The giving season

There was an article in the New York Times today titled To Feed the Hungry, Keep the Can, Open a Wallet.

My mom volunteers at the Tucson food bank and she has said that money goes a longer way compared to a can or box of food.

I have mixed feelings on this subject. I run the food drive at work and I have to say it is much easier to get people to give food than money. I also run the toy drive and I find it easier to get people to donate money (I go out and buy toys with the donated money) than donate toys. (Though this year people are really stepping up and the bins are filling up with toys.)

When the organization came to pick up the food they were so happy at the amount of food that was in the bins and said it would help a lot of people. But maybe I should ask the director which they prefer, food or money.

Though people do throw food into the bins that no one wants. (And I was annoyed to find that someone had thrown in votive candles into the food bin this year.) When I buy food for the drive I think about what people would want. I buy cake mixes, stuffing, tuna, beans, rice, etc. I also take the time to go through my pantry clean it out, throw things out and maybe find a box of cornbread that we haven't used, but someone else could and it isn't expired.

I am a big believer in also donating to charity. A big one for me is the food bank. My mom has volunteered at the food bank for many, many years. Before she was retired she would take vacation time to go to the food bank for 4 hours a week. As a kid after church on some Sundays we would make brown bag lunches for Casa Maria--soup kitchen. And my mom now volunteers there, too.

Sometimes we don't have the time to donate actual time. But in this holiday season think about someone who is less fortunate than you. How can you help them? Donate a toy, pick an angel form the tree at the mall, donate food or money to the food bank, adopt a family. Just a little something will make you feel good and somebody else, too.