'Even Peanut Butter is a Privilege' by Mary Denson

Last Tuesday, as I walked back to my car from Lakota Coffee Co. a woman of color stopped me. She proceeded to tell me that all of the homeless shelters in Columbia Missouri were full, that she went to church, didn't drink -I smelled her breath and she was telling the truth- and asked me if I had any money I could give her.

She had two young children, seven and nine years old who were with her, but several feet away.  She continued telling me that the hotel where she had been staying kicked her out and that she had no place for her or her kids to go tonight. I asked her how much she needed. She told me the cheapest hotel room available was $42 dollars and she didn't even have a dollar.

I had $90 in my purse. I looked in her tired, tear-glossed eyes and I could not in good conscience say no even though I was unsure of what I would do if my money ran out later in the week. I told her I would give her and her children a room to sleep in if I had it, but that I live in a small apartment and I share a room with my apartment mate. I gave her $50.

I told her that I think it's absolutely atrocious that anybody, especially any child in the United States is not sure whether they will be sleeping with a roof over their head from one night to the next.

She thanked me with a relieved smile on her face and walked away after her kids.

As I walked back to my car I thought of my privilege in that moment. I, a young caucasian woman who earns around 12k a year with a place to call my own --even though the kitchen floor is wet nearly every time it rains, and not nearly enough light for a person who struggles with depression, and often eats peanut butter for days on end-- and how blessed I am to have been given the opportunity and have the ablity to help three people have a place to sleep that night... if only for that night.

I wondered whether they would be able to find a room at a shelter the next night. I wondered, even if they did have a place to stay for a few nights or even a week or two what would become of those children and their mother.

Where will those children find a place to learn, be nurtured, and grow into confident and active citizens when we, as one of the most highly developed countries in the world, will not ensure that our children have their basic needs met?

What does that say about our priorities as a country when billions can be spent on wars over oil and we can't even feed and make room for our own children?

How did our priorities get so screwed up? There can be no liberty for the hungry. Have you ever been hungry and cold with nothing to rely on, but yourself and God if you believe in her? If you haven't consider yourself among the rich.

I do not know what to do to fix our broken and blinded systems of greed and oppression, but I will keep giving my money to mothers and fathers who ask and eating my peanut butter because I am very blessed to have it.