Food pantries

A friend commented on my post yesterday that I will probably be giving away tons of food if I keep my resolution. I guess it is an odd resolution. If I get upset, I will donate more food. If I remain calm and serene, I could donate less. So I think I had better just donate a can every time I think about this stuff, whether it bothers me or not.

Another plug for food pantries, though. Food pantries get hit hard this time of year anyway, and with the economic problems, layoffs and so on, they are going to be under greater stress this holiday season. (Don't forget, people have to eat year round, too.) When money gets tight, often people cut back on their donations to charities because they need the money to cover their own bills. This is understandable, but it does mean the charities have less to give at a time more people need them.

On the other hand, even when donations stay steady, the increased need has its impact. This is from a story about the situation in Peoria, for example:

Peoria Area Food Bank director Barb Shreves says many of the food pantries she works with have seen as much as a 50 percent rise in the number of mouths to feed.

Jim Sullivan of the Salvation Army's Heartland Division says although the organization is on track with many of their charity programs, inventory in their food pantry is dwindling. He said people who have given in the past are now standing in line saying they need help.

In McLean County, the Salvation Army has scrapped next week's annual give away of Thanksgiving baskets, and will hold onto the goods until Christmas. [Michel's note: I added the emphasis.]

Sullivan said the problem is not a shortfall in donations, but a rapidly growing need for assistance.

Your church probably has a program you can contribute to. Or give something to Meals on Wheels. As you know, Mama and Daddy are involved with that, and I am sure they would be happy to tell you how to help. BTW, one way to make sure that your donation is used for food is to donate food, not cash. Just make sure that the people you give food to have a way to distribute it to the hungry. Again, when in doubt, ask a local church for suggestions. Even if they don't have a program, they are sure to know someone who does.

Last year I posted on a Christmas train that travels across the country as part of a program to drum up support for local food pantries. Volunteers from the R &GN Railway support that not only by donations but by providing security for the event. Tom and I volunteered last year, and this year Tom has been put in charge of organizing the security. Most of the manpower is provided by local high school kids, but it is helpful to have an adult supervising each group. I am volunteering again, too. So another little contribution to the cause. This year the train is coming on a Wednesday evening, and I hope this doesn't cut into the participation. I also hope it is not as bitterly cold as last year, but this year we are prepared with hand warmers and toe warmers.

The train comes on December 10, so keep an eye out for a report later.

The Riverside & Great Northern had its own little food drive a couple of weekends back. Anyone who brought four cans of food got to ride for two dollars -- a savings of 80% for adult tickets. Unfortunately, it was a cold and dreary weekend and we did not get all that many riders. Nonetheless, we did collect a few bags of canned goods, rice and pasta to give to the local pantry.

Finally, when I was in the monastery, we had a tradition every year around Thanksgiving of going through our closets to see if we had clothes that we could donate to St. Vincent de Paul or Goodwill or such. Even the friars usually discovered perfectly good shirts and jeans we had not worn for a while. (I am not saying this was because anyone was getting fatter!) So we always wound up with several bags of things to give away. I decided to do that this year, too. Yesterday when I went by St. Vincent de Paul in Baraboo, there was a line to drop off donations. A friend who works at the St. Vinnie's in Reedsburg said they had a quiet day. Hope all the places get a little busier over the next dew weeks.

PS -- On the weather front, we will have a high of about 27 today and a low tonight of 9 degrees. Whee, winter!