Tomorrow, May 14th, is the annual Stamp Out
Hunger food drive! Over 10,000 cities are invited to participate in the nation’s
largest one day food drive.
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| Image courtesy of usps.com |
Participating is easy. All you need to do is leave a bag of
non-perishable food items by your mailbox on Saturday May 14th. Make
sure to drop it off early before your letter carrier arrives. They’ll pick it
up and your donation will be taken to local food banks, homeless shelters, and
more. At this time of year, donations are extremely important. Many people tend
to donate during the holiday season of Thanksgiving and Christmas. By May,
these donations are growing thin, leaving food banks in desperate need of food
to serve to millions of hungry Americans.
While any donation is appreciated, we have some tips of you
want to go the extra mile. While some donations will go to families who simply
don’t have enough money for enough food, some of your donations will likely go
to homeless individuals without the conveniences most of us have. By keeping
this in mind, you can provide food that will work for anyone, whether they have
access to a kitchen or not.
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Donate foods that don’t require any type of
cooking at all. These are great for homeless individuals, who will be able to
eat on the go and have nowhere to prepare food. Examples include cereal, granola
bars, and fruit cups.
·
Canned food is great and provides good meals.
Soup, beans, and chili are great easy options for those who are hungry. If
possible though, try to donate canned food that has lids that do not require
can openers. Imagine how frustrating it would be to have access to dinner but
be unable to open it.
·
When donating foods that do need to be prepared,
try to provide foods that are filling. Ramen is quick and easy, but not a very
filling meal. Instead try options such as pasta, dry beans, peanut butter, and
rice.
·
Food banks see a lot of donations of canned
vegetables and fruits. While this is great, protein is often lacking from food
banks. Throw in some canned chicken, tuna, or stews with some type of protein
included.
·
Don’t be shy of including some luxury items.
When you don’t have enough to eat, splurging on luxury items isn’t possible.
People will really appreciate something a little special. Great options include
instant coffee, tea, apple sauce, and more.
Your food donations will be a great help to your local
community, so consider using your mailbox for something extra special tomorrow!
