Food Banks Running Low

[drillman88]

I guess with economy sagging all areas of the U.S. are suffering the
same problem.Our local food banks are pretty much empty.We have hade two food drives lately at church.One through my small group the second was church wide.
I would like to ask everyone if they are able to look in your cupboard and see what you can spare or maybe pickup a few extra canned goods at the grocery.
If you are a member of any other group please see if they are able to start a food drive.No matter how small the group is it can make a difference.

I believe that sharing our blessings with others is the truest act of thanks in this season.

[twistsol]

Thanks for the reminder. Food shelves can always use cash as well so they can have perishables available.

Our little local grocery store has food shelf collection containers as you exit and we put something in every week.

[atgcpaul]

Agreed!

Our church group spearheads the food donation drives for a local food pantry.
One thing that works for us is a "Red Bag" campaign. The pantry will tell us
they have specific needs for Mac&Cheese or spaghetti sauce, etc. In the
Sunday service bulletin, we have that need printed. We also have a children's
sermon and the pastor will talk about the red bag campaign to the kids (and
adults).

It has worked great for us because it's hard to ignore that red bag in a sea of
white and clear shopping bags. Actually, a lot of the kids remind their parents
to fill the bag for the next week.

We are planning to canvas a local neighborhood, and leave a note about the
food drive and a red bag. We'll come through a few days later to pick them
up--hopefully full. My wife wants to carol but I'm not much of a singer.

I also work at the pantry once a month with the church group. We fill
grocery bags according to family size for one week of food. I would definitely
find it hard to stretch that amount of food for one week.

I believe people are willing to give freely. They just need to be reminded to
do so every once in a while.

[crokett]

I do the announcements for my church twice a month. The food bank we support has a food of the month every month, but you can also donate whatever you want.

Drillman, thanks for the reminder on donating to the food bank.

[Uncle Cracker]

I have a good deal going with one of the local Publix managers. I go in every year a couple weeks before Christmas and pick up case quantities of canned goods to donate to one of the food banks hereabouts. Usually runs about $400, but he always seems to make it so the bill is about half. Nice guy.

[smorris]

On the radio this morning I was listening to the local food bank discussing that the shelves were almost bare and more people were coming for Thanksgiving meal fixings. They were mainly after turkeys from the sounds of it. I'll have to swing by this afternoon I think.

[dbhost]

I'm on squeak mode until payday due to a miscalculation with LOML and our bank account... We have tossed probably $500.00 worth of food to helping feed folks. Mostly boxed / dry goods like Hamburger Helper, and canned veggies...

LOML and I need to get back after cleaning out the pantry. Too much stuff we don't use often enough....

[smorris]

I'm on squeak mode until payday due to a miscalculation with LOML and our bank account... We have tossed probably $500.00 worth of food to helping feed folks. Mostly boxed / dry goods like Hamburger Helper, and canned veggies...

LOML and I need to get back after cleaning out the pantry. Too much stuff we don't use often enough....

I hadn't thought of that but cleaning out the pantry is a good idea. We have the hurricane supplies we don't need for the rest of the year and the bought but never got around to eating stuff.

[Schleeper]

We just did one through our neighborhood civic association. We had a meeting scheduled at one of the local elementary schools, so it wasn't difficult to convince people to bring food for the food bank. What made it even easier, was the fact that the school already had an ongoing program with a place to deposit the food. That saved me a trip to the food bank.

While at the meeting, one of my neighbors told me that $$ is even better. The organization that his church contributes to is able to buy food at an average cost of 19 cents a pound. Also, the cash can be used to pay heating bills.

[dbhost]

I hadn't thought of that but cleaning out the pantry is a good idea. We have the hurricane supplies we don't need for the rest of the year and the bought but never got around to eating stuff.

That's exactly it, we bought a bunch of stuff due to Ike, but ended up not needing it because we were some of the few lucky ones that had power nearly the whole time. Nothing thawed. I am on the same circuit as the firehouse

[drillman88]

Ive found it hard to go around and ask for money but if you put a box out at work with a sign or ask group members to donate the canned and dry goods seem to add up quickly.My church group helped a small community club with a food drive for Thanksgiving.It was a little different than usual.They wanted to take complete meals uncooked to needy families.I tried to sell raffle tickets or ask for donations with no luck.
My church group put out boxes at work and asked the group members for canned goods and we ended up having enough to feed 25 families.The club raised enough money to buy the turkeys and some dry goods.It worked out really well.

[dbhost]

One thing I noticed this year, is none of the grocery stores are doing the Turkey Bucks, or whatever they call it nowadays... They used to give out coupons for a free turkey with however much spent on your store loyalty card. (In my local case, the Kroger Plus card). And Grocery sales are fewer and farther between now... About the only place I have been getting decent deals is Mi Tienda, which is a Mexican market in Pasadena Texas. I love that place though. Everything is so fresh...