by Sen. Sherrod Brown
My
mother, a schoolteacher in Mansfield, taught her sons that no matter
what your station is in life, no one is too important or too busy to
serve.
This holiday season, I’m grateful for that lesson –
and for the example set each day by so many in their communities. And I
am most heartened by the sacrifices of hardworking Ohioans who struggle
to make ends meet yet still make time to
give to others.
A couple of years ago, I met an Ohio family who was
bagging groceries for neighbors at a local food pantry. While they were
long time volunteers at the food pantry, they recently had turned to
its services themselves due to job loss.
It’s that indelible Ohio spirit – the eagerness to
give back, to lend a helping hand even when times are hard – that
encourages me.
Although
Ohio’s unemployment rate dropped below 7 percent last week, there is
still much more to be done. Scarcity is a fact of life for too many
Americans in urban
areas, rural communities, small towns, and big cities alike. Today more
than 1.8 million Ohioans live in poverty and nearly one in six Ohioans
don’t know where they will get their next meal.
Alleviating
hunger in America – including hunger for food, work, and a fair shot at
providing for loved ones – requires addressing the shortages many
working and middle
class families face.
Here’s what we can do: as citizens, we can tutor,
spend time with an elderly neighbor, and donate items to local food
pantries. We can work to improve economic conditions that keep talented
students from receiving a college education. We
can also volunteer at community centers, places of worship, schools,
and senior homes to make sure our neighbors have enough to eat during
the holiday season and throughout the year.
But private citizens shouldn’t have to go it alone.
In Washington, we need to address the rising income inequality that has
led to a shrinking middle class and slow economic recovery. That comes
down to priorities – do we continue to support
extra tax breaks for millionaires or do we invest in resources that
create jobs and help Americans who are struggling?
Our nation’s prosperity depends on a strong middle
class, and the equality of opportunity that allows all people to join
the middle class.
Today, more Ohioans are back at work, but we’ve
still got a lot of work to do to ensure that every American who wants to
work can find a job that allows them to take care of their families.
During
this Thanksgiving season, I salute the spirit of volunteerism in our
state and encourage all of you to reach out and volunteer. As
Thanksgiving and the holiday
season approaches, Connie and I are grateful for the Ohioans who spend
their time working in food pantries and food banks, and in schools,
hospitals, and senior centers. Such citizens are making heroic efforts
to fight poverty and hunger.
To
our servicemembers returning home for the holidays, and to our troops
serving overseas, our thoughts and prayers remain with you and your
families.
These
selfless Americans, like the family who continued to give back in their
hour of need, remind us that across Ohio, there is no deficit of will.
It reflects the
fundamental character of who we are as Americans, and we affirm it this
each holiday season. Women and men in uniform who continue to serve our
nation, families who continue to serve meals to our neighbors, and
first responders who work to keep our communities
safe prove that we have the will.
Connie and I wish all of you a safe Thanksgiving holiday.
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