Are children of this city really important?

As you know I have used this blog and several other means to collect funding to support the Weekend Backpack Program for homeless children.  It is a program that provides weekend backpacks to Baltimore City Public School children each weekend as they leave the schools that they attend.

I cannot tell you the success this program has met with as it insures that children will have good food to eat over the weekend.  I have written letters, spoken to many, many people about collecting money for the program, sat with City Council Representatives and explained how it works and yet the money doesn't come in to grow this program so that these hungry children will be fed.

I don't understand the rationale involved in this, as it is so important for the children to have food so that they can grow mentally and physically.  Studies have shown that poor children, who do not have proper nutrition suffer more than those of us who eat balanced meals, but while people have written me promising money, time and the desire to assist us in this program, very few have ever really opened up their wallet to fund it.  The churches of this city hear the plea from me and close their ears, thinking that the government provides food for these children during the school week, forgetting conveniently that they should eat over the weekend so that they are prepared for the new week ahead. I have to admit that the United Methodist Church has continued its contributions to the program, but cannot completely fund the project because it is vast, as currently there are 2,700 registered homeless children in Baltimore City Public Schools.  I have written to foundations requesting their assistance with no support.  Apparently street lights are more important than feeding children.  I don't have pictures to show you of any hungry child wallowing in mud somewhere unknown, but I can assure you that I have met these children and they are hungry and need your help.

This inability to provide suitable funding for this program is so disturbing to me that I fail to understand it fully.  Each day when I read a web site called "next door" I am amazed to read that people will run and support a lost cat or dog, but will not be moved by the fact that a child somewhere in the city will not eat this evening.  On the "Go Fund Me" site, the sister of the young man who shot 9 people in South Carolina appealed to people and I believe the figure she has already received exceeds $2,000. to support her wedding.  There is something that is so wrong with this, where we, as members of this nation would support this sister, but ignore children who are hungry.
The people who are involved in this project receive no salaries and every cent of the money collected goes to support this project.  No salaries, no overhead, nothing, not one cent is spent by us in our attempts to collect funds to support this program.  We, the founders of this program do it for free.

I fear that if we do not start collecting substantial funding that we may have to curtail our activities and again plead with you to make a donation to Heart's Place Services, Inc., 2640 St. Paul Street,
Baltimore, MD 21218 and mark your checks that the funds are for the weekly backpack program. We personally give and give generously to ensure that children are fed and hope you will too.  Please understand that in this economy this could be your child.