Land Of Plenty

To the Editor:
As I was reading the papers, I was dismayed and saddened to read about the hunger stats in Queens. It was reported that the city pantries had experienced a 40% increase in visitors and that 327,000 people in Queens do not have an adequate supply of food. In addition, 4.1% of Queens food pantries and soup kitchens had to turn people away and to reduce portion sizes or limit hours of operations due to insufficient food, funding, staff or volunteers to meet their goals.
And to add insult to injury, Congressman Joseph Crowley reported that he recently voted against a Republican budget package, which included $844 million in cuts to the food stamp programs, but this pecuniary bill was still passed by a two-vote margin.Well I hope these elected officials can sleep at night knowing that they let some poor person go hungry.
Congressman Crowley seemed to hit it right on the head when he said, &#8220Children shouldn't be going to school Monday morning having not eaten dinner Sunday night, or having eaten potato chips and ketchup.”
We live in the richest nation of the world and this should not be happening.
I urge all my fellow New Yorkers to be generous this holiday season to the food pantries and soup kitchens, whose locations you can find on the net by going to New York City Coalition Against Hunger. But you must also remember these people are not only hungry during the holidays, but 365 days of the year.
So please give what you can for I know I will try as well. And may God bless you for all you do for those in need.
Frederick R. Bedell Jr.
Bellerose