Well, here we are, jumping full swing into the holiday season! The malls are filled with shoppers frantically fighting the busy crowds to find that perfect gift for their friends and loved ones, while others are carefully planning their festive menus! With all the excitement of the holiday season, we often need to take a step back and consider those who are less fortunate and, those who will go without gifts and more importantly, without enough food. Did you know that in March of 2009, food banks across Canada helped over 794,738 Canadians? This is an 18% increase since 2008. In fact 37.1 % of Canadians using food bank services are children under the age of 18. These statistics were a real eye opener for me! So what can you do to help? Well, there are many ways that you can make donations to your local food bank. 1. If you are running short for time, cash donations can be made on-line through your local food bank web site. 2. Donating non-perishable food items can be done very easily at your local grocery store. They usually keep food drop off bins or carts near the check-out lines. So next time you are grocery shopping, make sure you pick up a few extra items to donate. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
- Canned foods such as fish, meat, vegetables, fruits, soups, fruit juices
- Whole grain cereals, pastas, rice and dried legumes
- Peanut butter, cooking oils
- Baby diapers, baby formula
- Personal hygiene products, household products
