Senior to Senior: Food Banks: You Can Help

Other than during the holidays, or when the US Postal Service does its annual food drive, when was the last time that you thought about people going to bed hungry? More than 53 million people received help from local food banks and other community services last year. That’s a pretty big number; food banks today are more important than ever. For many people food banks have become an essential service, but food banks need help too. You can help. Volunteers are needed in more ways than one. You can do your part, even if you are reluctant to gather in public. A Facebook mom told the story of how she, in order in to distract her rambunctious children from helping her shop, decided to give them a special task. She now has them select one item, each time they go to the store, to donate to the food bank. The children embraced the idea while learning a valuable lesson. I was impressed! This idea doesn’t have to stop with children. How about if we, each one of us, donates one or two items to a local food bank, every time we go to the store. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to do something really good. You don’t have to bankrupt yourself. Stores run specials every week. It might just be a can of vegetables or soup, but every little bit helps. You can help: • Cull the extra’s in your pantry • Think about the foods that you waste or throw away • Buy one or two items specifically for the donation • Buy a pre-selected bag of food at the grocery store if you are feeling flush • Remember pet food counts • Host a food drive in your neighborhood, at your church, or school Be the cool mom, or the cool grandma, who turns an opportunity like this into a teaching moment.