Mood: celebratory
Topic: "Hosea Can You See" (3)
Ms. Omilami Williams is a driven woman. Despite losing seven of ten corporate sponsors, tomorrow she will be coordinating food service for more than 22,000 hungry and homeless people in Atlanta. The daughter of the late Rev. Hosea Williams, an associate of Martin Luther King, Ms. Williams continues the Thanksgiving Day tradition initiated by her father. Volunteers have collected donations of food and services, and the cooking has been going on for several days. Tomorrow, turkey and all the fixins' will be served to anyone who shows up hungry.
One-fourth of all the homeless people in America are military veterans.
Hosea Williams was a far-from perfect man. He had numerous run-ins with those people who enforce drunk driving offenses. He arguably did more harm than good in some situations, and those who disagreed with his passion for civil rights often used him as an example of someone nobody wanted as a next-door neighbor, especially if they happened to be white. To his credit, he recognized that the holiday season was a time for everyone to give thanks, and to share in the bounty. So he started his Thanksgiving Dinner for the hungry and the homeless.
There is a warehouse in southwest Atlanta that stores the canned goods donated throughout the year. It has been broken into several times, and Frodo recalls several instances where the robbery threatened the capacity of the sponsors to meet their obligations. The cans, by the thousands, are opened with hand can-openers. All of the cooks and servers are volunteers from the Atlanta community. There are ministers, and teachers, journalists, athletes, students, civil servants, retired persons, military personnel (when they're not otherwise occupied), businessmen, housewives, salesmen, and some that just show up because it is the best thing going on Thanksgiving Day in Atlanta.
Indications are that the numbers seeking a warm meal will be larger than ever before. This is the "Two Americas" that some still deny. It takes more than a hurricane's fury to convince some that hunger and homelessness becomes a bigger problem with each passing day. Inevitably, some will see the television news tomorrow evening, and make disparaging remarks about those who come for a free hand-out, and how stupid some people are for giving them something for nothing.
Frodo is very grateful that there are so many stupid people. We need every single one of them.
Frodo is grateful for an old drunken preacher. He taught that it is better to do as he does, than as he says.
Frodo is grateful that at least once each year he lives in a very nice place.