A few years ago I attended a workshop on “A Latte for Charity-Shopping with Charity in Mind.” The basic premise was choosing to purchase for food banks by spending a `latte’ or cup of coffee a paycheck. There are three main times of need for food by families on the Federal Food Program; Winter Break, Spring Break and summer vacation.
Here is how it works. Purposefully plan to get as much as you can with your $2 - $3 each time you do your major shopping. Use coupons, buy-one get-one free offers, shop sale items. Have a box in the garage or floor of your pantry to store these items. Over the approximately 3 months of purchasing you should have a large box full of food to give to the seasonal food drives or just before school’s out.
Money may seem tighter…it is in my house…a dollar a week or a “latte” a paycheck does not feel like too much of a hardship. My family has a large “banana” box from Costco we are working on for the “Holiday Baskets” PTA Council project in December. It is also a great project for kids. Let them scour the ads each week looking for the best way to spend the $2 - $3.
Why not join me? Let’s work together to continue to provide the level of service we have in the past to the increasing number of families needing help this December, one cup of coffee at a time.
Sarah-Ann Woodfield
Shoreline PTA Council, Co-VP Family Services
sarah.woodfield@comcast.net
