This arrived in my inbox today, from Sherry W. Thanks Sherry for the reminder.
"On Friday, Oct. 30, I had the privilege to attend a field trip with Taylor and 2 classmates to volunteer time to our local Friends in Need Food Bank. The girls had chosen this volunteer opportunity as part of the leadership program at AR School, and will be volunteering their time once per month to assist bagging items, restocking shelves, and preparing the hamper bags.
While we were there we were given the following
information about those in need in our community:
- If you are a single person you are provided with 1L of milk, 1lb of butter and 1lb of hamburger per month, plus your hamper bag
- If you are a family of 2 - 4 you are provided with 2L of milk, 2 lb of butter and 2lb of hamburger per month, plus you hamper bag
- The food bank purchases all meat, dairy and fresh produce from the monies raised through fundraising efforts. If there is little money they can not assist with these items
- The Friends in Need Supports 6000 - 7000 people in our community. These individuals must be registered, have a fixed address, and provide their proof of income, prior to receiving assistance.
I was shocked when seeing the warehouse and the
lack of food that was on the shelves. When asked if this was the norm, the staff
said they have seen the result of the recession but never in their time of
working there have the shelves had not even one box of pasta.
It was an eye opening experience for the girls and
myself for sure. I knew that our community assisted a fair amount of people but
didn't realize almost 10% of our population. (This number does not include the
homeless ) When a female senior came to the door asking for a "Sweet"
because it was her Birthday, it of course got me all choked up. There are
many seniors who are not making ends meet and only a handful are asking for
assistance. Which is tragic considering what they have put into both our
community and country.
So all said, The Friends in Need, needs our help
all year long, not just for those special occasions when we all remember. The
shelves are bare, and they need restocking. So the next time you go grocery
shopping, maybe make it your mission to spend a little extra and throw it
in the Friends in Need bin at the entrance way. Maybe make it a habit once a
month or on the case lot sale days to throw a little something their
way.
Donations can be made in more than just food: bar
soap, laundry soap, toilet paper, Kleenex, feminine hygiene products, baby food,
diapers, etc. If cash donations are made, their buying power is greater than
ours.
They will also take small items such as
mitts/gloves, hats, blankets, coats, toys, books, etc.
So there is your challenge and maybe send a
request for support out to a few friends and we can spread the word to get those
shelves stocked up on a regular basis, not just those special
occasions.
Good deed done??!"
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