Sunday, January 3, 2016

There Are No Racists in Food Pantries

“We need a feel good story about race” pleaded a Major network TV reporter, as he looked out from the sidewalk in front of the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in downtown Charleston, SC, right after the ghastly mass murder of 9 Blacks there by a White fanatical racist in June 2015.

Well, I’ve got that story! The Orange Food Pantry, in Orange, VA, a small town in rural Central VA. I volunteer there, and here is what I see, every time I go: ALL RACES HELPING ALL RACES. Blacks and Whites, volunteering, combining efforts, everyone doing their part, to create a massive program that provides “Emergency Food Relief to The Greatest Need” which is anyone demonstrating a significant lack of income to provide food for themselves, and their families.

No time or place for racism or bigotry, just too much to do, working steadily together to take care of 300+ families, a total of 700+ people each month, who otherwise simply would not have enough to eat, and would go around hungry. You can feel the positive energy in the air, the good Karma from everyone pulling together towards a noble, satisfying common goal.

Here, Blacks appreciate Whites, and Whites appreciate Blacks…there is definitely a special bond happening. Lots of smiles, thank yous and deep respect.

“I especially will not turn away hungry children and the elderly” said Gloria Thacker, President of the OFP. That’s powerful stuff.

Really, The Orange Food Pantry represents all groups who do similar critical need community work: homeless clinics, free medical clinics, of course venerable favorites like rescue squads and fire departments, and many more. My challenge to everyone, including the media: let’s start “catching” White and Black people getting along just fine, working together, playing together, living life together and enjoying it.

Let’s all make the effort to contact our local media and share these many examples of racial harmony that most of us see everyday. I’m tired of mass murderers, bigots and racists controlling the news….let’s step up and take a giant share of the coverage, by organizing, writing and sharing our stories of racial good will, with our local TV and radio stations, newspapers, online news sites, etc.

We know this: there are plenty of “feel good stories about race”. Let’s share our stories with the rest of the world, so they know, too.

For more about The Orange Food Pantry, please visit their sites:

http://orangefoodpantry.com/

https://twitter.com/foodpantrynow

https://www.facebook.com/Orange-Food-Pantry-1551343645114464/timeline/

This article written by Parke Stanley, he does Marketing and Publicity for all types of companies, projects and causes via Digital, Broadcast, Target Marketing, everything.

If you’d like to share your thoughts on this article or talk about Marketing/Publicity for your company, please call him @ 434-996-3899 or write to:

parkestanley@gmail.com