I can remember the image of poverty from the age of 6. Being born in Australia, there were a lot of things I, as a 6 year old was not aware of. When we moved overseas to the Philippines, I learned very quickly how lucky we were to have lived in a country where green pastures, parks and clean air are a regular part of our everyday lives.
Everywhere you look in the Philippines there are beggars, there are homeless and poor people. In fact the divide between the rich and the poor is everywhere you look. When cars were stopped at traffic lights, syndicates of poor children were released to knock, scratch and beg for money. There were blind children being led by other children younger than them. There were blind adults being led by children. They were dirty, they
were homeless and there were and are so many of them still. Here we were sitting in a car with the tinted windows up trying not to wind them down and throw all of our money at them. To give to one meant you would have to give to all as they would crowd your car.
This was everyday life. No food, no money and no home to go to. They were rounded up in trucks at the end of the night, money taken from them in exchange for being taken to a building where they could possibly have something to eat and sleep for the night, only to begin this over again in the morning. This was their lives.
To be privileged means to have a special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available only to a particular person or group. We are privileged here in Australia. We have clean air to breathe, fresh food to eat and parks for our children to play with green grass. These are the things we take for granted, every day. It is our social responsibility to ensure what happens to the poor and downtrodden in countries like The Philippines does not happen here in Australia, where we have the means to prevent it.
I joined the BeefBank board earlier this year to help make a difference. BeefBank provide much needed protein components like fresh and non-processed meats into the meals for the poor and homeless here in Queensland. This is vital to providing a sustainable diet and healthy body and with over 50% of people BeefBank fed last year being children, helping this cause should be a no-brainer.
Donating an extra beast from your cattle delivery or making a donation to BeefBank might seem small to you, but the biggest ripples start from the smallest steps. Join us in the fight to feed the homeless and needy and use the privilege you were born with to make society a better place for all our future generations to live.
BeefBank is proudly run by the Rotary Club of Brisbane Centenary. 100% of all donations going to the purchase and production of meals for the homeless and those in need. We work through Foodbank Qld to ensure the charities and non profits on the front line of tackling this issue get the support they need. For more information visit us at www.beefbank.org or follow us on Facebook to see how we have helped provide over 300,000 meals to those most in need.