To Do

Completed December 2001

It was the holiday season. Each year, someone in my department stepped up to the plate to organize some sort of charitable event in which we all participated. 2001 was my year. Squirrel and I organized what had become known as the annual Holiday Project. We contacted the local food bank and found out that they actually preferred cash or gift certificates for local grocery stores over donated food, which tended to consist of a lot of cans of creamed corn and fruit cocktail.

We placed containers throughout the department and collected change from everyone. When it was time for our holiday break, we had raised $200. Squirrel made the trip to the grocery store to buy the gift certificates, and I took them to the Food Bank over my lunch hour. The director was so pleased, she wrote a thank you note to everyone and let me know that the gift certificates would be put to good use.

I was surprised at the wonderful selection available at the Food Bank. Though it was very small (just a small room located in one of our local churches), there were several grocery carts full of canned and dry goods in the hallway and wire shelves full of fresh breads and produce inside.

Sometimes it’s hard to imagine not having enough food. When you look around at the huge portions served in restaurants, the huge amounts of food that are wasted by the average household, and then all-you-can-eat buffets, how could anyone be hungry?