A Personal Request To Our Progressive Members

[BronxBoy]

My company, although small, is very active in supporting communities> I sit on the team that decides what civic activities we will get involved in. This year we selected to support the efforts of 2 local food banks as well do a toy drive for a children's hospital here in the Atlanta area.

I just came from delivering what we collected for our food drive. While donations were slim, we were able to deliver 100 turkeys and some canned goods. I was speaking with the director of the bank. When we first met, she asked me not to think the inventory they had was what they normally carried. She said that for most of the Summer and early Fall, their shelves were pretty much empty. And this was a pretty decent sized storage area. We talked some more and I found out that their caseload jumped 30% from September to October and she is expecting to see even more increases from October to November and November to December. I asked her why the increase and she said the majority of the people were people who worked in the construction and landscaping trades. Food banks and other social service entities are the true bellwethers of economic health in our country. I surely hope that the people showing up at their door don't show up in numbers that reflect the freefall that a lot of our economic sectors are in.

So my personal request is that, if you have the capacity at all to donate to a food bank, please do so. It can be 3 cans of veggies that you pick up when you are shopping. Every little bit helps. Things are going to get pretty bad here for a lot of people in just a short time. If you are in a position to help any of them, please do, no matter how insignificant you may think it is. That 33 cent can of beans you donate today may send a kid to bed with a full belly tonigh.

It's what we Progressives do.

[RainDog]

1. k&R

people who don't make a living wage in other jobs have to use food banks too.

happy thanksgiving, bushmeat

[DFW]

2. I am in Central Europe

And I don't even get Thursday off, but if you want to get me an address and
a name to put on a check, I'll be glad to pledge and send you something. The
Freedom Toast is based out of Atlanta, so I have a special liking for the area.

[tom_paine]

17. Here is a good foodbank, but it's national, not regionally focused

http://www.secondharvest.org/

[BuyingThyme]

3. Will do, BronxBoy.

Thank you.

:hi:

[ourbluenation]

4. Also, women's shelters need help this time of year too. They are in major

crisis, on the run, and hiding whcih makes it very difficult to put together some sort of normal holidays for their kids. Please remember that they might need some help with prezzies for the kids, food, etc...thx.

[BronxBoy]

11. A Great point

Clothes are also a big need.

Great things happen when a lot a people do a lot of small good things.

I'm almost embarrassed to say that I have stuff hanging in my closet that I haven't worn since when I was "svelte" Svelte don't fit anymore. LOL. It will take me about 5 minutes to go through my things and bag up the things that I don't need but it really never crossed my mind.

And in keeping with what you said, a lot of these women may be entering the workforce for the first time, so if there is a business suit that you have that just doesn't tie the room together, please donate it.

[eridani]

15. For women's business clothing consider Dress for Success

http://www.dressforsuccess.org/home.aspx

They are especially in need of plus sizes. I periodically take things in to them.

[Bobbieo]

5. I always donate to every food drive that comes around!!!

[cali]

6. enthusiastic k&r

support your local food shelf!

[VP505]

7. Here where I am at

we had the Postal Carrier Food Drive last Saturday, although I did donate its good to be reminded that between the holidays and after the New Year the need is still there. Thanks for the post.

[katty]

8. yes, donated to my local FB and put a link for 2nd Harvest

on discussion board. thanks

[katty]

9. yes, donated to my local FB and put a link for 2nd Harvest

on discussion board. thanks

[Stephanie]

10. Just heard on NPR that 20% of New Yorkers can't afford food.

Then they said the good news was that business was up at the food banks, so at least people were getting help. That was the good news. Can you believe it? 20%????

[BronxBoy]

12. Money has been extremely tight in our household..

But we are lucky in that we grow a very large part of our diet.

When we started the drive, I figured I'd sweep the closets and clean out any canned stuff that we weren't eating. But the only canned stuff was what we canned ourselves which we couldn't donate.

So I can believe that number is real. If I had to purchase a lot of the stuff we grow, it would be a heck of a lot tighter.

[eridani]

16. You do this in the Bronx?

Details on another thread, please. Urban agriculture just might save our asses in the coming years.

[dweller]

13. ...

:kick:

for what you do for the least among you,
dp

[shireen]

14. organize a food drive at work

my friends and i are doing that after T-day.

The need is overwhelming, really scary.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

18. My wife volunteers at the local food bank.

Stocks shelves, carries groceries to the cars of the disabled, etc. Today is her day to haul stuff out of the walk-freezer.

And, being a tough Irish ex-Catholic Socialist, she badgered the UM church she now attends into making donations to the food bank a priority.

She's 68, weighs 118lbs, and loves it.

[BronxBoy]

20. LOL

The Director of this food bank was also a small woman, almost fragile looking.

But she helped me sling those birds out the truck so fast it made my head spin

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your wife and bless her for the good that she does.

[intheflow]

19. I was almost afraid to click on this thread.

Thought it would surely be something ugly and degrading about Progressive Members of DU. But I'm so very glad I overcame my hesitation. This is a lovely post, perfectly timed and poignant. May I remind people that food banks also need infant formula and baby food? That was something we were always in short supply of when I worked at a food bank. Also, some food banks also give out necessities like diapers, particularly during the winter when heating costs suck the marrow from all but the most affluent.

Thanks again for this post. K&R

[dysfunctional press]

21. in atlanta. isn't it the drought that's fucking with the landscapers?

:shrug:

[BronxBoy]

22. Yes

And that is being compounded by the collapse of the housing market. A lot of landscapers made their money from installing landscaping in new communities as well as the regular stuff.

So it's been a double whammy for them.