No one should have to worry about whether they will have food on their plate or a roof over their head. 

As the holidays approach, people take time to consider what they’re thankful for and many choose to donate some of their time, attention, and resources to others. In that spirit of giving, each year the National Coalition for the Homeless and the National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness sponsor Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week during the week prior to Thanksgiving.
 
EVERY PERSON DESERVES TO LIVE without worry whether they’ll have food on their plate or a roof over their head. But instead, far too many people are forced to make hard choices between paying for food, housing, and other critical expenses.
 
In the United States

• More than 49 million Americans are at risk of suffering from hunger.
• Each year, 3.5 million people end up sleeping in parks, under bridges, in shelters, or in cars.
• More than 1 in 5 children lives in poverty

 
Worldwide

• 795 million people, or 1 in 9 people in the world, do not have enough to eat.
• 896 million people love on $1.90 a day or less.
• Every 10 seconds, a child dies of a hunger-related disease.

 
Join together to fight poverty

As a society, we have the resources and knowledge to end hunger and homelessness, we just need the collective will to make these ideas a reality.
 
Nov. 12-20, 2016: Join together with people across the country for Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week. You can lend a hand to those in immediate need, while also supporting long-term solutions.
 
What you can do

• Volunteer. Pitch in at your area food bank or shelter.
• Donate. Support local programs with food, clothing, and money.
• Educate. Raise awareness about hunger and homelessness in your community.

 
Learn more about how to help @ HHWEEK.ORG

In today’s 24/7 work culture, it’s hard to get away from the office and recharge our batteries. John Donahoe, Chairman at PayPal, takes a "thinking day" every few months. "These are pre-scheduled, uninterrupted times to step away from the chaos, zero-base my time, and refocus on the issues that are most important." 

When we have a relaxed state of mind, we are more likely to turn attention inwards, able to make insightful connections. Do you notice moments of inspiration and problem solving appearing out of the blue? For me, it’s in the shower, taking a walk or driving my car.
 
According to Psychology Today, “The creative process springs as much from the subconscious as it does from a conscious thought process. Most often, creative solutions are not wrestled from your mind through sheer force of will. Eureka moments tend to occur spontaneously, almost always when the conscious mind is thinking of something else, or nothing at all.”
 
Design Director Damon Nakagawa was asked where he finds inspiration. “I’m inspired by architecture: both the process and the product. It’s that overlap of science and art and designing for human needs, comforts and aesthetics that really has fueled me as a designer. Other things that inspire me are unplugging from the electronic world—gardening, cooking and camping—creating music and spending time with my family.”
 
Of course, there’s no substitution for taking a legitimate vacation to help you feel fully relaxed, renewed and refreshed.  According to Mr. Donahoe, “Cutting off email and the Internet can be stressful in the beginning, but it can become a very liberating experience. Without a constant barrage of work issues to respond to, your mind can calm down and your intuition becomes alive. You are able to see things through a more creative lens and new ideas often emerge from taking time off.”
 
Whether you take a vacation or a “thinking day,” it’s important to take a break, relax, and get inspired. It’s time well spent.