Over at Wandering Scientist, Cloud has a post about dealing with a multitude of holiday food drives.
I’m facing the same thing. My workplace has one. My alumni club has one. Baguette’s day care has one. Each of them benefited a local organization, which I also like.
It’s easy enough to go through the pantry and select nonperishables that I don’t need or can’t remember why I bought (green enchilada sauce in mild, medium, and hot?). But then where do I take them?
This year choosing a food drive was also easy. I drive to Baguette’s day care but not to work, so it’s easier for me to drop canned goods off at her center’s office than to manage them on the bus. And I didn’t go to my alumni club’s December event anyhow.
The university I work at has a program for students with children; we gave Baguette’s infant carrier and stroller, Moby wrap, Boppy, and assorted other items to a grad student whose baby was born prematurely (she should be home by now, I think, and I’m so happy I was able to provide some supplies to help bring her home from the hospital).
Earlier this year, we sent a friend stationed in Afghanistan a huge box of food, which she shared with the other soldiers at her base. Last month, I donated money and blood and a box of baby wipes and formula to various organizations helping with Hurricane Sandy.
I wish I could send everything I have to New Jersey. It’s 3,000 miles away, but it’s local in my heart.
Photo by HowardLake, via Flickr. (Creative Commons)