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Produced & Maintained by Idaho Mountain Express, Box 1013, Ketchum, ID 83340-1013 
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Copyright © 2003 Express Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Express Publishing Inc. is prohibited. 


Wednesday, June 30, 2004

Commentary

Hunger, really? Yes, here in paradise

Guest opinion by TOM ISELIN
Tom Iselin is executive director of the Blaine County Hunger Coalition


Thank you for the article on the Blaine County Hunger Coalition. It was another reminder that hunger does exist in the Wood River Valley, and there are a number of people and organizations working hard to eliminate it.

Last Thursday, I visited the Souper Supper soup kitchen and 42 needy people were having dinner. I received a call this week from a woman who lives out Croy Canyon and she said there are more than a dozen people squatting in the woods near her home. She told me one man and his 15-year-old daughter were roaming the road. When she stopped to ask if they needed help the man said he and his daughter had not eaten in two days. I also received a call from a woman whose son and daughter, both toddlers, hadn’t eaten any form of protein in three days.

The awareness of hunger in the valley is mounting, but it’s now time citizens and businesses take action and work together to address hunger and poverty. If the gap between wages and the cost of living continues to widen as our community grows, hunger and poverty will worsen. Ignoring the problem will not make it go away. The community needs to build and support a network of committed agencies and volunteers to help needy people, and it needs to discuss the challenges of poverty and hunger in Blaine County. Neither will be easy, but both are necessary.

The goal of the Coalition is not to build a handout program that encourages dependency. We believe that providing basic food security lays the cornerstone on which needy families can build a life of greater economic security. We also want to ensure kids have enough food to eat so they can do well in school and live healthy lives. We believe that once food security is met, other community service agencies will be more effective in their efforts to move the needy from dependency to self-sufficiency through self-development. The Coalition wants to help people, so they can help themselves.

But we need community support. I encourage community leaders, county agencies, and businesses to join our effort. Our greatest need is securing building space in Hailey so that we can store nonperishable food and build food boxes. Short-term will suffice: 700-1500 square feet is all we need. Next, we need volunteers. To find out how you can participate, please email bchunger@aspenrg.org or call 726-8150.

We are making a difference—and you can help.


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The Idaho Mountain Express is distributed free to residents and guests throughout the Sun Valley, Idaho resort area community. Subscribers to the Idaho Mountain Express will read these stories and others in this week's issue.





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