Ne Si’Ka — Food From the Heart
One of the reasons I adore Twitter so much, is that I make connections with people I might not have otherwise met in real life!
That isn’t profound or anything, but there’s beauty in the simplicity.
I was hanging out on Twitter on Friday night, when a Timber’s supporter I follow, Mike, retweeted this:
@DemonJuice Get a scarf!! Only $20 and all proceeds go to fighting food insecurity!! More info: [email protected] pic.twitter.com/4Y2XnlievP
I don’t want to be all “I told you so,” but…. Twitter really is wonderful in this regard. I immediately went looking for more details, and what I discovered was Ne Si’Ka. Which takes the conversation to a whole new level of beautiful.
Ne Si’Ka is a Portland based initiative raising money to create a “pay as you go” restaurant that both confronts hunger and food insecurity as well as fosters a greater sense of community.
The goal is to create a completely non-biased and comfortable atmosphere where everyone feels comfortable and has a seat at the table with food and family. Our broader intention is to create and foster a greater sense of community while we help alleviate hunger and food insecurities. via Ne Si’Ka
See, beautiful.
So, right about now, though, you’re wondering about that scarf. I was too, so I did some emailing and James, the Director of Operations for Ne Si’Ka, was quick to fill me in on the details. It turns out, they have a wonderful volunteer named Rhonda. I’m going to call her Saint Rhonda and you will too when you hear this: she’s making these scarves. By hand. And only charging $20. And then donating the proceeds to Ne Si’Ka
I cannot get my thumbs to talk to my fingers more than just to type, so I cannot imagine being able to knit something (or is it crochet) like this. Much less, be willing to make them for pure strangers!
And that’s when this whole thing just explodes with beauty. Because, when you buy one of these scarves from Rhonda, you are not only supporting Ne Si’Ka and its mission to feed people and build community: you’re FULFILLING it. You are no longer a stranger to Rhonda. And what she gives to the world, well, you’ll be wearing it. That makes you connected. Through the internet. Via people you don’t know. From the vastness that is Twitter. Mind Blown.
These are tiny connections — but these tiny connections are the foundations of the change that is desperately needed. Oregon is a hungry state. Those of you who read Mireio regularly know how close to my heart these issues are. Any chance I get to speak out on preventing hunger and food insecurity: well, I’m going to use my voice to do.
But now you’re tired of hearing me talk… and want to know, “How can we buy that scarf, already!?” You’ll need to email Rhonda directly. She can then invoice you via Paypal. She’s not set up a button, because these scarves do require work and she wants to make sure she can actually fulfill your order before taking your money.
You can also support Ne Si’Ka by making a donation directly on their website. And, of course, someday in the future, we can all meet up for a meal and a lively conversation.
Sowing
No, I didn’t mistype the title: I’m SOWING! Read on!
My friend from Seminary, Becka, is now a minister in La Grange , IL. Her church came together, raised $5000 and gave 50 church members $100 to make a difference in the world. It didn’t matter how they spent the money, just as long as it was used for good!
Becka, (now the Reverend Rebecca McClintock) envisioned “Plant-a-palooza!” She asked her friends and colleagues to join her. If we signed up, she would send us seeds. Seeds to plant food for those who are hungry.
The North Coast of Oregon is a tough place to garden. Sunlight isn’t always around. And then there is the neighborhood deer population to consider… but in truth, Oregon knows hunger. 13.6% of our population suffers from food insecurity, while 5.9% suffers from low food insecurity, also known as hunger — many of those are children. While I’m not sure I can GET food to grow, it’s certainly worth the effort. Because no one should go hungry. And I want people to have access to good food, nutritional food. But in a world where money is tight, and cheap food is unhealthy, maybe giving back by growing good food is a way to make a real difference?
So I signed up for Plant-a-Palooza.
My peas arrived this week. I’ll need to find a place to plant them where the deer won’t help themselves. The back porch, maybe? With the right planters? But it’s a start, right? I’ll keep you updated with a Peas Progress report from time to time. In the meantime, if you could pray in the direction of my peas, I’d sure appreciate it!
Would you like to help me sow food: good food for those in need? Send me an email with your address and I’ll send you some seeds to plant that will grow in your area. Let’s multiply this good food and feed the multitudes.
Ways you can share your veggies with those in need:
- Donate to a food pantry/bank
- Make a meal for a neighbor in need
- Share with a single mom or dad or a family that might be struggling
- Talk to a domestic abuse or homeless shelter to see if they could use some fresh food
- Organize a cooking day to cook meals for shut-ins
- Meals-on Wheels and Loaves and Fishes. Enough said!
So, join me? Let’s feed our communities this summer. I have utter faith and a can of organic deer repellant that says we CAN!
*Friends, I can only send seeds to addresses in the US. Unfortunately, international customs typically won’t allow plant matter to be shipped in the mail. But, you can still join the effort… and I hope won’t let a few pesky shipping laws keep you from participating in your own fashion.
