If you're still working -- Have you DONATED to a food bank lately?

[Donnachaidh]

Have you?

And not just the *let me clean out my cupboards and get rid of the canned goods we bought six months ago* kind of donation. Because the food banks are really getting worked, by people who may even live in YOUR neighborhood.

If you haven't -- will you? If you haven't and your working and can spare a few bucks the next time you go shopping -- will you?

There's so much talk about how we should be helping each other. Well you can -- by doing just that. Fill one more bag of groceries, and take it to your local food bank.

If you don't know of any in your area -- Google food bank and find them. And do something for someone else who is in need.

[rpannier]

1. Recommend

Live overseas
I try to help out here
I don't know if Korea has food banks, but I am definitely going to check

[Critters2]

2. I buy something for the food pantry every time I do my own shopping.

And I drop it in the box at our church...which is easy for me, since I live right behind the church. I always buy an extra jar of peanut butter, or box of cereal or pasta, or canned fruit, some non-perishable food every week.

[sendero]

3. Yes..

... I have.

[sandnsea]

4. And sign up at Escrip

Or whatever program your grocery store uses to give money back to the local community. Escrip works with Safeway, and some other programs, and you can choose up to 3 organizations to donate to. Our PTA, food bank and some churches are on the list.

http://www.escrip.com/

Also, if your food bank doesn't have a container in every grocery store, please recommend they implement that program too.

[RB TexLa]

26. Thank you, I never knew of escrip.

[eagertolearn]

5. Yes. We have stopped most donations outside our town and are focusing on everything locally.

There is a great program that some people started here called "backpack for kids". People drop off certain food items or give money and this organization puts food in identified kids backpacks at school on Friday so that they have something to eat on the weekend. We are trying to donate so much per month on a regular basis and a lot of my friends are doing the same. Another couple of people sponsored a "Walk for Warmth" in our town a few weeks ago where they raised money to help people pay their heating bill.

[Ishoutandscream2]

6. Thank you for reminding me. I have to get to our local Helping Hands

The pantry there, like just about everywhere, is running low. I need to get there next week. Thanks for the reminder.

[libnnc]

7. every week

our church has a food pantry and a clothes closet

no one gets turned away--and they don't get "preached at" either

Some places with clothes closets need stuff like towels, washrags, blankets etc. Something to keep in mind.

[we can do it]

8. Great Idea

[geckosfeet]

9. I volunteer at mine. It's been busy lately,,,,

[CoffeeCat]

15. Can you tell me what people really want?

What would people really like to see, when they're getting food at a food bank?

I have dropped off Pop Tarts and kids cereals before, thinking that families may enjoy
those, because they probably don't buy them.

Thanks for your time and for volunteering. You're a blessing! :)

[geckosfeet]

38. Anything that can provided is wonderful. Non-perishables work well. Canned

stuff. But we have everything from soaps to cereal to snacks, eggs, bread, frozen meats.

We run out of bread a lot - but that has very limited shelf life so a constant supply is needed.

[Frustratedlady]

10. Yes. My family opted to donate to the food bank, rather than give gifts

at Christmas. We had one of those white elephant gift exchanges instead and had a lot of laughs. It felt good to help out the food bank. We were going to give food, but the bank said they could buy twice as much as we could, so we donated money.

[Donnachaidh]

14. And lately?

Christmas was 2 months ago. I don't know how many people have lost their jobs since then, but the figures are staggering.

I'm not trying to single you out or pick on you, but the stuff you donated then is probably gone now. Since then, over a million people nationwide (labor figures) have filed for unemployment.

And it will probably be higher this month.

[Frustratedlady]

44. I donated $400 worth of food and I feel I have done more than many.

I have 10 grandchildren to also help along the way. If everyone helped their own families, there wouldn't be so many at the food banks.

I am also retired on SS.

[petronius]

45. You've done far more than most - that was a very generous move by your family

:toast:

[FLDCVADem]

11. Yep

I do grocery shopping on Saturday, then drop the food off at church on Sunday. I can't always figure it exactly as I'm shopping, but my goal is always to provide the equivalent of 10% of my weekly grocery bill to the donation bag.

[NoSheep]

12. Yes. I did so as a gift to family members for christmas.

[MissB]

13. We just had a food drive at work.

So yes, I have. I'm facing a layoff, so I don't buy something on every shopping trip right now.

But the two bags that I just donated will have to do for a few weeks.

We always have a food barrel in the lobby.

[Bozita]

16. Yes, twice to Gleaners.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

17. I live in a big, high building

with lots of other people. It's a very elegant place, and I love it. Great place to live.

Right after the Obama/Biden Inauguration, I walked into the lobby to find a life-sized cardboard cutout of Our President standing there, beside a big table on which rested a variety of beautiful woven baskets. A sign asked for donations for the local Food Bank.

It's been there for a month, and the concierge told me that the Food Bank guy comes by every day and hauls out a lot of food. They've decided to make it permanent, which I like a lot. When I asked him about the Obama cutout, he smiled and said, "Well, he is our President, after all."

This is why the small city in which I live is known in the area as "The People's Republic Of Alexandria."

[Bozita]

28. Salut to the high-rise residents of The People's Republic Of Alexandria

:toast:

[bertman]

18. Yes. I just did. Thank you for the reminder, Donnchaidh.

Recommend and kick for a great cause.


:fistbump:

[yorkie]

19. Plant another row in the garden if you can

I plan to plant another row or two in my vegetable garden this summer and to give the food to my local homeless shelter and local homeless programs. It is really easy to do, so gratifying for the grower, and means so much to those we help.

[Betsy Ross]

20. k&r n/t

[Bill McBlueState]

21. Just did

Thanks for the suggestion.

[liberalmuse]

22. Yes.

My sister and I went door to door on MLK Day collecting food, and then we went shopping and dropped off everything at the food bank. We are going to do it again this month. The lady at the food bank said that they will be hurting again around March/April.

[AwakeAtLast]

23. You have to read about our custodian

I teach in an elementary school that has a lot of children in need. It is near a state penitentiary, and some of those kids moved here to be close to the parent that's in the prison. <snif> Anyway, our custodian takes all of the unopened discarded food from the cafetria to the food pantry in town. We also help stock the boxes that he takes over there. This man doesn't make enough an hour to feed himself they way I'm sure he would like, but he makes sure he gets those boxes to the pantry. He's a great person!

I have been paying attention to peanut butter. Ever since I read on DU that peanut butter is the best item to donate, I have been buying a jar when I go shopping. I put it in the custodian's box and he takes it to the pantry for me. I need to slip him some gas money, too!

[marybourg]

24. Yes. Locally and also to the Second Harvest Food Bank

of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana. Many of those folks haven't gotten back on their feet yet after Katrina and now more trouble from the economy. (For some reason the "check spelling" button isn't working for me, so excuse any spelling oofs please)

[LuckyLib]

25. It's also important to write a check and let the food bank folks purchase what they need.

They can make the dollar go MUCH further than we can, with discounted food, bulk, etc.

[GoesTo11]

27. No, I haven't. Thank you for bringing it up.

Will do now, I say sheepishly.

[rhett o rick]

29. I volunteer at one. The people requesting food is up 15%, but donations are also up at

least for the time being. Cash is best to donate because the food bank gets very good deals on food purchases.

[cpamomfromtexas]

30. Just ran the food drive for our scouts--our boys collected 6058 items!

[mwooldri]

31. Do so through my paycheck: I give some, my employer matches.

2nd Harvest gets double the money.

Mark.

[Skittles]

32. yes, through my local grocery store

they create bags of food and put the receipt price / barcode on the outside - they range from 6 to 15 bucks - then they have a big bin near the front door to drop them in - I do this quite often.

[OneBlueSky]

33. thanks for the reminder . . .

at Christmas time I took two cases of canned hams to the local food bank, but haven't been back since . . . I'll make sure I buy some extra stuff on my next grocery shopping trip . . .

[greenbird]

34. yes I do

fresh eggs and produce. Once a week.

[booley]

35. Yep, do it through the Camarilla

My LArping group gathers food for a food bank where we game.

I think doing this through another reorganization or social group is useful to motivate people. Otherwise it becomes another of section on "Things I need to do eventually" list.

[LynzM]

36. Yes.

Our food co-op has a cart set up that gets donated every day. Every time I shop there, I buy some non-perishables for the cart.

[Terran]

37. $20 a month from my paycheck

goes to the Samaritan Center in my town, which is the second largest food bank in Missouri. They also do lots of other stuff like rent and energy assistance, child care, thrift store. State employees here have the State Charitiable Campaign and can give money directly to any of a 1000 different state and/or local agencies...I keep mine very local.

[azmouse]

39. I sent $100 to Feeding America last month

and I'll send more this month.
I like the idea of boxing up food and taking it directly to a food too.
That is my project for this week.

[Daemonaquila]

40. Great Reminder

I don't as often as I should. Sadly, my community doesn't even have a food bank. We give to relief drives that some of the churches run from time to time, but that's about it. The grocery stores in the nearest towns (15-25 miles) don't even run any kind of giving except at christmas... but we know that people are hungry all year round. It's definitely something to do when we shop out of town.

[bdamomma]

41. thanks I just donated to my local community food bank

[jtrockville]

42. I've resorted to monthly cash donations.

I feel it's the most effient way. They can fulfill their needs as they see fit.

[Mme. Defarge]

43. An automatic monthly credit card charge - n/t

[petronius]

46. Just did - ours takes $$ online... (nt)

[Zhade]

47. Just did this morning, and will do it every payday from now on.

KICK

[nadinbrzezinski]

48. Yep, every two months or so Mamma's kitchen sets up shop

outside my local store

Every time, except one, I buy them something, while shopping. Don't even think about it

This time, two boxes of cereal instead of the usual bread, jelly and PB

At times I have gotten them soup

What I like about that is that the bread I give them will be used that week

Next time I will increase my usual to about twenty bucks of product instead of the usual five to ten

[Gormy Cuss]

49. Yes.

We send checks and contribute bags of goods to the postal worker/scout/school kid canned food drives. We make a point of sending checks in late winter when donation levels are low.

[Liberal_in_LA]

50. Kick!

I will