By Larry Chusid | Founder & Director
A moment in time at The Pongo Fund Pet Food Bank: Sunday, June 10, 2012. A day that brought us a line of families more than one block long. A day in which we gave out some 29,000 meals; more than 3 million meals to date.
A day like all the others. Because hungry families have hungry pets. It’s easy to forget that. But forget we must not. Because pets are family too. Pets that are cared about so deeply that their people are willing to stand in line for as long as four hours to get them the pet food they need.
But the real message I want these photos to deliver is that these are people waiting in that line. People that are struggling to keep both themselves and their pets fed. People that will choose to go hungry because keeping their pets fed is more important than keeping themselves fed. People that quite likely are the very people that you and I know.
By openly standing on a street corner they are publicly stating that what we do is vital and meaningful and something they need. How much stronger of a message can there be?
People like Teresa, who against all odds still has her beloved 14 year-old hound dog Sophia with her. But this might not be the case without the help we provide. Because Teresa’s limited means do not go as far as she needs them to go. Sophia rides with dignity in her stroller, knowing that her visit to The Pongo Fund will bring nutritious food, treats, a chat with a vet and pets. Lots and lots and lots of pets.
The Pongo Fund remains a volunteer driven organization. But at our core we are a professionally managed hunger relief agency. Maybe we’ll be the group that one day helps find the new ways to feed the entire community, to keep families together and to reduce shelter populations, all at the same time. Starting with a simple bowl of kibble.
Einstein said that “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” These are some of the words that propel us forward each day. Helping us continue to fight the uphill battle because this battle against hunger is one that we must win.
On behalf of everyone that is The Pongo Fund, I thank you for continuing to learn about us and the work that we do.
Sit. Stay. Eat. Live. www.thepongofund.org
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