A bright young girl of 18 years recently fed the homeless this past Thanksgiving, accompanied by her grandparents and her siblings. Her name is Vera Wiggins, and a simple act of kindness on one measly holiday, led her into a new passion… led her into a new state of mind. And threw her into a new realm of reality, where only she and the homeless existed. You see this 18 years old girl, who happens to still be attending high school, and is bound for college the coming fall, Founded an organization on Nov. 30th, 2007.
But what does this organization do? How much money has it raised? Is it doing anything good for society? What does it have planned?
A Taste Of Home, as she, Vera, fondly calls it, is an organization that bakes cookies and delivers them to the homeless along with small gifts such as mugs, socks and personal hygiene products. They have raised over $108.00 and over $50 in merchandise. And they are still going! In just 2 weeks already she and her friends have proven to be of great help to the homeless society. Their first event is scheduled to be on Christmas eve after about 2 or 3 in the afternoon. They will be doling out cookies and gifts to the homeless at a small church in Tampa called A River Of Grace. She hopes to make a difference in the lives of many. She hopes that her cookies, and the baking skills of her friends, will touch and warm the hearts of those who need the comfort. She hopes to provide them with all that they need one day. To teach them to become independent and to help get the homeless back up on their feet.
“They are people just like us, they just have traveled a different road… And its time to get them back on a road where they can see where they are going. So they don't get tangled and pulled ever deeper into the branches of homelessness and hunger.”
A Taste Of Home is a great idea. Giving cookies to the homeless as well as providing them with small necessities they need to survive is a great way of reintegrating home into the lives of those who have gone without a home for years on end. But will it become corrupt by society? Will it become corrupt by the government? After all, Vera still has to file a $300 and 1023 form to become an official organization through the IRS. She has a lot to do to become a real organization. Such as opening a bank account, finding a real FDA approved kitchen. She has a lot of standards to live up to, and a lot of competition, not that she views it as such.
“I see them more like sister organizations. We are after all trying to help the same people… It's just a matter of how we are doing it, what numbers we can get, and so forth. I don't need my numbers to be high, to be happy. I just want to touch a life. To show some homeless person that there are still people out there who care and are willing to put there hands in the clay of society… As I see it, society is like a big pot being molded into perfection… if we want it to work, we have to get our hands dirty. None of this “I'm just gonna donate money” stuff works for me… It may work for some, but it doesn't provide me with any form of satisfaction.”
If you would like to help Vera out with her organization, or would like to learn more, please visit her webpage
