This hotel is cheap And the pillows stink
Oh Saint Nicholas I know I ain't in your list
But if you're listeningI need a bus ticket
I came through Montreal
I lost a lot of dough Could find no honest job
So I did some other ones
Got into trouble and I had to run or suffer
And then a long road Into a long December
Over the open land To this Ramada Inn
No overbooking here
No sort of holy birth No miracles occurring
No not a creature stirring
Oh Saint Stephen Where is your feast when I
When I so sorely need it
When I've been hardly eating But I'd give my food and drink
To see my home again To see my mother's hand
On Wednesday I was at Trenton United Church to lead our study group on journal-keeping with Zoom participants and a handful of in-person folk -- masked and distanced, of course. One of the in-the-flesh bunch had already been at the church and in the kitchen for a while before sitting down for an hour. She was cooking roasts for today's meal program, which has continued all through these COVID-19 months with stringent health guidelines. Food insecurity and hunger have not gone away during the pandemic.
Her presence reminded me of the dedication of volunteers in meal and food programs across the province, often seniors who are determined to continue their efforts toward practical compassion. Ruth, my wife, has been volunteering with the daily lunch program at Bridge St. UC here in Belleville because it is closer, and she tells me that they regularly distribute 100 or more lunches every day. She's struck by the gratitude of recipients and even though there is careful distancing some share stories of loss and descent into poverty that are both matter-of-fact and heart-wrenching.
This came to mind today as I listened to the Sounds of the Season Food Drive programs on CBC radio, both Ontario Morning and Metro Morning (not simultaneously, I should say.) The hosts were gamely trying to create an air of enthusiasm but it's not the same as when people gather in studios with musicians and celebrities to rah-rah the cause. While the commitment and generosity is still there, every aspect of responding to need has been more challenging in turbulent 2020.
It's all a reminder to be generous in aid of "the least of these"and to be grateful for those who give their time. It would be an immense step forward to go beyond these responses, as worthwhile as they are, to provide affordable housing and guaranteed income for those on the margins. Hand-outs make a difference. Ensuring dignity and a measure of security are even more important.
One of the songs played this morning is the one above by the group Hey Rosetta. Powerful.
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