What Hunger Looks Like

Have you ever gone to bed hungry? Woke up hungry, then spent the next day looking for food?

Most of us have never experienced what, for many of the people served by Matthew’s Hope Ministries, is a terrible, constant, frightening fact of life. According to Shelley Bradford, President and Executive Director of Matthew’s Hope, most of the hunger a housed individual feels is really just mild dehydration, a missed meal, a reminder that it’s time to eat. And we do something about it, because we can. We have options. It is not the same for people who are truly hungry.

“We joke about being hangry,” Shelley says. “But hangry is a real experience. Food deprivation mirrors the emotions felt by individuals with addictive tendencies or mental health struggles. You get anxious, angry, weak, tired, desperate. We had a man come to us in tears who hadn’t eaten in several days. ‘Please, I just want a sandwich. Whatever you can give me.’”

“We fed him to ease his anxiety. It’s the first thing we do for many of our homeless neighbors who come to us for help. As you read this, Spring Break has just passed. For a family in need, the children may miss their one dependable source of food.”

The ones who can make it to Matthew’s Hope are the lucky ones. For the others, Matthew’s Hope maintains Mobile Teams, something unique to their ministry. These teams consist of a van with a driver and an advocate. The van travels a prescribed route, with planned stops along the way, bringing food, water, and basic necessities to people in need. But they are always “on the hunt,” as Shelley says.

You might be driving past a beautiful stretch of green trees. Where most people see a landscape, they see a homeless camp hidden deep off the road. That’s changing, though. “Camps used to stay in one place for months, but new laws and development keep people moving now.”

When the Mobile Team makes a stop, they get out, walk the area, and call out, “Matthew’s Hope!” People emerge. The team opens the back doors and begins distributing food in grocery bags. It varies, but they try to include a couple of sandwiches, meat if possible, with condiments on the side so the bread doesn’t get soggy. They add single-serve items like fruit, vegetables, protein bars, canned ham or tuna, snack crackers, and chips. There are always bottles of water, kept cold with ice in the vans.

The food needs of people experiencing homelessness are urgent and specific. There is no way to store food, cook it, refrigerate it, or even add water to prepare meals. Everything must be ready to eat and individually portioned.

The food comes to Matthew’s Hope through donations, so supplies vary with the generosity of donors. And the need is growing, nearly 30% each year. While their donor base is larger than ever, contributions are down due to current economic pressures. Gas prices are higher, which directly impacts mobile outreach.

“We constantly compare prices, buy in bulk, and look for deals. We also have a strong relationship with Sysco. This is our 16th year, but we may have to cut back soon to keep things going. Even so, we are blessed. People continue to give what they can and constantly surprise us. We’ve even had homeless individuals try to give us money. We give it back, of course, but they refuse. ‘Don’t steal my blessing,’ they tell us. We’ve heard that more than once.”