Maple City group host free meal, guest speakers, live music
By Lisa Sanford
The Hornell Community Center was the site of hope, fellowship and learning as the Racial and Religious Healing Group presented its Martin Luther King Jr. celebration Tuesday evening. Over 50 people gathered to share a meal and community conversation around the issue of food security.
Following a welcome by organizers Marseena Harmonson and Pastor Bruce Incze, those gathered were treated to blues music from Tina Albright, a slide show on the work of Dr. King, and speakers highlighting food-based initiatives in the area.
Local resident Kathy Hanley shared her personal story as the victim of flash flooding, and how quickly one can become food insecure as a result of such disasters. Sasha Khodorkovskiy spoke on the changes in farming over the last century resulting in the loss of hundreds of millions of family farms over the last century. With his family, he operates Living Acres Farms in Allegany Country, a three acre business featuring vegetables and flowers. Lisa Sanford shared information on the Hornell Community Garden located next to the YMCA on Center Street, which over the last eight years has produced several hundred pounds of fresh produce each season for area food pantries. Peg Gefell described the work of the Hornell Sunday Meals Program and the cooking classes she teaches in conjunction with these free meals.
Each presentation was a reminder of the work to be done to achieve Dr. King’s vision of economic justice: “Why should there be hunger in any land, in any city, at any table when man has the resources and the scientific know-how to provide all mankind with the basic necessities of life?”
The public is invited to the next meeting of the group, scheduled for Tuesday, February 4 at 4 PM at the Hornell Public Library.
