Letter: Support the Peanut Butter Valentine's Drive

To the editor:

It was wonderful to open the local newspapers and read that members of The National Honor Society at MHS are organizing the Peanut Butter Valentines drive for A Servant's Heart Food Pantry. These talented and thoughtful students are reminding all of us that hunger is a real issue in our society. At a time of year when many of us buy presents and cards for loved ones, please consider adding a food gift to your Valentine's Day shopping list.

Collecting peanut butter for A Servant's Heart during the month of February began in 2003. The generosity of Melrose residents has enabled this project to become an annual tradition. It is sobering to know that the 2012 campaign needs more donations than ever.

Some Facts:

• Peanut Butter is consumed in 90 percent of US households

• High heat, strong winds and bone-dry conditions created the worst peanut season in 30 years

• Prices for peanut butter have jumped 24-40 percent after the worst peanut harvest since 1981

• Peanut Butter is the most requested food item from food pantries, shelters and soup kitchens nationwide

• 1 in 6 people (including 1 in 5 children) skip meals or go without food for days

Many of us believe that the problems associated with hunger are confined to small pockets of our society, certain areas of the country or particular neighborhoods, but the reality is much different. My understanding of the statistic that 1 in 6 people in the United States goes to bed at night hungry was really theoretical, until today.

I just returned from my weekly run to Trader Joe's. Whenever possible, I pay at a certain cashier because of his interpersonal and customer service skills. As he was ringing up a few jars of peanut butter, I described the annual PB Valentines project. We discussed the dramatic price increase and the fact that there is more food insecurity than ever in the richest country on the planet. When I shared that I had read that 1 in 6 Americans go to bed at night hungry, his response stunned me! He told me that he was one of those people who went to bed at night hungry.

My favorite cashier at my favorite grocery store goes to bed hungry. This warm, friendly, funny and efficient worker was just stating a fact. He was not complaining. On the contrary, he told me that he made an hourly rate of $20 on a weekend shift and how lucky he felt to be employed. He loves his job, the company he works for and interacting with all the different customers. He is grateful that he gets an employee discount to buy quality food. He said that his paycheck covering rent, a car loan and groceries only goes so far. He would like to buy more food and not go to bed hungry but considers himself one of the lucky ones.

As I was wheeling my cart away from the checkout, I looked back at my favorite cashier and saw him in a new way. I noticed that he is quite thin.

Katy Kennedy
Mt. Vernon Avenue