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| Mohammad Abdullahi (right) with one of the kids he works with through the Refugee and Immigrant Center |
From the homeless, refugees,
the bankrupt and broke who can’t afford to throw away the last bite left on the
paper to the people who do, “That might as well be gold you threw away.”
Salt Lake City, as you
may know, is home to dozens of organizations dedicated to the service of the
less-fortunate. These less-fortunate are people from all around the world, all
around the U.S, and from our own backyards here in Utah; we rarely think about
them, and when we do it is simply a thought. Some of us may think “why don’t
they work?”, “it’s their own fault”, “it’s not my job to help them” and my
personal favorite, “I’m too busy to help them.”
The
point is not to draw attention to the economy, politics
or even those organizations that help these people but the point is to reflect
on ourselves and our own relationship to this as a social issue as well as a
moral issue.
The
U.S Department of Agriculture reported one in seven Utah households
struggled to maintain adequate food supplies in 2011. A number mostly
representing impoverished refugee families in Utah.
“This isn’t Somalia
people!” said Mohammad Abdullahi, a refugee correspondent of the Refugee and Immigrant Center
with the Asian Association of Utah. Abdullahi works with Somali refugee
families who are in need of assistance in regards to work, education,
translating, medical exams, transportation and especially food assistance.
“These people come from a place where people literally die by the thousands due
to malnutrition and when they get here sometimes it’s hard to say if their
situation improved” Abdullahi said vehemently.
“That might as well be gold
you threw away” said Spencer, who asked me not to disclose his last-name and
refused to let me take a picture or video of my interview with him, when I asked
him what it’s like to be homeless and be forced to dig through dumpsters. I
invited him to the mosque I attend for some pizza with the guys and he gladly
accepted.
Everyone on earth would
agree that no one should have to go hungry because they can’t afford food, or
because they can’t afford nutritious food I should say. I’m sure we’ve all
heard compelling quotes
from celebrities and religious leaders, and have read verses in religious texts
compelling the feeding of the poor. If we want our economy to get back on its
feet, and our lives to improve then we need to make sure no one is doing it on
an empty stomach otherwise it won’t work.
I liked this article. It was short yet concise. I would've like to see more facts in addition to the opinions. But overall it was a good burst of awareness creating informing.
ReplyDeleteShalee Fries
This post caught my attention because of the title; I think it fully describes what the piece is all about. I liked the different view that you took as a writer to explain the hunger crisis in our own backyards and all over the world. The reminder that some people come from unfortunate countries to the U.S., only to find themselves in another bad situation, is sad to read about. I liked the connection you made to politics and the solution you stated at the end. Great post!
ReplyDeleteI found this blog post to be particularly compelling due to the statement made in the second paragraph, “. . . the point is to reflect on ourselves.” Instead of examining the big picture, politics and organizations on a grand scheme, find significance in your personal attributes to food assistance. I perceive this post to be casting light on personal contributions made to those less fortunate, giving the perspective of the value in each of us lending our time to aid others. Food justice entails individuals doing their part in the advocacy of food justice, every little bit counts.
ReplyDelete-Whitney Leavitt
Omar,
ReplyDeleteYou have made several poignant remarks in your article. You have composed an articulate piece. I appreciate the reality-check you have issued in the form of addressing our ignorance of our social surrounding and often time lack of willingness to personalize the struggles of those who suffer from struggles different than our own. More importantly I applaud you for being the change you hope to see. Thank you for reaching out to Spencer.
Martin Evans
COMM303
This post caught my eye because of its local focus. Since being in COMM 3030, I have had my eyes opened to the service organizations in Utah that make such a large difference. I liked how your writing centralized on quotes given by local community leaders and citizens, giving this much more credibility. One thing I would work on a little more is the punctuation and grammar, just a few minor mistakes that I noticed. My favorite quote taken from your article is this: "The point is not to draw attention to the economy, politics or even those organizations that help these people but the point is to reflect on ourselves and our own relationship to this as a social issue as well as a moral issue." Your viewpoint that no matter our political status or personal beliefs, it's a moral issue that we all need to be conscious of our fellow community members who need help, and you really highlighted that in this piece through student and community member quotes. Great writing!
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more. There is way more hunger going on in our own city than we think. It is also true that people come up with loads of different excuses as to why they can not help fix it. This is a great article explaining a difficult situation that needs to be fixed, but what can we do to fix it? I wish that the article had ended with something that we can do to help fix the hunger. I might even say it needs a "Call to Arms" to challenge the public to make a difference.
ReplyDeleteShea
Well said, I would just like to say that it drives me crazy when people say that the poor "should just get a job". The reality of the situation is that the vast majority of people would have jobs if they could. But it is especially difficult for some to find one especially if they only have a high school education and then worked for a family owned business. I have friends that were in just that situation. Their family business failed when the economy went bad and they had problems finding jobs because they had no previous "work experience". When in reality they were extremely qualified for jobs because they had more responsibility with their family business.
ReplyDeleteTravis Ciaramella/COMM 3030
ReplyDeleteOmar,
It is always eye opening when anyone can look beyond the stigmas that surround "hunger". It only become real when you've had the opportunity to meet and talk with those who literally have to go without food. As I have gained knowledge about food awareness this semester, it was incredibly sad to learn the amount of people the go hungry in our own neighborhoods.
This story that you wrote was very compelling, capturing, and touching. Having real quotes, from real people, experiencing REAL hardships tell a story way better than any of us ever could. Well done.