Student Reflection: O.O. students serve the evening meal at Siena-Francis House

On October 18th and November 13th, O.O. core team members served the evening meal at the Siena-Francis House.  During the four seatings, we served food trays to about 250 people.  Here is a link to the Siena-Francis House's website http://www.sienafrancis.org/ Here is Nate's (from the OO core team) reflection on the experience.

            Amongst the apparent chaos of the cafeteria during the evening meal at the Sienna-Francis House, five words reign supreme: “Thank you sir. God bless.”

            When I first arrived at the Sienna-Francis House, I was a little apprehensive about how much I would enjoy the experience, because I had homework, meetings, and other obligations that I felt I needed to attend to.  However, I soon found myself trying to keep up with the frantic pace that is inevitable when trying to feed 250 people in a relatively short period of time.  During one of the prayers I was looking out over the group of people who had come to be served, and it became apparent to me that they were grateful to be there, perhaps not happy, but nonetheless grateful.  This realization forced me to slow down and enjoy the experience rather than looking at it as obligation to be fulfilled.  After changing my perception I began to realize that I wasn’t that different from the people who were eating at the Sienna-Francis House, especially the younger diners.  If my parents weren’t blessed with the jobs that they have I wouldn’t be able to support myself.  I am dependent on someone else for my survival, and the critical difference between me and them is luck.  A lost job, death, or other unfortunate circumstance could quickly turn the tables.

Furthermore, I was thoroughly impressed with the people at the Sienna-Francis House, because they weren’t bitter about being served by a group of students from private high schools who have earned only a small amount of what they have.  I don’t think I could do the same if I was in their position.  I can honestly say that I have never met a group of people that were quite so grateful for what they were being given.  I think this is something to keep in mind for those of us who have been dealt a more promising hand in life.  We must remember that the world doesn’t consist of us and them, rather just us.

OO collects 858 turkeys!

Thanks to many generous supporters, O.O. collected 858 turkeys on Saturday, November 20 at its annual turkey drive.  All turkeys will be delivered directly to the homes of materially-poor families.  The tukeys were transported from Creighton Prep to the Henry Doorly Zoo for storage.  Thanks to all who donated. Thanks to the zoo for storing these birds.

20% of Unemployed Americans Have College Degrees

The television program 60 Minutes ran a story regarding America's unemployed on Sunday, October 24.  The statistics and stories are shocking.  Of all places, many of the interviews were done in Silicon Valley (the unofficial capital of the technology boom). 20% of Americans on unemployment have college degrees.  For more information click here  60 minutes story on unemployment benefits

We need turkeys for 1,600 materially poor families!



Prep students unload turkeys at the zoo for storage.
 Students delivered the turkeys and about 30 other food items to 1,600 famlilies

 Once again O.O. will be partnering with Catholic Charities in order to collect 1,600 turkeys for distribution at Thanksgiving and Christmas.  680 materially poor families will receive a turkey and all of the fixings from the Juan Diego Center and the Saint Martin de Porres Center on November 22.  1,520 addititonal families will receive a turkey, milk, produce, rice, cereal, beans, potatoes, and more on December 18.  Thanks for supporting Catholic Charities and Operation Others.

Please consider dropping off a turkey (or two) on the dates listed at the following locations:

1) November 14@ St. Leo's Parish 102nd and Blondo from 8am-12pm.
2) November 20 @ Creighton Prep East Lot 7400 Western Ave from 8am-2pm
3) November 20 @ Skutt Catholic High School from 8am-2pm
4) November 20 @ Golf Tec Omaha 362 N. 114th St  from 8am-2pm

O.O. provided food to 1,679 families in 2009. That's 7,742 people.

click chart to enlarge

On September 22 Core Team Members packed 1,253 rice packet meals for OO families at the Kids Against Hunger warehouse. Some of these fortified rice packets will also be sent to materially poor families overseas

Core members at the Kids Against Hunger Warehouse

Event:Over 300 students attend the First Operation Others Large Group Meeting

On Wednesday, September 15 over 300 students from Omaha's Catholic High Schools attended this year's first large group meeting.  Although the Core Team has been meeting since the summer, this was the first chance all students interested in Operation Others could gather in order to learn about the issue of food insecurity and find out how they can get directly involved with the organization.  After a pizza dinner in the Prep Sullivan Center, students moved into classrooms where Core Team members showed a video and led a discussion regarding food insecurity in Omaha and shared personal stories relating to the issue.  Students also heard brief descriptions of upcoming fund raisers, and key event dates for 2010.  All students were encouraged to get involved by helping raise money, attending fund raises, and also by sharing information with others regarding the high food insecurity many Omaha citizens face each month.

Click here to see a handout from the meeting

Primary Source: Abstract from the 2008 Household Food Security in the US report published by the USDA

 "Eighty-five percent of American households were food secure throughout the entire year

in 2008, meaning that they had access at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life

for all household members. The remaining households (14.6 percent) were food insecure

at least some time during the year, including 5.7 percent with very low food security—

meaning that the food intake of one or more household members was reduced and their

eating patterns were disrupted at times during the year because the household lacked money

and other resources for food. Prevalence rates of food insecurity and very low food secu-

rity were up from 11.1 percent and 4.1 percent, respectively, in 2007, and were the highest

recorded since 1995, when the first national food security survey was conducted. The

typical food-secure household spent 31 percent more on food than the typical food-insecure

household of the same size and household composition. Fifty-five percent of all food-inse-

cure households participated in one or more of the three largest Federal food and nutrition

assistance programs during the month prior to the 2008 survey."

source: Household Food Security in the

United States, 2008 report USDA

Mark Nord, marknord@ers.usda.gov

Margaret Andrews, mandrews@ers.usda.gov

and Steven Carlson

to view the entire report click this link

 http://www.bread.org/hunger/us/facts.html
to find information about applying for food stamps through the federal government's SNAP program visit  http://accessnebraska.ne.gov/index.htm

Student Reflection: Core Member Anne N. on her trip to Macy and Winnebago and Considers Maslow

Maslow says that for anyone to truly achieve human dignity there are steps that must be met, the first being basic needs such as food, shelter, and clothing. I was able to experience the truth of Maslow’s theory of hierarchy when I participated on a service trip to the Winnebago and Macy Indian reservations. Because of the high alcoholism and unemployment rates on the reservations these necessities too often fall short of anybody’s needs.

Student Reflection: Core Group Member Art C. reflects on his experiences delivering food to the materially poor

Every Friday during the summer, a group of Prep students, faculty, friends, and whomever else is interested travel from Creighton Prep to the Open Door Mission Site to prepare approximately 1000 lunches.  The simple lunches contain a sandwich, chips or crackers, candy, and a cookie. After preparation is complete, the group then loads the food into a van and travels around Omaha to areas where the financially unstable and marginalized victims live or gather and offer them a lunch.

Students delivering lunches for the Streets of Omaha Project

I have completed this service opportunity a total of 3 times (twice during the summer and once during my Sophomore retreat).  Each time, the people I have met and the environments I have witnessed, affect and alter my perceptions toward our society. I understand that there is suffering and a lack of need everywhere, but the experience of being close and interacting with the people of these communities have forced me to feel a fraction of the pain and hopelessness they endure daily.

Student Reflection: Core Group Member Will T. reflects on his trip to the Rosebud Native American Reservation

Each year Operation Others delivers food to 240 families living on Native American Reservations in Nebraska.  Food Insecurity is just one of many problems facing Native Americans today.  This summer Will traveled to the Rosebud Reservation.  In this post he reflects on his experience.  


Food insecurity is a grave issue that is present inside our community of Omaha and also outside in all corners of the United States. Sometimes people forget the severe extent to which food insecurity casts its hold on people. Food insecurity is not only found in urban, downtown areas but all over the country in places where people do not normally reach out and help. An area where food insecurity is at its most acute degree is on various Native American reservations found all over the United States, in most cases, states bordering Nebraska. This summer I participated in a service trip to Rosebud, a Native American Reservation in South Dakota. At Rosebud, I witnessed and realized the true meaning of food insecurity and how little help the people of Rosebud and other Native American reservations receive to address this problem. Expired, moldy, and sometimes worthless food is sent to these places where food is a questionable presence in everyday life. Between alcoholism and homelessness, the people of these reservations struggle daily to feed themselves and sometimes their families. On the reservation I witnessed the most overwhelming appreciation for even the most meager food and supplies.

Introduction

Welcome to the Operation Others Food Insecurity Blog.  In addition to our main goal of providing some food to over 1,600 Omaha-area materially poor families, O.O. will participate in other projects, talk to experts and visit social service agencies in order to more fully understand the issue of food insecurity in our community.