Many people donate to the homeless and struggling during the holiday season, which is wonderful. December is a difficult time for many families, who must balance their everyday needs and heating costs with that of the holidays. Thank you very much if you are among the thousands who donate to homeless shelters, food banks and soup kitchens around Thanksgiving and Christmas time. You have no idea how much a hot meal, or an unwrapped present, can mean to someone who would otherwise not have one.
However, community needs don't end with Christmas. Winter is a very demanding time for food banks and hamper programs due to the high costs of keeping warm and the necessity of extra transportation demands, which drain the resources of many fixed income families. But the need doesn't go away at any point of the year.
The Food Bank of Waterloo Region serves over 26,000 people directly, as well as numerous agencies and hamper programs. This is why I donate all year long. I especially enjoy the convenience of their bagged grocery program, which enables me to fill one of their paper bags provided at participating grocery stores in the area, pay for them, and drop it into the donation bin - it's that easy to help fill stomachs of struggling families in our area. Some months, my budget is a bit thin, but there's rarely a month or week I can't afford a bottle of peanut butter and a few extra cans of soup!
Now that Christmas is over, I ask you to remember the less fortunate all year, and to remind others. Boxing Day was traditionally the day for the upper class to give presents of money, food and items to the less fortunate, and to give their employees some extra luxuries, such as a day off and new livery. Now, it seems it's all about hitting the sales and/or returning ill-advised gifts. I'd like to ask you to take a moment and make a donation to a social service organization, which have been drained by the demands of the holidays and will soon face many of their once-a-year donation drives dry up. If you gave over the holidays, I thank you - but I'm going to ask you to do it again. If you possibly can, any little bit helps - all year long.
Make giving food a regular part of your life. It will make you feel great, and improves the lives of so many.
If you'd like to give a donation to the Waterloo Region food bank, you can do so online here.
And thanks!
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1 comment:
Anne Holly, everyday is a holiday, thank you for helping me to remember, such a sweetheart.
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