Help us end hunger

The second Saturday in May is very special to Feeding the Valley food bank. This Saturday, May 13, the U.S. Letter Carriers will sponsor its 25th annual city-wide Letter Carriers’ Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive. Plastic grocery bags have been distributed to homes throughout our community in hopes that they will be filled with non-perishable foods, and placed at the mail box to be picked up on May 13 by our letter carriers.

This is a national food drive and the largest for Feeding the Valley. In 2016, more than 63,460 pounds of food was donated, which equates to 52,885 meals for people in need. These food donations benefit our more than 270 churches and non-profit organizations that partner with us and offer food assistance in our community.

Most needed foods include canned fruits, soups, meats, vegetables, peanut butter, jelly and jams, cereals, beans, rice, dry, powdered or boxed milk, oatmeal, pasta, macaroni and cheese and crackers.

We are grateful to live in a generous community and it is our hope that the 2017 Letter Carriers’ Stamp Out Hunger food drive the most successful ever.

We thank our friends and partners at the U.S. Post Office and their sponsors for their commitment to making a difference in our community. And, we thank the citizens of Columbus for generously donating to our mission.

Together we can Stamp Out Hunger!

Divine guidance

Coming out of a store on April 27, I almost stepped on a red plastic weight in the shape of a star used to keep balloons from floating away. Being naturally curious I picked it up and put it in my car, allowing my mind to ponder North Korea…are they playing games? The few cut-off colorful ribbons still attached, suggest to me, they are. Yet who can know the mind of a bottomless pit spirit and end its existence other than He who allows it to live?

Many leaders today in their spiritual ignorance are allowed to express their destructive ego which can be devastating to others, know not the mercy and grace of God that even been extended to them for his divine purpose. God has a bigger plan than what humans can envision.

President Trump has at his fingertips the power to engage America in World War III. Especially if we become overly excited or fearful of North Korea’s teasing. But all nations need to look to the greatest Guardian ever, for those who already dwell in his secret place have found refuge, fortress and a peace that passes knowledge and all understanding.

Plain indecency

Recently, FCC chairman Ajit Pai said that his agency will be looking into complaints made against CBS's Stephen Colbert for what some labeled a homophobic joke about President Donald Trump. Pai said, "I have had a chance to see the clip now and so, as we get complaints — and we've gotten a number of them — we are going to take the facts that we find and we are going to apply the law as it's been set out by the Supreme Court and other courts and we'll take the appropriate action."

Good grief, Pai has seen that clip ... and Pai hasn't already shut down CBS?

You know, this isn't about a guest exploding unscripted, or about a host reacting to someone who hits him with a "sucker punch" from behind; this was about the man controlling the microphone intentionally acting in an unacceptable manner … It's not even about whether the target was Trump or any sitting/past president; it is about common decency that liberals believe they are exempt from being responsible for.

Unsafe city

I feel more unsafe in Columbus than ever before. Nearly every day I hear about a shooting, not always a murder — many victims live through it.

Here are some sobering statistics. The New York City murder rate is 3.9 per 100,000 people. The state of Georgia has a murder rate of 5.9 per 100,000. Columbus, Ga., has a murder rate of 9.3 per 100,000 people.

The overall crime rate in Columbus is only safer than 11 per cent of the cities in the US. The overall crime rate is 113 per cent higher than the national average.

Columbus had 268 robberies per 100,000 people. Georgia had 120 and the US had 102 per 100,000 people.

All these statistics are for the year of 2016 (the last whole year available).

What is our mayor doing about it? She is building unnecessary, unwanted, expensive roundabouts. Where are those police officers our Local Option Sales Tax were supposed to hire?

To the rescue

To the nice lady in the pickup on Wynnton Road, and the helpful young fellow, "David" the pedestrian: Thank you!

The woman alerted me that something had fallen off my motorcycle.

The strap on a bag containing my camera came loose and it fell off at Wynnton and Brown Avenue.

David picked it up and carried it safely to the sidewalk where he waited until I could turn around and retrieve it. I really appreciate your kindness.

Thanks again.

This story was originally published May 9, 2017 at 1:35 PM with the headline "Help us end hunger."