Hunger Action: Through the Lens

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) - Too often we journalists use an overabundance of numbers when talking about all facets of the economy: business, jobs, unemployment and, in this case, feeding our hungry neighbors.

The Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia started taking its act on the road two years ago with its Mobile Pantry Program. It distributed 650,000 pounds of food in its first year, and has since grown to more than 1.1 million pounds. But that's where our parade of numbers ends.

Every month, I try to capture something a little different in my amateur photography. We travel roads not always taken on the evening news; opting instead for beauty captured through momentary flashes of time. This photo journey highlights emotion, and most of all, the need of neighbors knocked down by economic gyrations that have characterized the last four years. Feeding one's family is the most essential of responsibilities, and we see a dignity of the American experience on both sides: helping those who need a hand up, and those who graciously accept the gift of nourishment to face another day.