With Thanksgiving fast approaching, many families will be visiting their local supermarkets to prepare for a hearty dinner. While those supermarkets are gearing up for the annual Thanksgiving rush, many meal programs around Toronto are also preparing for an extra bunch of visitors. 13 percent of Canadians do not have reliable access to sufficient amounts of food, and for many, food banks are essential to meet basic needs. If Thanksgiving is inspiring you to give back to the world around you, here are five options that you can choose from.
1. Volunteer at your local food bank, food pantry, or soup kitchen.
Food banks are often in need of volunteers to package and store donated food. Volunteers at a food pantry may package food for distribution, or sometimes even deliver the food packages themselves. At a soup kitchen, a volunteer may help to cook, serve, or clean up a meal. If you are passionate about giving back to your community, please
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Donate food or money to your local food bank.
Help food banks stock up for the huge demand that comes around for the holidays. While donations of any kind are appreciated, monetary donations are preferred over food donations. Food banks can often get food for cheaper prices, so the same amount of money can go a bit further.
3. Connect with someone you haven’t contacted for a while.
Though you can give back to the community during Thanksgiving, make sure to keep your family in mind! If there is a relative or an old friend that you know you haven’t called in a while, take the time to contact them and ask about how they are doing. Show them that you care, and spread a little love during Thanksgiving.
4. Visit a retirement home.
Some residents may not have the chance to see family members this holiday. Talking to someone and brightening their day can go a long way. Ensure that you visit during appropriate hours. Perhaps you can even bring a little gift as a conversation starter!
5. Show your friends and family that you
This December 2013 Kawartha Food Share has sponsored local volunteers for the program “Keeping Christmas Local” so that families who can’t afford a Christmas dinner can have one as well. In essence, every dollar, this campaign can purchase $6 worth of food.
When I first volunteered at the pantry I was just a young boy. I chose to volunteer my time to the food pantry because they are my church and I always wanted to be able to help people in need. Ending hunger, not only in our community, but in America is important to me. The thought of a child without a meal is truly heartbreaking. I couldn’t imagine being in need of food and shelter. Just a small amount of help can make such a huge difference. That is only one of the many ways of helping out in our
The Tarrant Area Food Bank is a prominent nonprofit organization that continuously works to fight hunger in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and does an excellent job at it. While their abilities may be limited, the Food Bank accomplishes as much as they can. From personal instances of volunteering, I know how wonderful the feeling of giving rather than receiving is in the long run. Throughout my work, in local food banks, community service projects, and research groups, my knowledge about the ever existing struggle of hunger is heightened, and I know how important it is for organizations such the Tarrant Area Food Bank to exist, operate, and serve. More necessary than the Food Bank, the responsibility lies on the volunteers to help spark the change
Most food comes from the Ottawa Food bank, with some additional individual donations. There are over 50 regular volunteers and 10 staff that are constantly looking for ways to acquire more food items, including soliciting help from local grocery stores. The food bank divides its items into categories within the “food hamper” and crucial categories often become depleted, as it is the second most trafficked food bank in the Ottawa area (Megan Gills,
During fall, the leaves fall, the temperature drops, and people sit around a table and say what they are thankful for. While we are consuming pounds of turkey and stuffing, the Pilgrims are to thank for the annual feast. Because the meaning of this holiday is to not stuff your face with endless amount of carbs, we should be reminded of how grateful we are for what we own. Thanksgiving was a very memorable time in U.S. history.
I also recently volunteered at the Cleveland Food Bank by packing lunches for under privileged children and sorting non-perishable foods for those in need. Prior to participating in volunteer services for the day, we were required to watch a video that explains the purpose of the Cleveland Food Bank and why there is a need for continuous support. The Greater Cleveland Food Bank works to ensure that everyone in our communities has the nutritious food they need every day. The mission of the Cleveland Food Bank is to alleviate hunger by providing food and support to community organizations that feed the hungry. Many people depend on the support because of their financial situation, life changes, and possible mental or physical limitations. The Food Bank acts as a storage unit and distribution facility for smaller agencies and organizations such as schools, homeless shelters, churches, and day
Thanksgiving is undoubtedly a holiday to celebrate family. It also celebrates many other things, as the name suggests. Thanksgiving is a holiday to give thanks for the things that a person has rather than to wish for more things. Accomplishments and shiny cars are not part of the essence of Thanksgiving, as these do not have the inherent humbleness expected of the holiday. This air of humility and frugality, harkening back to the days of the pilgrims and Native Americans, is probably what lead Ellen Goodman to describe the holiday as a suppressing of individualism. However, the rift between individuality and family that Goodman describes in Thanksgiving is not as deep as she makes it seem, and Thanksgiving Day is hardly the only day of the
...unteer there and help distribute the food and help the families that are in need. They are a very responsible and smart organization. Organizations like this are needed case last year alone 15.9 million people were helped last year and that still wasn't everybody that is in desperate need of these resources(Feeding).
give thanks to those that loved and cared for us, many times because they are already gone, and
The time it takes for a person to go to their local grocery store, buy non-perishable items, and drop them off to the food bank can be argued to not be a waste of time. From a consumer standpoint, a consumer can buy food bank items when they are doing their weekly grocery shopping. It may be seen as efficient since the consumer did not take any extra time from their lives to buy foods to donate. However, after it is dropped off, that is where the real concern begins. Once the food is dropped off, it has to be sorted with the rest of the donations, packed into boxes, and then transported to multiple areas in the warehouse.
The foodbank offer food to anybody because it provide for the hunger. If you need any food you can come
Lina asked me to fly her home for a feast, Vicki said I am her second daughter and should go to her family Thanksgiving dinner, Renee always gives me her love and hope I could go to FL..I am grateful for what I have in my life. Hope I will have my loved ones celebrate in my house next
We, Aimee Johnson and Jessie Virnig, along with Amy Wilson and Shawn Klimek, decided to try to give the homeless a little hope. The week before Christmas we went door to door and collected food for the local homeless shelter. We decided to focus on collecting food because around the Christmas season, a lot of emphasis is put on toy drives and people sometimes overlook the fact that the homeless still need to eat. In order to broaden our research, we decided to collect food from more than one group of people. We went to an average middle class neighborhood and to a college dormitory. Before we went out into the neighborhood and dorms, we prepared a thank you letter to give to everyone explaining to them who we were, to tell them that we were collecting food for the homeles...
This year, I had the opportunity to give back to the community in many ways. I volunteered at Helping Hands, Meals on Wheels, and the county Science Museum. These volunteering experiences further opened my eyes to the needs of my community and the many opportunities to serve by volunteering.
leftovers that they can salvage. Food banks are almost the same thing as food rescue, they also work with their local businesses. Except the food rescues will donate five to ten times more food. Some charities will also purchase their food for their local food pantry. They will hold a donation to help raise money to purchase food for their pantry.