I love the holiday season. Christmas is probably my favorite, mostly because it’s always such a great time of getting together with family and friends…and because my family has a ton of fun traditions during this time [and let’s be honest…I love Christmas music].
I get pretty excited to give gifts (and am completely horrible at keeping them secret), but as I’ve grown older, I’ve seen more and more consumer greed pollute a pretty simple holiday. And I hate it.
I don’t often get preachy on this blog because that’s not what it’s about, but this holiday season, I really want to challenge myself to focus on using the resources I’ve been blessed with to help others who are truly in need. I’d love for you to join me on this, so today [December 1st?!], I’m introducing…
[Note: Since there are obviously not 12 weeks in December, and the 12 days of Christmas traditionally begin on December 25, I’m going to take the liberty of spacing the days out randomly throughout the month.]
Day 1: Fill a food bank
While my family consumes an abnormally large amount of food on Christmas Eve (we have a traditional Swedish smorgasbord), many families will be struggling just to put food on the table.
Here is a national directory of food banks, which are always looking for donations. I thought this poster was interesting regarding giving monetary vs. food donations.
From the website:
If people go to the store and buy food to give to a food drive, every dollar they spend puts only a dollar’s worth of food into the charity food distribution system, and the donor receives no tax benefit for their gift. If they give money (write a donation check) instead, they can claim half of what they give as a credit on their income taxes and as much as a quarter of it as a deduction on their Federal taxes, so each dollar they give may only cost them 25-cents, and then the Food Bank can turn around and turn their dollar into as many as 33 meals’ worth of food! Fund drives make adequately addressing the hunger problem possible by making it affordable.
Tax deduction? Yes, please. Just another fantastic reason to donate. So forgo your extra jar of $8 nut butter or $4 holiday latte at Sbux this week…and do something that really matters. :) Feel free to copy the logo above and put it on your blog if you’re participating! {and be sure to let me know!}.
On a food-related note: it’s still roasted vegetable season.
[image via 101 Cookbooks because mine was not half as pretty]
Beets actually pair pretty nicely with delicata squash…who knew? Loosely based off this 101 Cookbooks recipe…
What are you doing to give back this holiday season?
p.s. so fitting that it’s snowing on December 1st. Anybody else get their first winter dusting this morning?!
and don't forget to enter the Stonyfield giveaway!
