I have, on occasion, questioned the reason for needing to give more during the holidays than during the rest of the year because there are hungry people all year round. I think I came to a conclusion: Hope. The holidays are a time of hope, a time of thanksgiving, a time of renewal. Giving during this time of year may be extra important in order to give those people who are in need some extra hope to get them through the harsh winter months.
According to the Agricultural Department of the United States, "Some 691,000 children went hungry in America sometime in 2007, while close to one in eight Americans struggled to feed themselves adequately even before this year’s sharp economic downturn." Wow. It amazes me that in a country like the United States of America, over half a millions kids are missing meals.While at my favorite web-site for finding recipes (www.kraftfoods.com) I saw a link for the Feeding America program and thought that looked interesting. For every $1 donated, they can feed 16 people. Plus Kraft will match the donation (up to $200,00 total). According to the caluculator on their web-site, $10 can fill 320 bowls. I'm pretty sure I can spare an extra $10 this holiday season. Can you?
Because we are on the topic, here is a list of some of my other favorite, year-round charities:
If you have favorite charities that aren't on this list, add a comment so we can all be aware of ways to help.
