“Food Insecurity” is a nice way to say “starvation.”

You’ve heard the term “food insecurity.” It’s a phrase that references the inability to purchase quality, healthy foods due to several factors – the unavailability of nearby grocery stores or supermarkets (also creating a “food desert”); the rising cost of nearly everything (ground beef is nearly twice per pound what I paid for it last year, for instance), and the onerous “tariffs” (also known as the “Trump Tax”) we’re all paying for everything. Ugh.

And next week, it will get even worse. With the current government shutdown, millions of people who rely on SNAP and WIC benefits won’t have those options after November 1. And for those who need those benefits just to keep food on the table, for whatever reason, that option won’t exist. The remaining option is now the food pantries, who are currently straining to keep up with increasing demand.

This is horrible.

And it gets worse.

In addition to the food insecurity, we’re now running up against two of the biggest holidays on the calendar – the Thanksgiving feast, and the Christmas shopping season.

So here’s what I’m doing. You can do whatever else you want, but this is what I’m doing.

This November, any time I go to the grocery store, I’m purchasing as if I’m buying for a family of four. At least enough to fill one of those reusable shopping bags. And when I have enough to fill a shopping bag, then I’m pit stopping at whatever food bank or food pantry is nearby and dropping it off. And I’ll keep doing this until the government restarts and SNAP benefits are restored. And maybe longer, depending on how I feel.

And I encourage all of you to help out as well, if you are able.

In fact … maybe make a call to the local food pantry and ask what people need. Get some idea of what products will help. And it’s not just food – purchasing baby formula or diapers or feminine hygiene products would help out. So what if you use your advantage savings card at the grocery store to purchase tampons? All that means is that the store computer that monitors your purchases now thinks you need some coupons for tampons. You can work with that, right?? 😀

I’m just saying … we are currently living in awful times. Money that could have been spent on feeding everyone in the nation is now spent on building some chintzy ballroom to stroke Donald Trump’s ego. And if the government can’t help the people …

Then let us, as the people, help other people.

Trust me. We are better than this. And we will get through this. All of us.

Let me repeat that. ALL OF US.