Food Pantry/Bank Feed America
66FOOD BANK
How Can You Help
Food pantiers need our help, more and more people are going hungry. It's a shame when you see all the food that is wasted. Give money, time or food.
Organize a food drive at church, work, club or school.
Volunteer at the food pantry
Purchase food to donate to the pantry pickup extra food when you do your shopping.
Give money
Anything can be given but if you see a food drive going on and bins in your community non-perishable items should be given.
- Pasta
- Canned food
- cereals
- peanut butter
- baby food
- tuna
- oatmeal
- dry beans
Numbers have dramatically increased at our food pantry.
When parents look into the eyes of their children and see hunger, tough times take on a complete new meaning.
Donations are down because everyone is having hard times.
In our community requirements to qualify for food pantry groceries are minimal. A current utility bill and a form stating a family's income is about all that is required to be eligible to use the pantry. This is what is done here. My opinion no one should be turned away but that's just me. If you go to the pantry your hunger no matter your income. What if you have no income at all how do you prove that. How do you show a utility bill if your living in a car. Families must meet the poverty requirements to qualify for food pantry groceries.
The amount of groceries a family receives depends on how many people are in the household. People from every age group and families made up of children, seniors and singles are using the pantry.
Choices of food vary throughout the year. Fresh produce is available in the summer. People can donate vegeables from their garden.
DNR donates venison to the pantry, a commodity people love. Meat has to be x-rayed to make sure it was safe.
When people come to get food their ask to bring a box or basket. Food given away helps families for about 3 days. Families can visit twice a month.
I'm sure all pantries are going through what our pantry is an increase in need and less donations.
I have friends that complain because their kids are having hard times and they have to at least feed them dinner. They complain about how their food bill has gone up. I could feed at least two hungry people off the street and it wouldn't make much difference in my food bill so I don't see the complaining at all. I know that is not always so with families but seems everyone can slip one extra child up to your table without it making much difference in the money out of your pocket.
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Comments
Thanks so much for stopping by.
Excellent reminder. A good tip is to contact the agency first as some do have restrictions, ie canned goods only, no glass, nothing perishable, etc.
Definitely picking up a few extra boxes of pasta and sauce when they are on sale won't be that big of difference in your grocery bill, but could mean a meal for another family.
Thanks JenArt your so right each pantry has their own rules as to what they will take.
It is so sad, but true. I'm afraid with today's economy it's only going to get worse. Great hub!
Thanks for stopping by. You are so right I think it will get worse.
Great hub, moonlake. In these times especially, it's good to think of others.
Thank you seamist for comment.
victory gardens! Everyone who has any access to any sun should start one. On a roof, a windowsill, away from your main residence, any place anything green will grow.
Well done! This is an interesting and informative article that gives people some good ideas for enriching the holidays for others! :)
Thanks for posting hot dorkage and justmesuzanne. Victory garden sounds great.
Moonlake,
Thanksgiving is wonderful reminder to reach out to others in love. Thanks for sharing the details of giving to some organizations that most of us don't know about.
~ Barbie Perkins
Thanks Barbie for stopping by always enjoy everyones visits to my hubs.
Food pantries tend to get forgotten. Please don't forget them the rest of the year, too. Try to keep a paperbag in a your pantry and put an item in each time you go to the store. It will fill up quickly and you'll be helping out all through the year.
Very good idea thanks for posting..
I had an elderly friend who was visiting the pantry regularly. Older people on fixed incomes are hit even harder in inflationary times, but it is true that poverty has many myths. My daughter's school in Wickenburg hosted free meals during the summer months for breakfast and lunch because lots of kids suffer neglect or abysmal poverty and get little or nothing to eat at home. Thanks for the reminder to share. My family is lucky enough to have it. Also, clip coupons if you can because it is so simple to get free groceries. If you have a friend who is out of work, invite them to dinner or simply drop a bag of groceries by with the explanation that you bought too much and just couldn't find room. :)
Thanks for comments..Some good ideas wannabwestern. I think we just don't realize how hungry some people are without them telling anyone or talking. I know growing up as a military family we were paid once a month by the end of the month we were eating cornbread and milk for dinner. I often wonder if military families still have this problem.
Scottie JD says:
13 months ago
What better way to celebrate Thanksgiving, than to share with others. Great article