All of the food banks and assistance programs are experiencing the blues this year.
Donations are down and the need is up. Most grocery stores are now doing their part by accepting food and money for the needy. You can donate something just about anywhere. Here in London a school supply store is accepting pyjama sets, for example.
I’ve found it’s easiest to do it when I’m already shopping. I’ll just double up on what I’m buying or, since I usually don’t buy toys, I’ll swing through that department and toss a couple of things into my buggy. It’s painless and it’s appreciated. Times are tougher for everyone but we really are the lucky ones. A chat with my brother on Skype from his bike trip south helped that hit home once again. He has seen poverty on a level that I can’t even imagine and I’ve been to Cuba and other places where the people are poor. His descriptions of families huddled in doorways – their homes – where the walls are blackened from a lack of ventilation for their cook stoves, pierced my heart. But as they say, charity starts at home and we can – so we should – help our neighbours. It’s easy and it’s the right thing to do!