I know that it's the season for collecting money for the less fortunate, but this year there seems to be an especially high number of good causes to which one can contribute. And more pressure to donate, as well.... Are you seeing a greater need/greater number of causes where you live?
--There is the traditional food drive for the food bank at the schools, and in the newsletter sent home people were asked, if not exactly, to the effect to send canned food according to what they felt they could afford. There was even one evening when school children came around caroling for donations for the food bank. And the drive isn't over yet....
--There was a collection in one part of the school for coins that could be used to buy shoes for children who need them. I don't remember this being collected for at this time of year--seems to me it was collected for closer to the beginning of the school year in years past, but I could be wrong. Or there could just be greater need this year...
--There was a collection at school for money to give books to children who couldn't afford them. It happened not too long ago anyway, so I'm figuring it was a collection for the holiday season.
--At least one class took up a collection for a child (identity unknown to the children) for clothes/ gifts for Christmas. This was just before they started the food drive, where there are rewards/incentives/contests for bringing in whatever numbers of cans of food...
--Not exactly my area, but when I was down in Utah over Thanksgiving, it seemed like there was a huge number of businesses with signs saying that they were a food drop location. I found it kind of alarming that there was so much indication that there was a lot of need for food assistance...
What does this have to do with food storage? I hope that everyone that is still in a position to do so can put away a few cans of food/bags of rice/cans and/or bags of staple foods so that they can be more self-sufficient if a personal/more widespread emergency occurs. If someone who doesn't currently need assistance finds him/herself needing such assistance, there might not be anywhere to go, because it appears that resources are spread pretty thin already. Seems like only yesterday that they had the scouts out collecting food...
I wish I could give credit, but as someone mentioned on one of the blogs (that I cannot seem to relocate) that I read while I was blog-hopping, this could be a really good time to stock up in terms of baking goods because they're on sale for the holidays. The coupons really do make a difference--I used a coupon today for some cans of broth that made it possible to purchase them 2/$1.00, while in the store the sign said you could get 3/$2.00. I use broth in one of my rice and beans recipes, which I modify somewhat, and hey, it would add flavor to just plain rice if that is what is available.
One last thing, please check out this article over on Preparedness Pro. You may see that in the comments to the linked article on that post that some people don't believe that there will be a food shortage. In my opinion, it won't matter very much in the long run why you need the food if you need the food, but there is definitely reason to be concerned if the article on a large food shortage is even partially right.
Hey, whatever the motivation is that people need to get some food storage in is good with me. I hope no one ever actually needs it, and that they just find that they don't have to go to the grocery store for a really long time and can use food money for other purposes. And it appears, according to all the collections and food drops around, that if one person doesn't need it, there are others who do....
6 comments:
Here in Arizona, there have been food drives in all of the schools as well as in many of the local businesses. There have been spots on different radio stations asking for donations of all sorts.
I agree that right now it's not about a food shortage; it's about a national money shortage. Not only do people have less money, the food prices didn't drop like they usually do. Last year, butter went on sale with coupon for less than $1 per pound. This year, it hasn't dropped below $2.
I found ham today in the marked down section for $.41 per pound and I grabbed two. The pull date was next February, but the packaging was loose; not broken. I baked one up tonight and it was delicious. We will get at least 4 meals out of that one $4 ham. It's all about the bargain these days; we just do without if we can't find a good deal and we call our friends if find one.
Kristen--I have also heard requests for donations on the radio, and one organization was attempting to fill a shelter's shelves with diapers for a year. Seems like it just goes on and on, and I think you hit the nail on the head that there is a national money shortage. Makes it hard when the money has gone down, and the requests have gone up.
That buy on ham is fantastic--hope we can find something like that. I've been stocking up on the butter when I've been able to get it at 2/$3, limit 4 with a coupon. Thanks so much for your comment!
Mom makes a grocery bag of canned goods and necessary's every week to take to church. They give the needy that they find out about some help, without anyone knowing or having to ask!
I do hope that the folks that really need help are getting it!
Good find on the ham!
Wow, I love what your mom does--I'm impressed, and there's no knowing how many people she has helped. What a good example of compassion in action!
I hope that the people who really need help are getting it too--and I hope that all the people who are trying to help are reaching them. Thanks very much for your comment!
This past Summer I co-chaired a very large garden sponsored by my church. We tied the garden produce into our regular food donations to local charities. Only one actually requested more fresh produce. The others wanted more food items like microwaveable Mac & Cheese. Reason given was ease of use, not storage/refrigeration diffaculties. Offers of us sponsoring cooking classes were met with no.
Pelenaka--I love what you are doing and you are setting a great example--there's nothing like fresh food, and being able to replenish your food supply with fresh food is priceless!
It was also great of you to offer your expertise in cooking, and it's sad that the classes were refused. Cooking from scratch is not only less expensive, but what are the people who can only manage to fix prepared foods going to do when they aren't available? The fact that I didn't know that much about cooking with staple foods is one of the reasons I started this blog, and I still have a long way to go....need more classes myself. :)
Thanks for your comment--you never know how many people you are going to influence from your efforts with a garden like that, but I'm sure you've touched a lot of lives already!
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