I volunteer at the Catholic Charities food bank. One day in November 2014, I sorted the canned green beans from the canned corn. Nearly every food item was a can of veggies. “You can’t make a meal out of these,” I said.
Friends and I had started Orange Friday, a one-day campaign held the Friday before Thanksgiving, in 2010. Orange is the color of hunger awareness. Our slogan is “Before you go shopping on Black Friday, feed the hungry on Orange Friday.” We set up a table at a grocery store and asked people to donate $3, then handed out orange ribbons to wear to spread the word. That first year, we raised $3,000.
We later joined forces with Catholic Charities, which uses that $3 to feed a family of four for a day.
We also encourage people to donate food items that can make meals for a family. Things like canned chicken or tuna with a box of noodles and seasoning, or spaghetti sauce and pasta. Many farmers and gardeners donate crops so food banks can provide fresh produce.
Over the past six years, the $49,976 raised by the Orange Friday campaign has fed nearly 200,000 meals to members of my community. Why not ask what your food bank needs?
Learn more about Someone Cares greeting cards!
Did you enjoy this story? Subscribe to Guideposts magazine.
