A Star in My Own Universe

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Hope Can Be Contagious, Too

This is no normal time. There really is no other way to look at it. Even for this weird girl, it has been unsettling and at times, disheartening. Often, when I would read of pandemics and other mass tragedies in history books, I wondered what it must have been like to live in the midst of that turmoil.

Unfortunately, we are living in a time that will be written about generations from now.

In moments like this, things can feel so overwhelming. The news cycle runs nonstop with numbers of the sick and dying. Staying positive can be hard. A commodity we need most right now is Hope. The good news is that hope is free and it can be contagious.

And this is one thing I am very happy to pass on.

For many of our fellows, hope comes in a bowl or on a plate. Food insecurity was a growing problem before COVID-19, but with 22+ million families now unemployed, the need is greater than its been in decades. As I sit in the safety of my home with a stocked pantry, AC, and wi-fi, not to mention the multiple streaming devices I have abused over the last few weeks, I am aware of just how blessed I am. And when facing an obstacle the size of a pandemic, it easy to feel so small and believe there is little to nothing I can do to make things better. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

Last Christmas, I shared the Round-Up program supporting the Ronald McDonald House. I loved this program because it harnessed the power of the many doing a little. When we come together and give what we can, great things happen. Feeding America understands that well. For every $1 donated, they can produce 10 meals. Yes, 10 meals.

And like many, I received a little help from the government. I am, however, unlike many, still employed. I thought, therefore, I could use some of this windfall to help those for whom it is a lifeline.

I am asking for your help.

If you will share this IG post to your stories, tag me (@startraci) and use #feedingamerica, I will donate $1, up to $250. Want to do more? Donate and I'll match your donation up to another $250. That's 5,000 meals!

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-FwFNBngoI/

Don't have an IG? Share this post to Twitter and tag me (@tracisstar) and #feedingamerica and the same rules apply.

Let's do this!

Jana Stanfield might have said it best...

I cannot do
All the good
That the world
Needs
But the world
Needs all the good
That I can do