Hunger in America

You might have seen the pictures of the 6,000 cars lined up at the Dallas food bank giveaway in the news this week. It’s heartbreaking to know people across America are living so precariously as the Thanksgiving holiday approaches. Many have lost their jobs through no fault of their own because of the coronavirus, and now they are living with the fear of losing their homes or going hungry.

Hopefully, Congress will reach a deal on a stimulus package by year’s end, and we’ll see some large-scale relief. It’s unconscionable to let this situation go on.

In the meantime, with millions of people at risk of losing their unemployment benefits when CARES Act funding runs out on December 26, it’s incumbent upon all of us to give generously this holiday season. Many of the charities that are holding down the fort when it comes to fighting hunger and poverty are in urgent need of funds.

Marcum is stepping up to support Feeding America, the country’s largest domestic-hunger relief organization. Feeding America is also our charity partner for the traditional Marcum Day of Service, when all Marcum offices are closed so our team can volunteer at local food banks and other community organizations that focus on hunger. Unfortunately, the pandemic has ruined that for us this year, but we are going to carry on our giving tradition in a different way.

We’re inviting everyone on the Marcum team and in our network to join us in contributing to Feeding America, to help ensure that those less fortunate than ourselves can enjoy a healthy holiday meal. The need is especially great this year, as the wallop of coronavirus continues to take its toll on people across the country in record numbers. Our collective contributions will make a real difference for those who might otherwise go without.

The Marcum Foundation will match all contributions dollar for dollar, up to $10,000 and some of our senior team members have stepped up to match individual office contributions, as Tracy and I will do in New York.

If you’d like to contribute, you can donate here.

We’re going to be living with the COVID crisis for longer than anyone predicted. And if the last couple of days have been any indication, it looks like it’s going to get worse before it gets better. The pain has been particularly acute for small business owners, and it’s going to get a lot tougher with the weather getting colder and opportunities to do business outside dwindling. The Wall Street Journal just reported that even after getting Paycheck Protection Program funding, many small businesses have been unable to hang on.

Although I’m a last-minute shopper who usually buys many of my holiday gifts online, I’m making a concerted effort this year to plan ahead and purchase more from small, locally owned stores that remain open for retail business. Many of them have put up small ecommerce sites so shoppers who are sticking close to home can still make purchases from the comfort of their laptops.

Marcum will be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday starting next Wednesday, so everyone at Marcum can enjoy an extra-long weekend. This column will be on hiatus until December 4.

This will be the first Thanksgiving most of us are celebrating with family and friends by Zoom or FaceTime. The Weiners are still trying to figure out where and what we are going to do this year. Thanksgiving is usually one of my favorite days, filled with family, football and food. This year it will be different, as many things have been since mid-March.

I wish you all a wonderful holiday, a plump turkey, and reliable internet service.

Stay safe, stay healthy and remember, we’re all in this together!