Will YOU Accept Our 2019 Thanksgiving Food Bank Challenge?
One look at the hashtag #FoodBankChallenge on Twitter, and you’ll see how dire the situation has gotten for many of our food banks. Around the world, food banks are woefully depleted of basic and necessary supplies. With Thanksgiving right around the corner, this is a food shortage that we need to try and correct!
The task seems daunting – but if each of us focuses on our local food banks and pantries, the mission becomes easier to manage. It all starts with finding your local food bank – our favorite resource is the Feeding America locator.
For years, our parent company Peter Salerno Inc. has pledged to donate no less than 75 turkeys every Thanksgiving season to its local food bank – the St. Andrew’s Parish Food Pantry in Westwood, NJ. St. Andrew’s is a spiritual home for Peter Salerno and his family, where Peter’s children Anthony and Gabrielle were both married.
This isn’t a statement to ‘prop ourselves up’. When broken down amongst several members of a work team, the cost of 75 turkeys isn’t that massive – and the ability to provide enough Thanksgiving main courses for over 1,000 people (1 person fed per pound of turkey) is a number that will change an entire community for the better.
If you’re focusing on turkey, remember that simple calculation – 1 pound of turkey feeds 1 person. If you donate a 16 lb. turkey, a food pantry can feed roughly 16 people.
If your focus extends past Thanksgiving, non-perishable and shelf-stable items are your target.What food items are pantries and food banks most in need of this Thanksgiving season? According to Feeding America, these are the six most requested shelf-stable items by food banks during the fall months:
• Boxed stuffing
• Instant mashed potatoes
• Canned vegetables
• Dry macaroni
• Cranberry sauce
• Canned Pumpkin
What can YOU do to take steps to assist those in need and give back this Thanksgiving season? According to Peter Salerno, it’s all about targeted giving.
“Instead of helping dozens of charities, choose two or three that resonate with you to maximize your effectiveness,” Peter encourages. “Imagine how much better a world (we’d have) if everyone who could, would take action.”
Keep in touch with us – and the movement – using #FoodBankChallenge on Twitter. Let us know how you’re helping give back this Thanksgiving season!
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