LAR1975 said...
My husband and I have a dream to take in the homeless and serve them at our house on Thanksgiving; we would love to do that, but haven't been able to manage that financially just yet. If we were miraculously to win this gift card--there are so many generous and worthy people out there who deserve to win it!--we could take in at least a few or do something else that's really tangible to help families with less food than we have. It would be a great example to our toddler. Our giving would not be faith-based, as are most food- donation programs, because there are people of so many different (or no) religions who are hurting, we don't think it's fair to exclude anyone.That said, we help the community as often as we can by donating food (and clothes & toiletries & baby items) to the local food pantry, giving food whenever the girl or boy scouting organizations do food collections, and by sharing any garden leftovers (we grow as many of our own fruits & vegetables as we can) with friends, family, and co-workers.Thanks so much for the chance; GLTA!Leighluckyleigh(AT)frontier(DOT)com
My husband and I have very different talents. He loves to teach and mentor and he does so through leading a small group, and used to help out in Children's Church. I love children, but this is not my area of expertise. I feel I am more gifted in the kitchen, so I get to work with the Meal Ministry to make meals for new mommies recovering from delivery, or individuals recovering from surgery or treatments. It's great to be able to bless other families in this way!
...and I am very excited to announce this giveaway. The "Recipe for Giving" contest benefits Cookies For Kid's Cancer, a non-profit organization dedicated to raising funds for pediatric cancer treatment and research. All you have to do is leave a comment with an idea or a "recipe" that shows how you and your family give back to your community through food, and the winner and will receive a $500 American Express gift card.
Contest Ends 6/10/2010, and if you don't leave an email I cannot contact you if you win, so leave an EMAIL!!!
For a full list of rules go here
Disclaimer: I was not provided with any form of compensation for hosting this giveaway
we give back by donating food to food banks, and we have even saved leftovers and gave them to the homeless.
ReplyDeletebwalleshauser at yahoo dot com
The local food bank in our community was desperate for food after a devastating tornado a few years ago. We all chipped in to help replenish the food bank. But now we make it a habit to always try to remember to purchase at least one (and hopefully more) non-perishable food items on every shopping trip and donate it to the food bank so that they always have food for hungry people. With the recent flooding in our area, it's even more important than ever!
ReplyDeleteWe help out every year at our church with a potato droop. We get semi load of nothern potatoes and then we sack them up and deliver them to all the food and pantry areas in Kansas City Metro area. These food and pantry locations then give the food to those in need. This is great giveaway. Thanks for hosting it.
ReplyDeletesteven(dot)capell(at)gmail(dot)com
My family and I donate to our local food bank monthly by donating food and volunteering our time to help out others. Every Thanksgiving and Christmas we also help serve at the local food kitchen.
ReplyDeletejh289 (at) hotmail (dot) com
I love giving back to the community through food expecially having them over for dinner one of the things i do is Every holiday we invite all the soldier's that we know that dont have a place to go over to have some good hoem cooked food we always have a housefull and we always have a good time.
ReplyDeleteand we send care packages with some yummy snacks to soldiers oversea's we also put a few things in there so they can give them to the children its nice to okniow i make little difference somewhere.
thank you for the chance to win i would love to use it to give back to my community
cbrocious1984@gmail.com
We give back to our community by buying local. I look at this a voting with our dollar...and I'm voting local.
ReplyDelete13cls13@gmail.com
During the holidays, we love to bake cookies for the homeless shelter.
ReplyDeleteHello!
ReplyDeleteWell, one of the best ways I can think of to link food and giving to the community is by buying local produce. Whenever possible I try to buy from a local farmer or from a produce stand that is independently owned. Being that I live in Florida, there is a wonderful variety and if I allow my son to pick stuff out himself he is more likely to eat it. A great summer salad or fruit smoothies are a few great ideas of what to do with your treasure...also freeze the fruit smoothies to make popsicles. My son loves that!
Thanks,
candc320@gmail.com
I am apart of a group through our church that makes meals and takes them to the local Ronald McDonald house. I love being able to take part in this group for these families! It is a great way to help families who have way bigger concerns in their lives then where or when they are going to have time to figure out their meals.
ReplyDeleteleighDOTonedayatatimeATgmailDOTcom
A couple of years ago, my best friend and I did the National MS Society 50K walk - slogan "2 days, 50K, closer to a cure." The minimum fundraising amount per person for that walk is $2000 - they're serious about raising money. So we did all kinds of things to raise money - straight out asked people, bugged everyone we knew to donate items and held a raffle, held an MS walk party with a cover charge...and my favorite, we had a good old-fashioned bake sale. We camped out (with permission, of course) on the sidewalk outside a popular grocery store with signs and t-shirts and balloons. Our friends all made and brought all manner of homemade goodies, which we sold to willing passersby. We raised about $500 of our $4000 total with that bake sale!!
ReplyDeleteI make a point of taking an easy-to-reheat casserole, nothing too spicy, to the moms I visit when I stop by to meet their new little ones. One or two fewer meals for them to worry about!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chance to win!
--Liza
ejm6x (at) yahoo (dot) com
We donate to our local foodbank on a regular basis!
ReplyDeletedaunfamily@yahoo.com
i stockpile good deals and once i get too much i go through and donate lots of it to people in need! thanks :)
ReplyDeleteemmy1981 at aol dot com
My husband is a volunteer fireman in our small town. I am also gifted in the kitchen. I always make cakes for their fundraisers, cupcakes for the kid's schools for fundraisers, for our church when we are having rodeos (we go to a cowboy church). I never think that they are good enough of course but if that is my little piece of helping raise money for our community and our church then I feel good about it
ReplyDeletejonilynntaylor at gmail dot com
My family serves hot food to the homeless and hungry on Sunday afternoons. It is a great time for our family to come together and to reach out to the community. I always end up crying or laughing, or laughing until I cry, listening to the wonderful stories of the people who are there!
ReplyDeleteWe donate to the food bank all year round..not just at the holidays!
ReplyDeletecouponboss at gmail dot com
We bake cookies and take them to the homebound members of our church.
ReplyDeleteKristin.brown106 AT gmail DOT com
My daughter's elementary school collects for the local food pantry each month, and they let us know a few days in advance what types of things they need most, so we can shop with those items in mind! It's a great system and teaches the kids the value of giving to others in need.
ReplyDeletekt1969 at comcast dot net
we give back by buying organic - this benefits farmers, the earth, and our own heath and wellbeing
ReplyDeletejune_spirit2628 at hotmail dot com
Every couple months or so my group at church have a bake sale to raise money for needy children around the world. Usually my family makes banana bread, cookies, brownies, etc. The last bake sale we had we raised $725!
ReplyDeletemoonless9t@yahoo.com
we give back by I get coupons and whenever I get a great deal on food I stock up and take it to our local food bank. I have even bought coupons off of Ebay to stock up massive so i have tons to donate.
ReplyDeleteBreejeep @ hotmail.com
We donate to food banks, we also give food and household products to friends who could use the extra help, we spread the word about the Angel Ministries around my city to those could need food, and when we make food we share with neighbors, family, and friends. We also donate and participate in events and food fundraisers. Thanks so much.
ReplyDeleteshevilkenevil1 at aol dot com
my university "family" and I would collect money from students for the local food bank. They would fill out a sheet with their student number and the amount of money they wished to donate...the money was taken off their meal plan money.
ReplyDeleteWe also went around on halloween and collected canned good through a programe called trick or eat. The food went to the local womans shelter!
kshuttle@uoguelph.ca
there are Latter Day Saint Missionaries that live in our area. We will make them meals sometimes and also have them over to our house for dinner. They work very hard and appreciate people letting them in. They spend a lot of time away from their families and I'm happy to help a little bit.
ReplyDeletevguerrette@gmail.com
We give back my donating food to the local food pantry, and by donating food when there are food drives (by the post office, scouts and school groups). Thanks!
ReplyDeletejackievillano at gmail dot com
Oh, by the way, your link to the full rules appears not to be working. At least, I couldn't access them!
ReplyDeleteh4schaffer at gmail dot com
I try to buy a few extra items every time I go shopping (usually canned goods or some other item that won't spoil or perish soon) and we regularly take them to church with us to drop in the box for donations to our local food bank. I also save coupons to give to Girl Scout troops to help with foods for their parties, outings, ceremonies or other events, along with donations of a gallon of punch or some other small but necessary party item. Lastly, a little thing that makes a big difference is a trick I learned from my mom. If I am going to the store for, say, a gallon of milk, I buy at least two, and drop one off to my brother before I head home. He's a single dad and had to take a reduced work week this year, and it's really stretched his budget uncomfortably tight. I know that when my mom used to do that for me when I was broke it made a HUGE difference! All those little things add up!
ReplyDeleteThanks!
h4schaffer at gmail dot com
One way that I give back is by participating in my community's Harvest II food drive. My class always collects nonperishable items to donate to those in need.
ReplyDeleteangelica.craig@yahoo.com
I volunteer for races and we donate any leftover fruit, snacks and water to a local non-profit.
ReplyDeletelynsym gmail com
Sharing food, especially home-grown and homemade foods, is a big part of our rural community. One day our neighbour brings us fresh eggs, another day we bring them a pot of freshly-made jam or maple syrup. It's great since everyone is growing & producing different items and the grocery store is not very nearby. Helps to keep our diets fresh and varied. I would urge communities where land for growing is not so available to start up a community garden!
ReplyDeletethorandellie AT gmail DOT com
Our family this year plans on volunteering with a local food shelter to help ensure all people get a nice hot meal to eat
ReplyDeletesuddenlyspoo at gmail dot com
We donate to our church's benevolence pantry once a month and we let the kids pick out some foods to take themselves each month. It teaches them to think of others and to help those in need.
ReplyDeleteEvery Thanksgiving and Christmas we sort food for the annual city food basket giveaway. We also donate regualrly
ReplyDeleteMy family prepares and serves dinner to parents of hospitalized children at the local Ronald McDonald House. It is a small gesture on our part that hopefully makes a big difference to these families in a time of need.
ReplyDeleteI volunteer for an organization called Helping Hands Pantry (http://www.helpinghandspantry.org). We pack 1000+ bags of donated food each week to give out to the community. I would like to split the $500 with Helping Hands.
ReplyDeleteyoungm121@yahoo.com
Since I was very small my mother had me helping her with the Red Cross. She would take me with her to delivery meals on wheels to so many people each week.I remember taking my bear with me thats how little I was! These people would not have a meal if it was not for the donations of others that allowed us to provide food for them. To this day I still do this and know that in some small way I am giving back to these people. Sometimes we are all the company these people see and just seeing a smiling face makes them happy. After all these years, I still love it and will hopefully teach my child the same as my mom did for me :) Being able to be apart of meals on wheels is great and I hope that others will try and donate some of there time for the millions of people who go hungry everyday.
ReplyDeleteMintsola AT yahoo DOT com
We donate canned food items to our local food bank on a regular basis. We also donate food and non-perishable items to youth outreach programs through our church. We also provide meals to families who are suffering, grieving, recovering, or dealing with other issues which may prevent them from preparing meals for their family.
ReplyDeleteLinda.Stewart(at)drakesoftware.com
We give back by donating to our local food bank regularly. We also belong to a CSA group (Community Supported Agriculture), which means we get produce from local farmers. This helps the farmers have a steady, dependable income, and we get great organic food.
ReplyDeleteajolly1456 at gmail dot com
I used to volunteer at the soup kitchen downtown, but because I now work two jobs and have just moved it is really hard to keep up with it. This post has definitely revamped my want to get back into it again (once I am settled and not working 50 hours a week). I do also donate to the foodbank, and have given food to homeless on my way to work. I think it is so important to give food or other needed things instead of money so that you know how the money will be spent.
ReplyDelete:)
Good luck all!
janeymacy@hotmail.com
once a month our church gathers food for our local food shelter and my grandkids and I serve at the shelter twice a month
ReplyDeletetiramisu392 (at) yahoo.com
Monthyly, our family fasts for 24 hours and we donate the money we would have spent on our meals to help others buy food who can't afford it. My family also participates at a local cannery where we can items for people who can't afford them. It's an amazing facility run by a local church http://www.lds.org/placestovisit/location/0,10634,5305-1-1-1,00.html.
ReplyDeleteMy wife and I volunteer for a homeless shelter. We make breakfast for the guests with donations from local businesses.
ReplyDeleteActually, that is how we met, we were both volunteering at the time, and we have been inseparable ever since!
pauleyd68 (at) yahoo (dot) com
we do a day before thanksgiving apron and bread giveaway to all the single elderly subjects in our churches. It teaches our daughter to think of others at the holidays and gives us something to do together (making aprons).
ReplyDeleteWhenever I go grocery shopping, I try and buy one item, even if its something little that happens to be on sale or I have a coupon for, and I leave it in the food bank box or animal shelter box in the store front, carawling(at)hotmail(Dot)com.
ReplyDeleteWe grow a huge garden and share with our community. We have chickens and share our eggs as well. We buy local.
ReplyDeleteGlenda
secret1042@aol.com
I donate granola bars to local schools. A lot of local kids go to school hungry without breakfast. I know that the kids who get those granola bars appreciate them!
ReplyDeletecheatingpiggies at hotmail dot com
We donate food for our church's annual Thanksgiving bag/basket drive. We usually do at least 300 baskets for those in need in our community. Our favorite part is going to the tables of sorted food and putting the bags together. We love doing this together as a husband, wife and son. avennett AT verizon DOT net
ReplyDeleteWe deliver turkey at Thanksgiving and Christmas time to those in need.
ReplyDeletejtfilleman@cox.net
Near us there isn't a local foodbank, but my parents go out to the street, inviting hungry people to sandwiches, homemade pasta, milk and water.
ReplyDeletetwice a year we participate in cooking for lesser fortunate people, were they can buy a plate of pasta and bread and drinks. the price is: a smile.
When we had a garden, we invited some people of the streets to come and collect tomatoes and such.
My grandmother actively baked bread and ravioli's for the red cross to give the food out to children on the streets..
there is much more we can do for the society, if just every 5th family would participate in such activities..
my email: cailinn@gmail.com
I carry around granola bars and homemade fruit leather in my purse to give to homeless people when I pass them or they ask me. (and believe me, they do! I live in downtown Chicago.)
ReplyDeletexxcherryrainxx28@gmail.com
We donate to our local food bank.
ReplyDeleteheasie@cableone.net
Our church serves a brunch every Sunday morning after services. We pair up and take turns preparing it. Before, people would tend to leave right after the service, but now they stick around, enjoy the brunch and especially the fellowship. Church relationships have really grown from this simple time together.
ReplyDeleteWe donate food to our church and participate in bake sales on a regular basis.
ReplyDeletesundaygirl at gmail dot com
Me and my family donate food to our local food bank on a regular basis. What we like to do is wait for sales & stock up on canned food & other non perishables to donate.
ReplyDeletecalidreamin87 (at) gmail (dot) com
My family serves the homeless food in the park once a month...
ReplyDeletechicky78@yahoo.com
We always buy something for the homeless man who is (usually) outside of our local market.
ReplyDeleteI use my couponing skills to get food and goods
ReplyDeleteto donate to the local women's shelter!
Sweetimpishpixie(AT)gmail(DOT)com
my recipe to give back?
ReplyDeleteMix 2 cups of love with 1 cup of generosity. Stir in three tablespoons of kindness. Add 1 dash of humor and a sprinkling of kind words. Let the mixture stand for as long as you can support it. Works best with a handful of helping hands. This recipe can be multiplied, but if you have the time and the funds to do so, remember you must share the results! And if anyone asks you what the secret ingredients are, you also must tell them!
There is no point to living, if you can't spend it giving :)
In more concrete ways, I do donate to the local food bank and church. I also cook meals for anyone who I know to be going through tough times.
thanks!
DolphinV27@aol.com
I donate to local foodbanks. I also have gotten into growing fruits and vegetables. The idea is that if I grow more than I need, I can donate the excess to foodbanks as well. Here's to hoping for a bumper crop!
ReplyDeletenfmgirl AT gmail DOT com
Our family has done a few things to help out. I love to bake and occasionally take goodies to work (though I don't think anyone there is going hungry). We donate to local foodbanks and the Salvation Army food drives. I also love to bake and decorate cookies and other treats for new mommies. I think there is something very special about eating an adorable decorated sugar cookie in the shape of a onesie!
ReplyDeletealishea777@yahoo.com
My husband and I donate to our local food bank. We buy the items and the boy scouts pick them up at our home. I have a special section in my pantry where I collect items so I'm ready when they come for their next pick up.
ReplyDeletemsrachel80@gmail.com
I often take homemade treats, entrees, to work to put a smile on someone's face, everyone loves homemade items, it can make someone's day.
ReplyDeleteI have volunteered at the Soup Kitchen to serve meals on holidays.
I have made cookies for Christmas and have given them out to neighbors and co-workers to have a little cheer added to their holiday.
diane_of_faith@yahoo.com
I helped out in a soup kitchen. It was a memorable experience and it made me appreciate what I have.
ReplyDeleteliveup2thehype@gmail.com
We donate to our church's pantry when a need is expressed.
ReplyDeleteruthaw_1974@yahoo.com
half_blue_sky@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteMy family makes up baskets full of homemade baked goods and fresh fruit to give to the elderly members of our community at holidays. We also donate to food pantries and participate in bake sales for charity.
We donate to food banks, but more often to our community center just down the street. The food goes to our neighbors who have fallen on hard times and I really like that we are directly helping those in our neighborhood.
ReplyDeletekatidyd at hotmail dot com
Here are some of my "recipes" for giving through food:
ReplyDeleteMy family donates to food banks.
We also volunteer at our church's food drives. When I was in high school, I would make brownies for various bake sales to raise money for community projects.
Boy Scouts sell breakfast tacos in front of my church every Sunday and we will buy tacos from them to show our support.
I've made "hope packages" for the homeless in my community that include water bottles, granola bars, trail mix, homemade cookies, toiletries and a card that includes the phone numbers of agencies in the city that they can call for help.
There are so many ways to connect with and help the community through food. Food connects and unites people. We never realize how much we have until we see people who are in need of something as simple as food.
Lynn
lynnx512 at gmail dot com
lynnx512 at gmail dot com
We make baked goods (bread mostly) for the bake sale fundraisers at my son's schools. they do a lot for the community!
ReplyDeletekatiekarr at gmail dot com
I am in a playgroup with other moms and whenever there's a pregnancy in the group everyone else makes a dish to take over after the birth. I also donated to Stamp Out Hunger which goes to local foodbanks in the area.
ReplyDeletesusie(at)susiebhomemaker(dot)com
Every year our church puts on a Christmas dinner for the homeless and less fortunate in our area. We serve a hot, traditional holiday meal to about 100 people. We also donate regularly to our local food bank.
ReplyDeleteWe buy extra items at the bakery and give the extras to people who are hungry.
ReplyDeletechirpatme at rocketmail dot com
We give back by participating in several events to donate money to Food Pantries, such as the Stamp Out Hunger a couple of weeks ago. We also volunteer at a local soup kitchen and help serve meals.
ReplyDeleteWe often take meals to family in need, participate in the local food drives and give food to the food banks. I am a coupon shopper so a lot of times I will buy food that we don't necessarily eat but that's a good deal so we can give it away to those in need!
ReplyDeleteltbodine@yahoo.com
We like to give items personally to families we know that need it. I stockpile a lot of items through couponing, so when I hear of a need, I can just gather items out of my own pantry to bless another family!
ReplyDeletethedealscoop @ yahoo . com
We donate and volunteer at the soup kitchen. I have donated food and clothing items to the shelter for abonded and abused children.
ReplyDeleteJellis29@hotmail.com
I am quite a thrifty shopper and will often get many grocery items/personal care items for free or very inexpensive. I will put together various bags of items and take them to the women's shelter that is near our home. It always brings a smile to my face, and theirs, to know that good quality food is going to someone who will use it, and appreciate it.
ReplyDeleteemsfsemsfs(at)gmail.com
directorylanesuperstore@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteHelp all we can volunteering, donating, working in food banks when possible.
directorylanesuperstoreATgmail.com
ReplyDeleteI now subscribe by rss.
When there are very good sales in the local supermarkets I like to buy an extra to donate to the local food pantry. Also, when there is someone sick or just had a baby in the neighborhood we arrange dinners.
ReplyDeleteaahaft at gmail dot com
How does this contest benefit kids with cancer? I am really confused. It doesn't seem as if this is raising any money; is it? Who is giving the gift card?
ReplyDeleteWe like to give back by taking meals to people in our church who have just welcomed a new baby or child into their family or are undergoing surgery/medical treatment. I also like to send care packets to international students we meet through Duke (who generally have no family in the US) - especially during exams.
ReplyDeletedukeblueathena[at]yahoo[dot]com
We like to give back by making dinner for people in our community that have been sick, or just had a baby. We also donate to food banks.
ReplyDeletesouthcarolinamommy at gmail dot com
We give to the foodbank on a regular basis. Another thing I love to do for others is to make a huge pan of homemade, delish lasagne that can go from the freezer to the table. It's a nice homemade touch for a new mom or someone recovering from a medical procedure. joleehamlin at comcast dot net
ReplyDeleteI have given to food donated to food banks before. I usually get cans of food with coupons and send them to the neighborhood high school as they give out a lot of canned food. I have also cooked for homeless people last thanks giving. it was quite rewarding.
ReplyDeleteshopgurl101 at gmail dot com
How do we give back? Beyond the obvious donations to local food banks, I also make the point of being conscious about the allergen content of the food I bring to kids events. My son is allergic to eggs, so I what it's like to be the parent of an allergic child, trying to navigate a "pot luck" table. I try to always label my food with which of the major seven allergens it contains, and often make the point of intentionally making items more than just egg-free for my son but dairy-free as well so that more kids can have them.
ReplyDeletesue.sweeps at gmail dot com
We live in an area where a lot of people have small businesses selling home-produced and farm-produced foods. These include pies, jams, fresh vegetables, fresh eggs, grass-fed lamb, herbal teas, etc. We try to purchase as much food from these local businesses and families as we can. Not only is this good for the environment & healthier than going to a big grocery store, but we love to support our neighbors in their endeavors. I think a good "recipe" for giving back to your community through food is to find people locally who are producing and selling food and get as much as you can that way. You'd be surprised how many small producers there are, even in cities. Better yet, start a garden, raise chickens, or find some other way to produce food yourself.
ReplyDeleteoldsockfarm ((at)) gmail ((D0T)) com
We donate at least two bags full to every food drive we see or hear about, even if we ourselves have to eat spaghetti and hot dogs a few nights that week to do it. It's important to give as generously as you can to those who have far less than you do.
ReplyDeleteWe give food to the local mission. (when I was little my mom helped in the community by giving a comfort pie to anyone that had a family member pass away)
ReplyDeletecindyloumagee (at) yahoo (dot) com
In our moms ministry we have opened up a new ministry for moms with newborns. The small group will provide meals for the mom who gave birth and to the family...just to help out that month. We all know how crazy the first month can be. This can also be a way to help families who are also going through cancer or any difficult time. Meals will be one less thing on their mind. grubmama at gmail dot com
ReplyDeleteWe try to give back by participating in food drives and helping out with meals for church families who have new babies or have had surgery or such.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fantastic cause! My family regularly donates food to various local causes. And, about 3 years ago, we started a new tradition. Every Thanksgiving -- before we cook our dinner -- we all go to St. Francis (our local soup kitchen) and volunteer by distributing Thanksgiving meals to the needy.
ReplyDeleteThank you for hosting this generous giveaway - I would be SO thrilled to win!
Aimee
sierranelsby (at) gmail (dot) com
My husband and I have a dream to take in the homeless and serve them at our house on Thanksgiving; we would love to do that, but haven't been able to manage that financially just yet. If we were miraculously to win this gift card--there are so many generous and worthy people out there who deserve to win it!--we could take in at least a few or do something else that's really tangible to help families with less food than we have. It would be a great example to our toddler. Our giving would not be faith-based, as are most food- donation programs, because there are people of so many different (or no) religions who are hurting, we don't think it's fair to exclude anyone.
ReplyDeleteThat said, we help the community as often as we can by donating food (and clothes & toiletries & baby items) to the local food pantry, giving food whenever the girl or boy scouting organizations do food collections, and by sharing any garden leftovers (we grow as many of our own fruits & vegetables as we can) with friends, family, and co-workers.
Thanks so much for the chance; GLTA!
Leigh
luckyleigh(AT)frontier(DOT)com
Whenever I get the chance, I volunteer at the soup kitchens. Sure, waking up early isn't fun, but it so worthwhile that it's worth the effort. :) peanut[at]nyc.rr.com
ReplyDeleteWe try to collect cans for food drives whenever there is one at work and/or church. It's for a good cause and allows my son to understand the benefits of helping others. tylerpants{at}gmail.com
ReplyDelete