My favorite winter holiday mashup is of two pop icons from distinctly different generations singing a classic Christmas carol. Of course, I’m talking about David Bowie and Bing Crosby’s duet, “Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth”. Seriously. Find it on YouTube. You’ll be glad you did.
In 1941 an American composer and teacher, Katherine Kennicott Davis, penned, in part, the following lines:
Little baby, I am a poor boy, too.
I have no gift to bring that’s fit to give our king.
Shall I play for you?
Mary nodded. The ox and lamb kept time.
I played my drum for him. I played my best for him.
Then he smiled at me.
Me and my drum.
I don’t believe in an immaculate birth, and Santa Claus left the scene long ago. I’m a sceptic offended by the crass commercialism and blatant greed of the holiday season. But if there’s one thing I do believe in this time of year, it’s the ‘Spirit of Christmas’ – the desire to be kind to each other, to help those less fortunate than ourselves.
Consider this: as you enjoy your holiday feast, over 142,000 children in San Diego County live in poverty and face the threat of hunger every day. When you snuggle into bed for a long winter nap, almost 4,000 people, including LGBT youth, are unsheltered and sleeping on the street, many of them in need of medical care. Imagine for a moment that, rather than wounded animals in cages with Sarah McLachlan warbling in the background, we instead see impoverished children going to bed hungry. Would that tug at your heartstrings and motivate you to help, or would you look away?
I recently spoke with two people who are giving their best. Jim Floros is the president and CEO for the Jacobs and Cushman San Diego Food Bank. Bob Lewis is the director of Special Populations for Family Health Centers of San Diego. We spoke about what were the rewards and challenges of helping others, what were their organization’s greatest needs this time of year, and how our caring readers could help.
Astonishingly, more than 480,000 people in our abundant county live in poverty. And by poverty I mean a household income less than $22,350 for a family of four. These are families who are uncertain of having, or acquiring, adequate food to meet the needs of those living under one roof. Last year, the Jacobs and Cushman San Diego Food Bank distributed 20.4 million pounds of food, including 6.1 million pounds of fresh produce, to people in need. Last year, the Food Bank provided backpacks filled with food to 1,400 chronically hungry children every Friday during the school year, and 8,400 seniors with boxes of groceries and staple food items every month. Last year, in cooperation with soup kitchens, shelters, low-income day care centers, rehabilitation programs and food pantries, more than 370,000 people were fed every month.
Jim Floros has been working with the Food Bank for a little more than two years after spending the previous 28 years working with various not-for-profit organizations. He said the greatest reward about what he does is knowing they’re feeding so many people every month. He told me only 10 percent of the recipients are homeless or “unsheltered” and the vast majority are “working poor families”. Most shockingly, he cited the fact that 28 percent of the participants are active or retired military personnel and their dependents. The greatest challenge is, of course, raising the money necessary to run their programs. “It’s never been easier to get involved,” he said, and mentioned the partnership with Vons where shoppers can immediately donate $10, or drop off non-perishable food items. Or people can donate with a point and click online. He said, “Every dollar contributed provides five meals”, and all contributions are tax-deductible. The Jacobs and Cushman San Diego Food Bank spends 94 cents of every dollar contributed on the acquisition and distribution of food, making them one of the most efficiently run not-for-profits in the city.
Since 1970, Family Health Centers of San Diego has provided affordable high quality health care to everyone, especially low income and medically underserved people. Participants are provided an array of medical, dental and mental health care services. Unsheltered persons are offered everything from acute care, to transportation assistance; from vision care, to support with medications. Family Health Centers is also involved in combating HIV, providing the most comprehensive programs in San Diego County; from transgender health to free HIV testing and counseling, from diagnostic and medical protocols to peer advocacy. In 2013, Family Health Centers of San Diego cared for more than 180,000 individuals through more than 677,000 health contacts, making them the largest provider of safety net health care in the region.
Bob Lewis has 15 years of experience providing quality health care to underserved populations. He said the greatest reward was truly understanding the needs of disenfranchised and stigmatized groups. Patients often tell him that the services offered have made “a difference in their lives”, which only encourages him to meet the needs of more communities and individuals. The greatest challenge has been to reach the large number of individuals who have yet to access health care and related support services. Too often the reluctance is a result of past discrimination or negative experiences, but Bob says “everybody is welcome”. The greatest need is support for the Healthcare for the Homeless program, which provides vital health care assistance to individuals and families who experience being unsheltered, including our LGBT brothers and sisters. He told me all donations are tax deductible and can be made through their Web site.
The message of the Little Drummer Boy always resonated with me; we may be poor, but we can give of our talents and largesse. And wouldn’t that be the best gift of all?
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