Hosea Williams was an American civil rights leader, activist, ordained minister, businessman, philanthropist, scientist, and politician. He was a famed civil rights activist and a Nobel Peace Prize winner along with the SCLC. Today many know his name from the community organization Hosea Feeds The Hungry now known as Hosea Helps. Elisabeth Omilami who has led the organization for decades speaks with us today about their work and future.
I asked Omilami to tell us the history of Hosea Helps begun by civil rights activist Hosea Williams in the early 1970s. She speaks about her father meeting a homeless man and the streets and taking this person to a place to get food and clothing. He spoke about with all of the resources in our country no one should be homeless or hungry. That was the impetus to start Hosea Feeds the Hungry.
While many know about their food drives some don’t know about the other services provided and Omilami shares that beyond food distribution they provide “dignity” to assist in recovery. She says people “can’t listen if they are hungry.” The food is like bait to provide other assistance including job training, temporary housing, childcare, transportation, and access to healthcare.
Hosea Helps was one of the first community food drives that provided walk-up distribution during the pandemic. They recognized sometimes the food-insecure people do not have transportation. I asked Omilami if was even possible for us to take off the binders of privilege to understand the challenges that many citizens face. She explains that you cannot be afraid of the people that need help. Omilami goes on to expose that our humanity must speak to the humanity of those without our privilege. This is what it means to be human in a society. Service to others is what makes us human. None of us gained our privilege by ourselves.
Omilami speaks about the steady flow of underclass citizens who live at or below poverty because of the systems in our country. Our definitions of success have to change. Greed will not make you happy. Our humanity suffers when we don’t understand that sharing, listening, and caring for everyone is necessary.
Thanksgiving Food Drive - Saturday, November 23rd
Thanksgiving Feeding Event - Thursday, November 28th
Hosea Helps is looking for volunteers to assist them, especially during the holiday season. You also make donations to Hosea Helps