Stamp Out Hunger

Tomorrow May 14 is the Stamp Out Hunger food drive done by letter carrier's all around the country.  Here is a video clip about Stamp Out Hunger.

You can help.  Leave a bag of nonperishable food items at your mailbox Saturday for your letter carrier to pick up.  It doesn't have to be a lot of food, even one or two cans would be helpful.  Some ideas of things you could donate:  canned fruit or vegetables, peanut butter, tuna or other canned meat, juice, spaghetti and sauce, mac n cheese, etc.

For more information go to the Stamp Out Hunger website or visit them on Facebook. 

Have a day of blessings!
 

Stamp Out Hunger

I added a widget on my blog to remind you of the Stamp Out Hunger food drive. I always seem to forget about this food drive until it is too late. This year I'm going to remember and want you to remember as well!

Let me share a little story with you. Since June 2007 (hard to believe it's nearly been a year), Caleb and I have been volunteering at the local food pantry. We started when the church kids group went for their June activity last year for a service project. We go on Wednesday mornings to help bag the groceries. There are two rows of food, row A and row B. Row A items include: a meat item (tuna, etc.), tomato sauce, green beans, refried beans, corn, some other veggie or soup usually, applesauce/fruit, crackers, Minute Rice, and a miscellaneous item. Row B items include: cereal, tomato product, soup, peanut butter, rice, dry beans, spaghetti, applesauce/fruit, and a miscellaneous item. These may vary from week to week depending on what comes on the shipment. After the sacks are made and put on the shelves we bag produce. We've bagged a variety of things like oranges, corn on the cob, yams, peaches, and apples. Then on Thursday mornings the sacks and produce are passed out to those needy who come. Caleb and I do not volunteer on Thursdays; one Thursday we were asked to come help bag some extra produce. It was quite an experience to see the faces of the people coming to pick up the food. To see the people really touched my heart as I explained to Caleb why they were coming and how they were getting the sacks of food to take home. As we're bagging the food I think about the people who will get the bags. I wonder to myself: What if they don't like this flavor of cereal? What if they don't have any meat to go with this box of Hamburger Helper? Maybe the person who gets this sack will be needing this cake mix to make a cake for a family member's birthday.

Everyone who works there just loves Caleb. There are some other children who come too sometimes. He is probably the youngest worker right now. The others are older and are home schooled so they can come during the school year. We'll have another crew who comes in the summer to help out. Caleb really does work too while he's there. He can push his own buggy now and fill sacks behind me. He carries the boxes to the recycle bin to be broken down. Recently he's started helping stock the bread on the shelves.

There are many times that a box on Row A and Row B will be empty because there just isn't enough money to buy the food to meet all the needs. Today we didn't have any canned meat in Row A to give out. We frequently run out of corn and soup. Hopefully, this food drive will be successful and the shelves of local pantries can be restocked.

I didn't want to post this to talk about myself but to share something that has become very dear to my heart. I ask you to remember the food drive Saturday. Also, please pass on this information to your friends and family or post it on your blog to spread the word and remind people to participate. You can find out more information at the Stamp Out Hunger website. I know that finances are tight for everyone now it seems, but please consider giving a can or two by your mailbox Saturday. I plan to make a call to my local post office to make sure they are participating. Sometimes we get a postcard about the food drive but so far have not this year.

Blessings to you!

Our Wednesday

Early this morning I felt and heard a loud bump and realized Caleb had rolled out of bed. I didn't even know he had come to our bed, I must have been sleeping soundly! I was instantly wide awake. Apparently it didn't phase him thought. We asked if he was hurt, and he said his side but was mostly asleep as he said that. He didn't seem to remember it this morning.

This morning we went to the food pantry and then ran by Walgreens to drop off our ink cartridges. I know we had one refilled a while back, but I couldn't remember if it was the black or colored ink. So I took them both and the guy said they'd fill up both of them! I asked how long it would be because I had a couple more things to buy, thinking he'd say 30 minutes or so. He said they'd be ready to pick up on the 4th! I looked back on their counter, and there were rows and rows of envelopes with cartridges waiting to be refilled. I got there at a good time because we didn't have a line like I saw forming as we finished our shopping. After Walgreens we went to the bread store and then to story time at the library. Caleb makes me laugh every week as they're doing the opening and closing songs. He really gets into it with the motions!

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"What marvelous love the Father has extended to us! Just look at it we're called children of God! That's who we really are." I John 3:1

Food pantry fun

We went to sort food this morning at the food pantry. Caleb finds it great fun to push around the small shopping cart as we load up the bags with food. Today he also had fun climbing the pallet of canned corn. He said he was Zaccheaus. Healso likes to take the empty boxes to the end of the center where one volunteer stands to break them down for the trash.

The center had received free boxes full of calendars. It was probably a pallet and a half full of boxes which were all full of calendars. There was every kind of calendar you could imagine--pocket calendars, desk calendars, planners, wall calendars. All the workers were told to take some. They were all 2007 calendars so for the most part won't be much use now. Everyone had fun looking through the boxes though and finding their own treasures. I found some journals and address books mixed in that I can use. Caleb found a calendar with pictures of animals.

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"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord." Colossians 3:23