Do you recall how many times as a child you were asked to use your imagination? I can remember playing baseball by myself. I was the pitcher, the batter and the fielders in an imaginary baseball game in my yard. I remember how the stock rack for our truck magically transformed to become a jailhouse for an imaginary game of cowboys and bandits. I’m sure that more than once, I made the winning free throw with no time remaining on the clock. At least in my imagination I did.

As an adult I imagine slightly different things. I remember a song written and performed by John Lennon called “Imagine.” The best-selling single of his solo career, its lyrics encourage the listener to imagine a world at peace without the barriers of borders or the divisions of religion and nationality, and to consider the possibility that the whole of humanity would live unattached to material possessions. While I agree with the lofty goal put forth by this song, I invite you to take a little less global, but more local look into the word, Imagine.

Let’s look at the life cycle of two food insecure neighbors. Jimmy and Sally get up in the morning and head off to school hungry. It is a proven fact that a child suffering from food insecurity is less attentive in the classroom. They struggle to stay focused. They struggle to learn. They struggle to keep up with the other students and to advance with the rest of their class. Let’s fast forward a few years. Jimmy, Sally and their classmates are 17 or 18 years old. Their classmates are all on track to graduate high school, have made their selections for college, technical school, the military or whatever and are ready to move on with their life. Meanwhile Jimmy and Sally, still lag behind without the background to pursue higher education. They are destined to go straight into the work force and in many cases continue to live day to day struggling to put food on the table.

A few more years down the road, Jimmy and Sally have married and have children. They continue to work at, or close to a minimum wage job. They go to bed at night not knowing which of the bills they can afford to pay that month. They wake the next morning wondering if they have the food to keep their children from heading off to school hungry as they did. Just as Jimmy and Sally struggled through school, they struggle as employees. Food insecure individuals lead a less healthy life style and miss more work than their co-workers. Just as they were less attentive in school they are less productive at work. The cycle continues.

A few more years down the road, Jimmy and Sally are now senior citizens. Sally has been sick. Now Jimmy and Sally have to decide if they can buy the medicine to make Sally better. If they do, there may not be enough money left to buy groceries. They are still hungry. To make matters worse, their grandchildren are coming to visit so Jimmy and Sally wonder what they will feed them. The cycle continues.

Now, I encourage you to imagine how you can help break this cycle. You have heard me say, or have read, that through our membership in Feeding America, and by partnering with other Food Banks, we are able to buy in quantity. By purchasing in quantity and using donated food, we are able to provide 11 meals for every dollar donated to the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank.

We are on pace to distribute nearly 13 million pounds of Food in 2017. Food that comes in one door of our warehouse, and out another door to one of over 150 partner agencies who in turn give it to the food insecure of Northwest Arkansas. Food that will end up in the tummy of Jimmy, Sally and thousands of other children suffering without enough to eat.

As 2017 comes to a close, I ask you to join the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank in our mission to nourish Northwest Arkansas communities by feeding hungry people. If one dollar can provide 11 meals, imagine what your most generous donation will do. Thank you for your continued support and thank you in advance for your future generosity.

Because of you, someone will eat today.

Kent