2008 Woodie Awards
Clearinghouse for Volunteers: Bringing out your inner Santa
Tricia Williams
Issue date: 11/29/07 Section: Editorial/Opinion
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11/29/07 - Many of you may already be familiar with the services of St. Patrick's meal kitchen in Providence, but for those of you who aren't, this organization serves dinner to nearly 300 people every Monday night.
During the holiday season, these numbers reach almost 400 for both Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. While the adults definitely appreciate the meals and company, one URI student is focused on helping the children this year.
Mindi Hill, a URI sophomore, is organizing a holiday toy drive to benefit the children at St. Patrick's who wouldn't otherwise get a visit from Santa.
Here's what Hill has to say about this holiday opportunity and why she's so hopeful you'll decide to help.
"The first time I went to a meal kitchen, I expected to see a bunch of dirty homeless people, because that's what you see in the movies. I was shocked to see so many people I knew from around town. People who I know have homes and jobs. However, they also have rent, utility, and car bills; they have themselves and kids to clothe and mouths to feed.
"A Rhode Island resident needs to make $50,000 a year to scrape by and support a four-person family with the bare essentials. Working a full or part-time, low-skilled job in this state, however, doesn't pay even close to that.
"Rhode Island is the smallest state in the country, yet it has the highest child poverty rate in all of New England at 16.5 percent.
"One of every 11 Rhode Island residents faces hunger, and half of these residents are children. Children have no control over this, because they're too young to get a job. Parents are struggling to feed and house their families and now have to worry about Christmas and all of our other gift-giving holidays as well. These kids are depending on us to help them; every child deserves a present on Christmas.
"The people I see every week at St. Patrick's Meal Kitchen don't ask for much, just a hot meal and some company. There are children who are still too young to understand what being poor means, and elderly who have worked their whole lives, but still don't have anywhere else to go. On Christmas morning, the children expect Santa to have brought them presents, and many of them will be highly disappointed without our help."
During the holiday season, these numbers reach almost 400 for both Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. While the adults definitely appreciate the meals and company, one URI student is focused on helping the children this year.
Mindi Hill, a URI sophomore, is organizing a holiday toy drive to benefit the children at St. Patrick's who wouldn't otherwise get a visit from Santa.
Here's what Hill has to say about this holiday opportunity and why she's so hopeful you'll decide to help.
"The first time I went to a meal kitchen, I expected to see a bunch of dirty homeless people, because that's what you see in the movies. I was shocked to see so many people I knew from around town. People who I know have homes and jobs. However, they also have rent, utility, and car bills; they have themselves and kids to clothe and mouths to feed.
"A Rhode Island resident needs to make $50,000 a year to scrape by and support a four-person family with the bare essentials. Working a full or part-time, low-skilled job in this state, however, doesn't pay even close to that.
"Rhode Island is the smallest state in the country, yet it has the highest child poverty rate in all of New England at 16.5 percent.
"One of every 11 Rhode Island residents faces hunger, and half of these residents are children. Children have no control over this, because they're too young to get a job. Parents are struggling to feed and house their families and now have to worry about Christmas and all of our other gift-giving holidays as well. These kids are depending on us to help them; every child deserves a present on Christmas.
"The people I see every week at St. Patrick's Meal Kitchen don't ask for much, just a hot meal and some company. There are children who are still too young to understand what being poor means, and elderly who have worked their whole lives, but still don't have anywhere else to go. On Christmas morning, the children expect Santa to have brought them presents, and many of them will be highly disappointed without our help."