported by Feeding America have a veteran or someone that has served in the military. In fact, 27 percent of veterans of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have struggled to provide food for their families. Food insecurity among veterans often stems from the mental health issues that our veterans endure. Understandably, veterans experience great difficulty adapting back to civilian life when they return overseas, especially those who don’t have any support system from their family or friends. Veterans, like millions of other citizens, experience the same shortages of affordable housing, low living wages, and healthcare, however, are also more likely to have symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), substance abuse, and mental health issues. Fifty percent of homeless veterans have a serious mental illness, and 70% have substance abuse problems.With those obstacles to overcome, it is no wonder the projected number of homeless veterans all over the age of 55 is expected to increase. And he is right. These shocking numbers are further confirmed by a study from Cambridge University, which shows that more than 25% of veterans reported food insecurity in the past calendar year with 12% reporting “very low food insecurity.” The Cambridge study also pointed out that veterans experiencing food insecurity were more likely to be younger, not married or partnered, living in houses with children, have lower incomes, and are more likely to engage in tobacco use and more frequent binge drinking. Rich Synek, founder of Feed Our Vets, the only national non-profit working tirelessly to feed America’s hungry veterans says, “Feeding a hungry veteran is a great way of saying thank you for their service, to say that we have not forgotten about you.” The individuals that sacrifice so much for our country’s well-being are more likely to suffer from food insecurity, mental health problems, and poor access to healthcare. This predicament severely impacts millions of veterans who suffer from hunger on a daily basis. Synek implores that we do more to help feed veterans. “I don’t think anytime in the next several years we will be getting any federal funding, so the country needs to donate to organizations feeding veterans,” he said. “Individuals also need to contact their representative in Congress, their Senator, and raise awareness on social media about the plight veterans are facing with hunger.” We believe that veterans shouldn’t have to choose between food and having a healthcare plan. ~ Written by Zachary Sobol Synek is right. We do need to do more. We need to share resources that help, not harm. Build not break. We need answers that only one can get from having people helping people. Directly. Here within the confines of this awesome website lies a solution that can help our veterans and military members with finances that will allow them better opportunities and a chance to retire with dignity and hope. Our hidden solution lies that takes one person, one month to see a future 1-3 years down the road and it is all done for them. Share this resource with others so that we can help with our collective database of hungry fighting solutions. ~ Zachary Sobol ~ Beverly Gonzalez A former Wound Nurse and Hyperbarics Director, with over 20 years of web design and marketing, founded and built 5 online companies and is now sharing the good news to all in one place, www.RenewedAwakening.org. There was a time I wasn’t single. I had the comforts of home and all the amenities needed to live. Things weren't good at the home front, the details, are mine to keep, however the struggle was real and I shared my own abuse story at home and thus, it was time to leave. Titles that didn’t mean much suddenly did. “Single Parenting” was a new journey all together for me as that path began a new venture that would turn into this wonderful resource to share with others. (Funny how life brings it all back together full circle eh?) I shared many similarities with the following story. Sometimes, words that are already written, don’t need to be re-wrote. Here is one of those circumstances. Enjoy. _________ May 1, 2018 by Colleen Callahan Through my time at Feeding America, I’ve interviewed hundreds of mothers struggling to provide for their children during difficult times. It’s been humbling to see mothers always putting their children first. They skip meals, forgo medical care and work multiple jobs to make sure their kids have all they need. Anja is one of these mothers. Her story exemplifies a mother’s sacrifice and courage in the face of adversity, and reminds us that it’s important to support mothers like Anja across the country. There are so many who are struggling in silence, but they don’t need to be. Together, we can help mothers like Anja and her children reach a brighter future. The last 12 months for Anja have been more than challenging. After gathering the courage for years, she left her ex-husband who was abusive to her and her daughters. “In addition to courage, it was hard to gather the resources I needed to leave,” Anja said. “I was finally able to do it, though, with the help of a local women’s shelter that took all three of us in and helped us find a place of our own.” Anja and her two daughters – Solina, 13, and Zoe, 11 – have been living in their current apartment for a short while. “We’re so grateful to be on our own,” Anja said, “but it’s also been very difficult. I haven’t been able to find work yet, even though I’m trying. As a result, I barely have any income coming in. When we first moved, I was scared that I might not be able to feed my family. Then, my friend told me about a local food pantry, and it’s been one of the best things that’s ever happened to me.” Once a month, Anja goes to the food pantry to get meats, fresh vegetables, pasta, sauces – everything her family needs. “They are just amazing there,” Anja said. “I know this situation has been rough, and so many times I’ve felt helpless to make it better. When we were suffering from abuse, food was withheld from us and we often didn’t get enough. I didn’t want my children to feel like that again, even if it was for different reasons.” Because of the food pantry, Anja knows that her children will come home from school, open the fridge and find food there. They will be able to eat when they are hungry – a necessity that was once a luxury for them. “During meals,” Anja said, “they smile and laugh, and I know that food is now something that brings comfort instead of fear.” Anja, Zoe and Solina are survivors. Anja is extremely proud of her daughters for everything they’ve been able to overcome, and she’s confident in their future. “Solina wants to be a NICU nurse when she grows up,” Anja said, “and Zoe is passionate about being an animator. I know they will get there, because they are smart and talented and motivated. After getting through what we have, they can do anything.” Anja says the food pantry and other support she’s received have helped build this confidence and give her girls and herself a brighter future. “The food pantry has been healing for us,” Anja said. “It’s helped us put the past behind us and focus instead on moving forward with our dreams.” ~ Colleen Callahan ~ Beverly Gonzalez A former Wound Nurse and Hyperbarics Director, with over 20 years of web design and marketing, founded and built 5 online companies and is now sharing the good news to all in one place, www.RenewedAwakening.org |
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