Today is December 1st and that means that the holiday season is upon us in full swing. Those of you who chose to stay at home in your comfy jammies on Black Friday (like us!) may be busy this morning scouring the interwebs for Cyber Monday deals (like us!). Did you also know that tomorrow is Giving Tuesday? It is a movement designed to encourage people to give back during the holidays.
In honor of Giving Tuesday and in the spirit of wanting to really use the holidays to teach our children about the power of giving, we decided to see if we could find some suggestions of ways to help out that anyone can do.
We have talked about hunger on this blog before, so it is fitting to kick off the month of giving by talking about it again.
We are talking about food banks and pantries and the items they so desperately need, especially during the holiday season. We all instinctively reach for the canned goods at the grocery store when preparing a box to donate, but there are many items that are just as needed but often overlooked.
When we found a post listing the 10 things that food banks need but don’t really ask for, we knew we wanted to share it here. We are highlighting three of them here and will send you over to the post we found to read the full list.
1. Spices: Seems so obvious, right? I mean, when we cook at home (yes, it does happen on occasion, we swear!), we would be lost without spices. We aren’t even talking crazy things like marjoram (what even is that?!) or fennel (sounds like the place you take your pet when you go out of town!). We mean basic things like salt and pepper. Or even spices like cinnamon and oregano. So, the next time you are in the grocery store, grab some extra spices to donate to a canned food drive.
2. Toiletries: So, grocery stores will often donate surplus food, but they really have no reason to donate unsold toiletries, which means they are often in limited supply at food banks and food pantries. Items like shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste and toilet paper can genuinely make a difference in the life of someone who is struggling.
3. Socks: Gut punch moment, right? Hard not to immediately picture yourself when your toes are cold and you slip on a nice pair of cozy socks and instantly feel better. We know. Seems like something so small and insignificant, but yet, it can mean a truly good night’s sleep for the recipient.
We have already decided that we are going to take our kids one day after school to the grocery store with the full list of all 10 things needed and let them fill up the cart. We will then deliver them together to the food bank, so that our kids can be a part of giving back. Go check out this post for all the suggestions and let us know in the comments what items surprised you most!
10 Things Food Banks Need But Won’t Ask For
