BUILDING CATHEDRALS

The Duomo Cathedral of Milan (started 1386, completed 1965)

Billy Shore, a former congressional aide in Washington D.C. speaks of the Duomo, the Cathedral in Milan. The cathedral first began construction in 1386. Over the centuries, thousands worked on its construction. The last area inaugurated was accomplished in January of 1965. Shore relates this as analogy of working to eradicate hunger in the world. It won't all be done in our lifetime but we can contribute to the effort until the job is finally accomplished by later generations.
Shore established "Sharing Our Strength." a non-profit fund to assist in eradicating hunger in both the U.S. and abroad. He says he believes hunger could be solved in the U.S. during his lifetime, but it will take longer abroad because of the difference in why people are usually hungry in the world from the U.S. He states that overall, the resolution of hunger is "a matter of the political will."
Below are some of his comments from the interview in The Life of Meaning.

"When I try to think about my commitment, a lot has to do with my parents and how they raised me."

From observing his father as a political aide to a congressman helping the constituents:
"it gave me the sense that the reason we are here is to help and serve others."

From his mother:
"we are going to teach you to be a good neighbor and to serve others, and if you understand both of those things, you'll understand the major principles of every religion in the world."

"Money alone is not enough...it takes mentoring, working with people, coaching and personal exchange to really turn someone's life around."

Reasons for hunger:
The rest of the world - "famine, war, drought." 
The U.S. - "an economy that has not brought everybody into it fully."

"The idea of Sharing Our Strength...is a spiritual idea...is that everybody has a strength to share."

"Some state of grace exists when you know who you are in this world is who you are inside."

"We're building a foundation on which others can work...seeing our work finished or not, we're making a difference everyday. We're adding to that cathedral.