Give THANKS!!!

Did I mention it was an 8 POINT!?!

Venison, anyone? My Dad called me the other day with some pretty exciting news….he got his first BUCK. He has been hunting for 30+ something years back in his hometown of Olean, NY and never quite seemed to close the deal on getting a deer until this year. So now, I’ve got to clean out practically half the freezer so we can fit all the venison he’s bringing home. Then I decided I might as well do a little pantry organization while I’m at it!

Have you ever noticed that your pantry is overflowing with cans of who-knows-what that you bought (& don’t exactly remember why) since they never seem to get used? Well my pantry definitely has things in it that we probably will never use, so I figured I’d start making a little collection of those unopened canned/boxed items for someone else to enjoy.

During these hard economic times, there are definitely people struggling to put food on the table! So it’s great to know that there are resources within practically every community of San Diego to help them out. I found the most comprehensive list of every food assistance program within the county that you can refer to...the Food Assistance Directory. I used the directory to find a local place to donate my canned/boxed foods. This is also a great resource if you know of someone, or you ARE that someone that is struggling financially and need food assistance. In addition, some organizations (like Golden Share, Angel Food, & Neighborhood Distribution) offer fresh fruits, veggies, & meats in bulk and at a more affordable price (or free!), which is really great because the less-processed---the better!

Don’t have any extra food from home to bring in? Don’t worry, you can still help out! The San Diego Food Bank’s Holiday Food Drive 2010 is already under way. From now until December 31^st you can either drop off non-perishable food items at your local Vons or Stater Bros., or purchase a pre-packaged brown paper bag of food at the checkout counter. Every bag is worth a different amount and the bags I saw ranged from $5-$10/bag (I bought one today!!!). Look for the red barrels near the entrance/exit to drop off your donations.

Want to help out & not even have to leave the house? You can do that too!! Donate online at Share Our Strength to help put an end to childhood hunger in America.

Give thanks this holiday season by paying it forward :) XOXO....little j Y