Opinion: Helping Hands is more important this year than ever
Column by Victoria Hansen
hansenv@findlay.edu
I love Halloween costume bingo. I love watching the Super Bowl in Winebrenner. But my favorite UF event is Helping Hands. There’s something beautiful about seeing the Findlay community work together towards a goal larger than themselves. I love the hustle, the energy, the comradery that comes from trying to organize more applesauce than you’ve ever seen in your life. Every year, we set a new record, with the high score sitting at 265,216 pounds.
We’re going to need it this year. On Oct. 1, the U.S. government entered a shutdown that suspended all non-essential government services, including the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, or SNAP. Money for that program runs out Oct. 31, which means after Nov. 1, no one in the country will get any new SNAP benefits.
According to DataOhio, a service of the Ohio government, 9% of Hancock County is on SNAP. 6,841 neighbors are going to go hungry this month because of the shutdown.
The situation looks bleak from the outside. The shutdown is going strong and people are going to go hungry. Instead of taking responsibility, the federal government put a banner on the Department of Agriculture (who runs SNAP) blaming the lack of SNAP on Democrats, who the USDA says “hold out for healthcare for illegal aliens and gender mutilation procedures,” scapegoating immigrants and transgender people as well. It’s easy to feel hopeless.
I grew up in Pittsburgh, the hometown of Fred Rogers, host of Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood. Rogers once said that in disasters and other horrible situations, his mother told him to look for the helpers. Pittsburgh and the rest of the world has clung to this advice, looking for the helpers during our darkest hours. This week, however, we don’t have to look for the helpers. We can be them.
On Wednesday, Nov. 5, volunteers from across Findlay will descend upon the Center for Business and Student Life for 12 hours to donate, sort, and ship literal tons of food to CHOPIN Hall. These volunteers will be young and old; students and professors; UF and community, coming from all walks of life to serve.
This year, Helping Hands is more important than ever. We have the opportunity to be the helpers that other people are looking for.
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