Did you know that one in six Central Floridians struggles with food insecurity? One of the simplest and most-needed ingredients in life is food—without it, we can’t survive. It gives our bodies the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients we need to function. Food plays a role in so many things we do, including giving us energy for our day, help to think clearly, and assistance in fighting off disease, as well as recovering from an injury or surgery.
So when it comes to helping and serving others, food availability is vital. Think about the way you felt when you were ill, recovering from surgery, lost a loved one, or had a child. Did a friend or neighbor bring you food to help you through that time? I'm sure it made you feel better and lifted a burden off your shoulders to help you get through the day. Serving others through food isn’t difficult; you don’t have to be a professional cook to help!
Here are a few simple ways to help a neighbor (without having to go to culinary school!):
- Buy a meal for someone in need and deliver it to them.
- Participate in a food drive through your local religious organization, food bank, or any of the many nonprofits that organize and participate in food drives.
- Cook a simple meal and bring it to a neighbor. You never know what someone is going through, and your kindness could be just what they need one day.
- If you know someone in your community in need, start a food train that can be shared with others to help them out and provide them food during their time of need.
- Volunteer at a soup kitchen.
Food is a universal way to feed the spirit, mind, and body. The need for food security is greater now than ever before. With so many out of work or working reduced hours, the simple task of putting food on the table has grown into a challenge by leaps and bounds. During a time where we’re all having different experiences, it’s important to remember we all have at least one thing in common: we all need to eat. When someone we know is experiencing a difficult time, we can meet their needs with the one thing we all must have: food!
This week during the STRONG Challenge, I encourage you to consider how you can serve those around you, whether it’s by trying one of the above suggestions or another opportunity available in our Week 5 activities. I wish you peace and happiness as you continue on your journey to grow healthier in spirit, mind, and body. I can’t wait to see what we’ll accomplish together. See you next week!