All for under $15!!!

I'm reviewing my bag for the local food pantry and am feeling very proud of myself. I have managed to collect an eclectic variety of non-perishables and toiletries and still stayed within my own budget:

1 can each:
Peas
Pork and beans
Spaghettios

1 box each:
Rice-a-Roni Beef
Rice-a-Roni Herb and Butter
Shells and alfredo sauce
Three cheese rotini
Semolina spaghetti

2 each:
Bars of deodorant soap
Full-sized tubes of toothpaste
BIG rolls of toilet tissue (a special request of the pantry)

And a pump bottle of anti-bacterial soap. (You were expecting a partridge in a pear tree?)

I am inventory-ing this month's contribution because summers can be hard for food pantries even during the good times. People are naturally generous between Thanksgiving and Christmas, but community giving may slip our minds when the weather is warm. But these are not good times, with grocery costs rising and and gas prices going through the roof, and it's undoubtedly harder for people to give, so it falls to those of us who can to pick up the slack.

To find a food pantry near you, or to send a check to a very worthy charity, visit America's Second Harvest. Pulling together to care for our neighbors is a very patriotic thing to do this Fourth of July weekend!