Food Bank

Sudanese diet for a week:
American diet for a week: Images from What the World Eats published by TIME magazine here, in book form here, and covered by NPR.

In America, we're seeing record increases in obesity, diabetes and other diseases related to overeating. So how can it be that we're also seeing families go hungry? Many claim the hungry have put themselves in this position by placing luxuries (e.g. plasma televisions, new cars, cloths) higher on the priority list than food for their children. But there are families without these and other luxuries who do struggle to put food on the table.

Many communities offer services for hungry people from food kitchens where hot meals are served regularly to food banks where food, largely donated by the community, is given away free of charge. Schools also provide free and reduced price breakfasts and lunches to qualifying families.

The project:
Gather food from our pantry to share with the local food bank.

Time:
10 minutes

Why bother:
People tend to give during holiday periods. There's also a great demand at that point. Food pantries are often greatly depleted shortly after these peak periods. There's no better time than the present to lend a hand.

Worth it?
I'd like to think that someone would be there for our family if we really couldn't afford food anymore. If our donation means some kid won't go to bed hungry, it's absolutely worth the few minutes it took us to gather it. We'll deliver tomorrow when FoodBank is open.

Donate to the Food Bank

The project:
Donate food to the local Food Bank.

Time:
45 minutes to clean the pantry and sort out food appropriate for donation; 10 minutes to drive to the pantry, walk in and drop.

Why bother?
Time really does fly! I can't believe it's been nearly a year since I last donated a bag of food to our local pantry, and it's been far too long since I emptied our pantry and really gave it a good scrubbin'. Today was the day for both. Why? Click here.

Some people believe only moochers, people who take advantage of the system, the lazy, the undeserving use their local food pantries. I've heard people say too many people take advantage of the pantry system. I'm sure there ARE people like that, but I also know for a fact there are people who have worked hard just to eek by, or who have worked all their lives only to find their savings devastated by unforeseen circumstances, who resort to the pantry's help only as a last resort. It is for those people whom I donate.

You can find your local pantry here.

Worth it?
Absolutely.

Donate to Local Food Bank

The project:
Donate a bag of groceries to our local food bank.

Time:
Twenty minutes to collect. Five minutes to deliver.

Why bother?
It's that time of year again - the temperatures are dropping, the holidays are coming. Plus, the economy's still a major challenge.

Worth it?
I hope so. It wasn't so easy this time. We're pinching pennies around here, with cutbacks at work combined with the costs of the girls' increasing activity level. Still, we're very fortunate to have a job, a home, an income and (knock on wood) our health.

Photo courtesy Waldo Jaquith under Creative Commons License.

Pajama Program - It's a Wrap

The project:
Pick up PJs and books from neighborhood drive project for the Pajama Program.

Time:
45 minutes

Why bother?
Last week we put out 200 fliers promoting this drive (ala Scouting Canned Food Drive). Today was the follow up.

Worth it?
Well, how do I answer this?

I'm disappointed, and educated.

Of the 200 homes we canvased, just two put out PJs/Books for this program. I'm super disappointed because, though these may be tough economic times for some, a pair of infant PJs can be had at the local megastore for the same price as a latte at various coffee hangouts. Thrown in the price of a muffin and you're up to a pair of PJs for toddlers.

Today's haul (including our own contributions): 7 pairs of PJs, 14 books and half a dozen stuffed animals.

I know...not everyone shares our values, but 1 percent response?

Wow.

To be fair, I confess I seldom put out canned food for the Scouts' canned food drive when they come through our neighborhood for the MERE reason that we take our food to the Food Bank ourselves. You can be sure that, come next Scout drive, we'll be putting SOMETHING out.


Share this post with:

"Every Little Bit Helps"

How many times have you committed time or money or goods to someone or some charity only to come away feeling, well, like your contribution was somehow insignificant? Like your deed, your donation, has gone unrecognized? Was perhaps even unwelcome?

If you haven't felt this yet, try giving a little to a REALLY large organization.

Go ahead.

Don't be put off if it looks like your bundle of goodies is no more than a dust bunny for the corner shelf of a giant warehouse. Don't do it for recognition or thanks. Do it because, as we were told today by perhaps one of the largest food banks in the country, "Every little bit helps!"


The project:
Donate the box of foodstuffs collected from Mom's pantry during the cleaning project.
(While we were there, we also helped a volunteer put an entire pallet of food into a tiny Toyota so it could be delivered to a neighborhood kitchen. A very entertaining volunteer effort, and he was ever so grateful for the unexpected help.)

Time:
15 minutes (including the car stuffing)

Why bother?
Sharing Mom's plentiful pantry with people who could use a little help.

Worth it?
I confess I was pretty intimidated when V and I peeked inside the warehouse at the Los Angeles Food Bank. The place is ENORMOUS! And there were caseloads of food being loaded into various vehicles for delivery all over the Los Angeles Basin. Add to that the 18-wheeler that pulled up to make a delivery. I realized our box wouldn't provide nearly as much help as the local pantries and kitchens could use.

I suppose it was a good thing, then, when Mom voiced her thoughts on our relatively insignificant contribution to a warehouse volunteer who quickly put us back on line. "Oh, don't feel that way! Every little bit helps!"

The things we brought will be stacked with other people's donations, and eventually build a case, then a pallet, delivered as needed. Our contribution WILL help folks in need. Especially if you add another box...and you...and you.

Cleaning out Mom's Pantry

This week we're visiting my mom in L.A. When it comes to my writing, I do believe she's my #1 fan. There's not a word I've had published, on the 'net or on paper, that she hasn't read, and she's my most consistent and accurate editor. So, it should come as no surprise that she's been keeping up with this project. She was particularly interested in the food bank project, so...

The project:
Clean out Mom's pantry. Toss outdated foods. Pack up some food for the pantry. Create a box of food-related gadgets for Goodwill. Clean the shelves and doors.

Time:
45 minutes-1 hour

Why bother?
Mom asked, plus it's fun to do a decent sized project in someone else's home. Kind of like the difference between washing a car that drives city streets in rain-free cities versus cleaning the four-wheel drive that's been muddin' on a back road right after a week of rain.

Worth it?
Yes, on more than one level. This project spreads the love not only within my own family, but with strangers who will benefit from the shared abundance.

Recycling

As promised we took our goodies to a food bank today. Super simple drop off. There are bins. No questions asked. It took us exactly three minutes to park, walk in, drop the groceries and return to our car. Anyone can do this.

Today we also recycled our grocery bags. Not a big deal, but I really hate seeing these things flying around as I travel the nation's roads, floating in our creeks and lakes, shredded in the gutter. So we collect them when we shop (and forget our reusable bags), then take them to our neighborhood grocery store so they can be recycled into something usable.

The project:
Gather the plastic bags and wrappers. Deliver them to the recycling drop-off at our neighborhood store.

Time:
5 minutes (if you include drive time)

Why bother:
It has been argued that plastic bags are simply bad news. (And here and here.) But the fact remains that many of the products we buy are packaged in the stuff, and the stores that sell them often hand out recyclable plastic rather than biodegradable bags or even paper bags. Why toss them in the trash? Since we don't have a dog, we don't find the need to use the bags as doggy doo cleanup tools. And I don't intend to begin knitting with grocery bags, but you never know. Instead, we choose to recycle them in hopes they find better use in their next life.

Yes, we carry reusable bags, but I'm not a big purse gal, so it should be no big surprise that I often forget to bring a bag or two (or more) in with me to the store.

Worth it?
Given the debate about the source, longevity and litter related to these bags, clearly it would be best to do a better job carrying my reusable bags. Until I've completely reformed myself, it seems recycling rather than sending into the black hole of the local landfill is the better viable option. And I can do it with a sweep of my arm over the recycling bin as I pass into the neighborhood store - no special trip needed.