You can lead a hungry person to food. You really can.

Let's be serious, at least for this week. Let's talk about hunger. Let's talk about the belief many well-fed individuals have: There really isn't a hunger problem in Cape Girardeau, and anyone who is hungry ought to find a job.

Great. Problem solved.

Except the problem isn't solved.

I don't know all the reasons some people get into situations where they have little or no food. I do know, however, that hungry people show up at the tiny food pantry sponsored by my tiny church, where I volunteer each week.

I have met some amazing folks at the food pantry in the past few years. I have listened to their stories. Yes, some of the food seekers have the means to go to the grocery store but prefer to go to a food pantry once a month. But most of those who say they need food indeed need food.

Why am I going on about hungry people and food pantries? Simple. Throughout the year various well-intentioned groups have food drives. Most of the food collected in these drives winds up at the Southeast Missouri Food Bank, which, in turn, distributes the food to various food pantries over several counties.

Guess what? There is always more demand for food than there is food to distribute. Supply and demand? Demand far outstrips the supply of all those cans and boxes and bags.

In addition to the several food pantries that generously hand out food to people in need, there are several groups, mostly churches, who prepare meals for the hungry. Some of these groups feed the hungry once a month. Others do it more often. All of them rely on the generosity of those of us who do not go to bed hungry or do not wake up hungry or do not head for a job hungry or do not go to school hungry.

Recently I heard of a church in Memphis where members put together nutritional meals in lunch bags. Each church member takes some of the bags, maybe one or two or maybe a dozen or more. As these church members drive around the city going to work, running errands or going out to eat, they likely will encounter individuals on the street who are asking for handouts.

You've seen them. They might be holding hand-lettered signs saying they need money for food. Or money for gas. Or money for bus fare to another city.

They also might be bold enough to walk right up to your car and tap on your window. They might ask for money. Or food.

When this happens, members of the church with the bag meals are able to do a good thing. They give out the meal bags. Right there on the spot. No sending a hungry person to a food pantry. No messing with forms or questionnaires. Just hand out food when someone says she's hungry.

Isn't that a good system?

Just think if churches in Cape Girardeau did that. These include churches that have proved they can help feed the hungry in faraway places, sometimes on a large scale. Here's a way to feed the hungry who are, in a way, our neighbors. They may not live next door, but they aren't far away.

Yes, there are still skeptics who think those who seek food are mostly lazybones. These are the same folks who think we don't have a homeless problem. We do. It's as simple as that.

So, the next time you hear of a food drive where you live, think about donating. And think about donating generously.

And, if you're so inclined, think about starting a bag meal program. Imagine that instead of averting your eyes when you see someone holding a sign begging for food or money that you can look that person in the eye and say, "Here, take this food. And God bless."

That's something any of us can do. We live in a country where no one should have to go hungry. This isn't a problem for government to solve. It's not a problem just for churches.

It's my problem. And yours.

Joe Sullivan is the retired editor of the Southeast Missourian.