Toan Lam, founder of GoInspireGo.com, recently wrote about Jorge Munoz, a bus driver who provides the homeless in his neighborhood in Queens, New York, with 120 to 140 meals every night. Over the past four years, Munoz and his family's personal outreach program has prepared an estimated 70,000 dinners.
On a basic level, Munoz's decision to make dinner for 120 derelict strangers every night is not just kind; it constitutes an almost radical belief in shared humanity. Munoz doesn't make one meal for his family and another meal for charity. Instead, he makes 125-145 dinners every night, and serves 120 of them to people outside his household. In a very real way, he brings dozens of strangers into his home on a daily basis. In fact, he still speaks with regret of the one night in which bad weather made it impossible for him to share his food with others.
As the recession swells the ranks of Queens's homeless, and ever-increasing numbers of people find themselves wondering where the next meal will come from, many people may be inspired to recoil from people in need. Whether out of fear that their bad luck may be contagious, or a subliminal recognition that the distance between success and homelessness may be only a couple of paychecks, it's all too easy to turn away from the needs of others. As Jorge Munoz demonstrates, however, the distance between the ability to help and the need to receive help may be no broader and deeper than a plate of food. This is a wonderful example of a shared community environment and I only wish that this small example could be followed by all the governments of the world today.
My hat goes off to Jorge Munoz and I nominate him my Good Samaritan of the week! What say you all?
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