One in five

As Americans we pride ourselves on our work ethic, our ability to weather any storm, take care of ourselves.

And then we are faced with the bold-faced lie.

I saw that today.

A press release crossed my desk just after deadline. It touted the 40th anniversary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service. Proudly, the release said, the program serves one in five Americans.

OK, from where you're sitting, count it out. One, two, three, four, five.

You can see the person who might be hungry without government help.

They may be getting food stamps, school lunches, WIC or other emergency help.

And while I'm happy such help is available, what does that say about a country where one in five people must seek help just to sustain life?

Remember the line: "Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness ..." It might be hard to memorize when your stomach is growling or you are trying to figure out if you can afford lunch and dinner tonight.

It doesn't matter if you've supported Republican causes all your life or you think President Obama is right on target; the fact that as many as 20 percent of Americans could need food assistance has to worry you.

Luckily, we live in a climate where many of us can grow our own food. It may be as small as few tomato plants on a window sill or a patch out back with some lettuce. And we can get down to the Farmers' Market for fresh items and good deals.

But many aren't so lucky. Some don't have the means.

In our larger cities, residents can't always get to fresh markets and don't have access to backyards, farms and the know-how to help themselves.

I'd like to think as the "sturdy Midwesterners" we sometimes proclaim to be, we haven't forgotten how to dig a hole for a pepper plant, how to weed around a vegetable bed or pluck apples from a tree for a pie.

Fewer and fewer Williams County residents make their livings solely from farms. The world changes and so must we. But we can't forget the knowledge that will sustain us.

Maybe it's time to make sure the next generation knows what the soil feels like, that worms aren't only a type of neo-colored candy and that not all food comes in cellophane.

One in five get help from the government with food. One, two, three, four, five. Count it out. Can you see who is hungry? Who is getting government help?