Reader Challenge

Well, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I might finally be gaining some ground in this battle with the sinus infection. This is the first morning I've felt like I might be getting better.  Which is great because who has time to be sick?

It has been hard for me to blog lately with being sick and I've just had a heavy heart.  I like to blog about light hearted things, but today I'm blogging a challenge to my readers and I wanted to share about something that has become near and dear to my heart.

We all hear on the news how this economy has really taken a toll on folks.  And unless you are directly impacted, or have a family member impacted, it doesn't always hit you how people really need assistance.  Over the last few months, I have become more involved with assisting the food pantry at my church.  The thought of another person being hungry is just heart wrenching.  Especially when I've heard statistics saying children are especially being affected.  I've been buying extra items and also organizing food drives with our Mother's of Preschoolers Group (MOPS).  I personally know of individuals who have been blessed with the donations to the food pantry.

So my challenge to my readers today is to donate some food to your local food pantry.  Or even take it a step further and organize a food drive for your local food pantry.  There are so many folks in need and this is such an easy way to help, even if you don't have a lot of time.

One of the mom's in my MOPS group told us about a wonderful way she and her family helped the food pantry.  She and her children drafted a letter and they put them in their neighbor's mailboxes.  They let the neighbors know if they would like to participate in the food drive, they could leave the bags of food on their porch and they let them know the date and time they would do the collection.  She said was very successful and it gave her children an opportunity to learn about volunteer work. 

I've learned from the folks at our food pantry that accept only canned or plastic items, no glass.  So it might be good to check on that.  Also, things like canned ham, chicken, and tuna fish are meats that the pantry can use.  And of course peanut butter is always a staple that can be used. 

I hope this post inspires folks to get involved in your own community.  There are times in our lives when planting seeds like this mean that we don't get to see the fruit of our labors.  But I know in my heart that the yield will be so worth the work.

So what are you doing to help out your community?

Hope you are having a great day in your neck of the woods!