Dining Out for Life
Today was the Dining Out for Life day. Basically participating restaurants pledge to donate part (25% or so) of your bill that day towards Food and Friends, a DC/MD/VA based organisation that distributes food and groceries to people living with HIV/AIDS and other life-challenging illnesses.
So Theron and me went out to Old Town Takoma Park and dined at Mark’s kitchen which Theron says is almost an institution in itself. Hmm, stuffed tofucakes over brown rice with a raspberry sauce and beans and sweet potato on the side, with miso soup !! great … the warm fuzzy feeling of doing something nice, and the warm fuzzy feeling of a satiated appetite…
But does paying money absolve us of social responsibility? How much does it mean to reach into our pocket and donate a sum of money which we can spare without actually curbing any of our other plans?
Dont get me wrong. Money is important for work. And also, providing money for those who we think are engaging in worthwhile work is good and productive, even essential. But does that give us the right to be smug in our heart, and feel that we have done our bit?, does that give us a right to feel warm and fuzzy?
But then let me stress again money is important. and at the right time. A lot of money was raised and donated for the Tsunami. I wonder how much of it will reach the right hands. Will the NGOs working for rehabilitation, long after the tsunami ceases to be a sensational topic for the media, get access to the funds ? Or will these same hardworking people have to suffer from bureaucracy and politics to get the money from big funds like "Prime Minister’s Relief Fund" or the local "Chief Minister’s Relief Fund". Hmm, how many times have we heard about the tsunami rehabilitation efforts in the prominent mass media in the last week?
But in case you are interested look here
adieu for now
