What do you hold in your hands?
MY ORIGINAL PLAN today was to update the blog by providing one of the recipes that I made for my father’s birthday lunch. Birthdays are joyous occasions, and it’s appropriate that we celebrated. But in the midst of celebration, it’s important to keep a global perspective, too.
The day before my father’s birthday, tragedy struck tens of thousands in the form of an earthquake that has devastated Haiti. In the face of this, it simply feels too indulgent to continue to write, without pause, about the bounty of food in my comfortable kitchen—a kitchen equipped with all the running water (hot and cold) that I could wish for and a gas stove to provide heat for cooking. Warmth and the aromas of nourishing food prevail here, while elsewhere in the world, there is “water, water everywhere but not a drop to drink.”
So, instead of posting a recipe today, I wanted to take a minute to ask myself (and you): What do you hold in your hands? What gifts have you been given? Do you have access to natural and other resources? Do you enjoy health, family, a roof over your head and food on your table?
Even if you think you have little, you might consider that there are always people who have much less. I don’t wish to presume or to preach, but certainly this is true if you have the luxury of reading this post. All over the world, too many people are lacking the basic survival requirements of food, water, shelter, and medical attention.
Lots of organizations are working hard to help on the ground in Haiti (and elsewhere). An interesting article from the Christian Science Monitor talks about how when tragedy strikes in developing nations, it is even more crucial to get support in the form of donations rolling in quickly. The article points out that because of the difficulty of transport in a time of crisis, the best path to helping is to donate money to a trusted agency that can convert the funds into whatever is needed, on location. The Monitor also provides a list of seven ways to give. There you’ll find contact information and links to: the American Red Cross, CARE, Concern Worldwide, Direct Relief International, Mercy Corps, Oxfam America, and World Vision.
In addition to those mentioned above, the following agencies are also in need of funds to continue their humanitarian efforts:
- Action Against Hunger
- Doctors Without Borders
- UNICEF
- United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP)
- Yéle Haiti
Here at Feeding the Saints, recipes will return soon. But for now, I’m going to make a promise and a request:
For each comment (not spam) that this post receives in the next 36 hours through the end of the night on MONDAY, JANUARY 18, I will give $1.00 above my planned donation toward relief in Haiti. I’ll give $2.00 for a comment that shows you’ve read any other post on the blog. ;-)
Update [Jan 16]: a friend and colleague in all things editorial, Gina Frangello of OV BOOKS, has just offered to match the donations here, so your comments will have a double impact.
Update [Jan 19]: all comments have been counted as a $2.00 donation. You can read the results and see a donation receipt in my Thank You post.
Please, especially if you yourself are not in a position to donate funds at this time, leave a comment and saintly prayer for those who need it.
And forgive me if I can’t keep up with personal thanks for your comments—you know you have my gratitude, each one of you.
Thank you.
[Photo credit: Image by m_bartosch/FreeDigitalPhotos.net]
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I’m writing in honor of Corey and her family. Also, love your cauliflower recipe from your birthday Sunday supper post.
Thank you and God bless you. My thoughts and prayers are with the people of Haiti. I just discovered your blog, I’ll come back to read your posts.
Thank you for doing this; I’ve shared it on Facebook, and will publish on the Woodstock Council for World Peace blog.
http://woodstockwalkforpeace.wordpress.com/
Again, thank you for doing this, and I read your recipe for “Bonne Année” Du Puy Lentil Soup; I will make this soon; it sounds delicious!
I’ll also link to you. Thank you so much!
Cameron Williams
http://woodstockwalkforpeace.wordpress.com/
this is a thoughtful, creative and generous idea. hopefully, the surge to help haiti will happen soon enough to save lives. on another note, colcannon never looked so good!!
Allison, I’m not surprised to find you organizing to do something wonderful like this–my great surprise of the day was reading your father’s beautiful, passionate response and your loving tribute to him following. As a daughter and a parent, I am deeply touched by how moved your father is in witnessing the woman you have become. I’m a bit speechless.
And how fortunate we all are, to have the safety and comfort and luxury of these emotional connections, without having to survey our devastated homes or count our dead loved ones. You’ve just inspired me to also increase my own giving to Haiti by $1 for each comment YOU receive, so keep those comments pouring in!
Gina: nor am I surprised to find your generosity pacing my own. I have always felt blessed to know you and count you among my friends, those whom I hold in my hands most dearly. Thank you for matching!!
Not sure if there’s still time to raise/contribute, but it’s wonderful that you did this, Allison. God knows the Haitians need our help.
Allison, I agree with Christopher Wick: you Are gracious. And this is a great way to help those who need it most.
This is so lovely of you Allison. And I love what your dad said above! The two of you brought tears to my eyes. In the good way!
These days, no one’s feeling flush, but in times like these, perspective can be restored swiftly. If I can afford to have a guilty pleasure lunch of fast food, I can afford to give money for Haiti efforts. Inspirational project, Allison!
Thank you for doing this! I read your “Sweet Heat” Grilled Prosciutto & Smoked Gouda Sandwich recipe, and will make this soon, it sounds great.
Phil
http://www.wwrf.org
Thanks for this gesture.
Hi! This is a great initiative! Thank you. Am looking forward to spending more time checking out your blog.
Allison, Your tea for the Presbyterian volunteers caused me to lie back in a swoon.
Thanks for encouraging us all…You are awesome. Hoping for clean water & warm shelter for all & soon.
Thank you so much for this effort! I hold the blessings of a wonderful family, good colleagues and friends like you, plenty of work to do, and enough food to eat.
May the bounty in our hands pour forth into the open and needful hands of the Haitian people. And the metisha (sp?) brownie bites look delicious!
First and foremost, I hold my five-year-old son’s hand. And he holds mine.
Thank you for taking a pause and encouraging others to do the same. Found you via a Food52 tweet.
Can’t wait to try your Demeter & Persephone’s Antioxidant Salad. :-)
Dear author and dear all,
Thank you for the wonderful idea and thank you all for contributing. This earthquake has been deemed the worst for Haiti in the last 200 hundred years, and I can only imagine how devastating its been for the country and population. The news coverage can only give us a slight idea of how things really are down there. I hope that people around the world choose to help to the best of their abilities, whether it is food, money, medicine, or volunteering. The nation of Haiti lies in ruins and it will take years for it to recover. Putting together humanitarian efforts is crucial, especially at this initial stage. I pray that there be no more victims and that no one is left behind.
Thank you-praying for Haiti! I went looking for another good post to read and was drawn to your Brownie Bites, they look amazing!
I don’t like ice cream, but licorice ice cream I might try. Licorice is hard to find anymore.
Anyway, what have I got in my hands to be grateful for? My work. By local standards, it doesn’t pay much, and I’d rather be retired at my age, with my feet up, and reading novels, but it’s physically easy work that I can do without my osteoarthritis hurting more. It’s interesting work, like auditing graduate courses, but instead of my paying them, they pay me.
Without much change in life circumstances, a few changes to where or when or to whom I was born, I would feel grateful for strenuous, painful, mind-numbing, repetitive work, because so little of any kind of work was available to keep body and soul together.
Such a generous and productive gesture!
With more time, I will enjoy exploring your essays. As for now, I wish thank you for demonstrating how one person’s voice can change many, many lives.
re: Ephipany
As a child, our tree did not go up until Christmas Eve and wasn’t taken down until after Twelfth Night. This was an old tradition in my family meant to compliment the 12 days of Christmas. Almost none of my friends’ trees had to wait so long to be put up. In fact, it was always strange to see all the discarded trees in the ally just as ours was fully bedecked. I moved away from the city several years ago, but I used to host a Twelfth Night party for my friends because I lived on St. Charles. We would wait for Phunny Phorty Phellows to pass by…the start of Carnival.
what you are doing is so wonderful, I wish I was in a position to make a financial donation but I am poor in cash, though I now feel lucky to have other things in my life that make me rich, things that I normally take for granted like food, water, hot water, a beatiful house, my health etc. I thank you for all that you are doing and hope to check out some of your recipes soon. PS happy belated to your father.
Hope this doesn’t bankrupt you! It’s a lovely idea. Also read your posting on Epiphany cake: I’ve got to try that! in French a galette is usually a pancake!
Bless you!
I donated to Heartline Ministries at http://haiti-relief.org. I found you via Watching the Waters and really enjoyed your post about the galette des rois – particularly your son wanting to bake the Jesus figurine.
What do I hold in my hand?
I hold in my hand the willingness to give of my time, share an encouraging word, give a pat on the back, offer a listening ear but also the willingness to love when its hard and to forgive when you don’t want to. Those are some of the things I hold in hand.
This is truly putting creativity to the best use possible. Thank you for your resources, energy and compassion. Peace.
Thank you for sharing your desire to help those in Haiti and going forth on behalf for those who are not able to donate at the moment. I’d like to think your invitation here allows people to share in the joy of giving by adding a thought in a comment, and participating in all of our best wishes for those who’ve survived this horrific earthquake.
Thank you so much for helping Haiti! I love your post about the Demeter and Persephone salad. That recipe looks great and I recall seeing it over on Food52, as well…I will be sure to return and read your blog in the future as I really like your writing!
I am commenting in honor of Corey and her family at Watching the Waters.
Thanks for thinking of others!
I can share sometimes words, but I can’t hold them in my hands. Instead, I can hold a book, a pen, and write. I can say words, most of them in Spanish. But my hands will be empty. I can say words and, as you might know, sometimes they have more value than gold coins or an extravagant enormous diamond. I can give you my love and from compassion to action, de palabras a la acción, say that we are mothers of kids who are expecting from us to move them in the direction to where we were not when kids. They also want to do, to learn how to love. Please, let’s include our kids. They are intelligent and sensible little humans beings. All I want to add is that I am working with the American Red Cross, my training will give me some instruments to help those in need, but most of all to bring that chance to UNIS, to our kids. Love to you and love flies very far to Haiti, for sure.
Thanks
Hi Allison, I applaud your big heart and this very practical effort! (Not to mention, have enjoyed the blog.) I would like to draw to people’s attention an organization I support on an ongoing basis, Mercy Corp. They are on the front lines wherever relief is needed, no matter the danger or risk. If the Marines are the landing crew for the Navy, Mercy Corp is like the landing crew for the Red Cross. I encourage people to check it out and get involved with them. http://www.mercycorps.org/
Bless you, my friend!
This is my first time on your blog and it’s spectacular. I am tempted to get up and make pasta bolognese right now! Congratulations and thank you for raising money for the victims of the earthquake in Haiti. Matt
We support you. We LOVE the site. Bravo. And Bravo to these new efforts.
If you have time please have a look at this Haitian orphanage.
http://www.lakaypam.org/Home.html
Hugs,
Karin and Scott Goodson
Wonderful plan, Allison. I’ve made out my own check, for payment through the PC(USA) Disaster Fund…because, unlike several of the charities mentioned, their administrative overhead is very low and their top exec does not earn over $500,000 per year. I will continue to check this blog, and I add my best wishes and congratulations to your dad.
Wow! You are just…amazing! Thank you for thinking of our unfortunate friends at this tragic time. Our hope and prayers reach out to them.
those of us who can, must. you do many beautiful things, and this is just one more of those!
and caren will be making the earl gray truffles for sure.
thank you allison…
Allison,
What a great idea to use your blog to drive contributions to Haiti. It’s true, we have so much to be thankful for, especially our family. I can’t even fathom the loss the Haitians must feel.
Your blog is great! You have so much on it already — what a rich resource. And I’m glad to see that you’ve introduced mastiha with, I know, more to come in the future.
thank u
in dreams united , we are a power fierce
sending all love to meet the challenges folks down in Port-au-Prince face
What I Hold in My Hands:
My health, my strength, my dear family and friends, a new job, a homecoming, and a hot cup of herb tea and some toast.
With a recent breakup and all the upheaval that can come of that, I’ve been tempted lately to feel sorry for myself. It seems whenever this happens, there appears someone–or tens of thousands of someones–whose struggles make it clear that my own are so, so trivial.
Let us all reach deep into our pockets right now. What seems like not much can mean a lot to the people of Haiti.
This is an amazing effort and long live cornbread, right?
Every bit helps right…its not about one person giving everything, its about everyone giving something–whatever that may be. Lend a hand! God Bless xo
“It only takes one grain of rice to tip the scales” Thank you for making a difference.
Thanks for the history on the Epiphany.
Your kindness in helping the Haitians brings the spirit well forward of January 6!
Great idea Allison. Good luck in this endeavor.
Christine, Thanks. Just thought I’d let you know: yours is the 100th comment, which helped me meet the first milestone I set for this post. Hopefully the comments keep coming, and hope you’re well.
Thank you for caring…………..And may we all join together bin prayer for all………….
thank you allison!
love,
rebecca
What I Hold in My Hands – The lives of my children, my husband, family, friends and the world. We are an extraordinary people. If it helps any Allison, I’m sending you a check – however small it maybe – and a truckload of prayers. (I believe I have your address.)
Bernadette, thanks so much for your kind offer. Anything you send of course helps—but it would go directly to help those in Haiti, not to offset my own cost, so it would be an additional contribution to charity. You might want to just choose your favorite organization and donate directly to them. Given your news-agency connections, you’re probably very well informed about the efficacy of the various efforts out there, so if you have any definite opinions, send me an email; I’d love to hear them.
Parker-
Thanks! Great post and a good example of how very important it is to keep in mind the abundance that we take for granted and how quickly it can be taken away.
Thanks for naming all the NGO groups over there helping, too. All are worthy of our donations.
xoxo,
dawn
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