September 05, 2008
Chicks and Piglets – A Happy Update
On May 8 we shared the story of Chicks and Piglets with you in this diary…in that piece we introduced our readers to Pam Koner and Family to Family, a small non-profit dedicated to relieving poverty and hunger in rural communities across the country. (http://www.family-to-family.org/)
As we related then… With so many people unemployed, hunger is a huge problem in Myra (KY)…despair, hunger and poverty go hand-in-hand here. Pam’s idea is to return many of Myra’s residents to the activity that so many of their parents and grandparents were involved in–farming. How great it would be if they could be given seeds, chickens, even piglets(!) and be taught how to farm…the land is rich and fertile, the basic tools needed are relatively inexpensive… add some education about farming and lessons on how to can or preserve your bounty so that you can enjoy the fruits of your labor long after the fields have been cleared and voila!…you have a plan that can work.
We liked Pam’s idea and forwarded funds to underwrite some of the costs of this program including the purchase of a male pig.
This morning Pam forwarded the following email she received from her contact in Myra…we think it says it all… Despite our "unkosher" purchase, we think we made a truly "kosher" investment on behalf of the residents of this tiny rural community where the majority of residents struggle daily just to survive.
Dear Pam,
Manna from Heaven has been truly blessed and we now have 8 new baby pigs! Momma and babies are doing well. If Family to Family had not helped us with the purchase of the new male pig these babies would not be here.
Thank you!
