I was given the opportunity yesterday to volunteer at a local food help organization, Gleaners. It was an amazing experience. And it was heartbreaking. I was looking at this food and realizing how much it would bless the people we were packing the boxes for, and mourning how picky our family and kids are about their food.
1. I felt guilty being at a food bank and being overweight, thinking how I would be going to the store to spend extra on food to help me loose weight. I do need to lose weight, as pictures from the event proved, but it seems selfish to have gotten myself to this point.
2. I was amazed at the generosity of people, organizations, and food corporations in America. A heartfelt thank you to everyone.
3. I was also amazed at some of the things people donated. Half used boxes of stuffing mix, peanut butter and macaroni and cheese are not helpful. Neither are water chestnuts.
4. All items used in food boxes must have a nutrition label on them.
5. Dried goods, spaghetti, oatmeal, noodles, are all great things to donate. So are items that are good sources of protein, peanut butter, tuna fish, kidney beans, beef ravioli. Breakfast foods are needed. If you donate cake mix, please donate frosting as well, same with peanut butter and jelly. They try very hard to have complimenting items in the box.
6. I can take my older girls to volunteer. The coordinator has worked with kids as young as 20 months old. You can drop in to volunteer any Saturday 9 to 2:30 starting in January. You better believe we will be there!
7. Getting involved and helping was a great learning experience and a lot of fun!
8. I will find a way to make this a family tradition.
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6 responses to “Lessons in Helping Others”