Retired Nurse Contributes Her Hard Work and Pension Money to Feed the Needy in Arkansas

[SeaBreeze]

There should be more folks in this world like this caring and generous retired nurse in Arkansas, see a video here. http://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/retired-nurse-uses-pension-feed-thousands-her-hometown-n317611



[FONT=proxima_nova_rgregular]"Charolette Tidwell's plans for retirement aren't like many others: The retired 69-year-old nurse is using her pension to run a food pantry she started and is working there - unpaid - six days a week.
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[FONT=proxima_nova_rgregular]"The community that I was raised in did this. My mom did it. The folks at the church did it. The nuns at the school that I went to elementary school did it," she said. "We were mentored into this kind of work. Service was something that I've always been involved in."
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[FONT=proxima_nova_rgregular]Tidwell feeds 7,000 people a month in her hometown of Fort Smith, Arkansas - handing out 500,000 meals a year through her Antioch for Youth and Family group. The town has suffered from the closures of factories, layoffs at the chicken factory, and low wages, and Tidwell said she sees the elderly and families showing up for help.
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[FONT=proxima_nova_rgregular]"I was raised in poverty and I understand all the issues that go along with not having enough money," she said.
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[FONT=proxima_nova_rgregular]She started the charity in 2000 after retiring and learning that seniors in her community were eating cat and dog food - a cheap way to get protein.[/FONT]
[FONT=proxima_nova_rgregular]"Allowing the generation that raised us to go to the point that they're eating cat food and dog food, I can't imagine that," she said. "I think it's a forgotten population."

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[rkunsaw]

That's the town I was born and raised in.

 

[Raven]

She is a very caring and generous person and must get great satisfaction from the
good work she does.

I have always wondered why people would eat cat and dog food when you can buy tinned
tuna or a tin of soup for the same price.
Does anyone here know of someone who actually did eat cat or dog food?

 

[Debby]

What a wonderful woman! Oh my gosh, an angel on earth!

As I was reading the bit about the factories being closed, etc., the thought that popped into my mind was what a blessing Free Trade has been for the middle class. I think we got sold a bill of goods folks! Thank goodness for the angels among us!

Keeping all this in mind, can I suggest that all you folks who are the shoppers in the family, remember the food bank boxes and donate just one can of something for every person under your roof every time you go grocery shopping. If we all did that, think of how we could keep those boxes overflowing with food for the poor, the disabled, the helpless. Always remember, it might be you one day who is forced to survive that way. I always pick four extra cans of beans'n tomato sauce. Fibre, some protein, not unpleasant to eat and if someone is hungry, exactly what 'the doctor ordered'!