The local food pantry is open from 9 til noon on Saturdays. Whenever I accumulate a bag of nonperishables -- it usually takes about a month -- I walk it over there.
There were more people there this morning than last month. In fact, there were more waiting than I remember ever seeing. Volunteers were passing out plastic numbers to those who were waiting. They were already past #60 and it wasn't even 9:30 yet!
I donated tuna, spaghettios, pork and beans and cookies, as well as toilet paper and toothpaste. Everything I purchased was on sale and I didn't spend more than $1 for any individual item, so picking these things up didn't really have much of an impact on my budget. I encourage you to do the same. The ongoing Recession makes it more important than ever for us to stand by our neighbors.
I discovered this food pantry because my church supports it. If you don't know where your neighborhood food pantry is, your can refer to the locator at Feeding America.
These are the thoughts and observations of me — a woman of a certain age. (Oh, my, God, I'm 65!) I'm single. I'm successful enough (independent, self supporting). I live just outside Chicago, the best city in the world. I'm an aunt and a friend. I feel that voices like mine are rather underrepresented online or in print. So here I am. If my musings resonate with you, please visit my blog again sometime.
We do food drives at school and students usually earn community service requirement hours at the food pantry. Quite an eye opener.
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