Carrying the Spirit of Giving Beyond the Holiday Season

Happy New Year! We hope everyone had a wonderful holiday break with your loved ones. Christmas was a time where people focused on spreading generosity and kindness driven by holiday spirit. During this time, we were reminded that beyond material gifts it’s important to help those in need and foster community. Some great ways to do this was by volunteering at your local shelters or donating to food banks. Although the holiday season is coming to an end it doesn’t mean that the spirit of giving should as well.

Volunteering and donating after the holidays is crucial as hunger doesn’t end with the season. Hunger is a year-round issue and unfortunately there are families that continue to struggle. Often times, demand for this actually increases as holiday donations dry up and less resources become available to help those in need. Food pantries become overwhelmed with higher volume of people relying on their services.

How can you help? Find your local pantries by checking out organizations. You can visit their websites or call to find out more information such as what items they need most, where you can drop off donations, or other ways you can help them out. Usually the best things to donate are non-perishable items such as canned beans, pasta, rice, and cereal, as these are always needed. Avoid perishable items as they pose food safety risks and may not be stored properly. Monetary donations are also essential as food banks can buy items in bulk at lower costs to feed as many as they can.

At Dishes2u we understand how important is it to have a nutritious meal every day. Continuing to volunteer and donate whenever you can throughout the year will help those in need all year. Remember that people who rely on food banks don’t go anywhere when the new year begins. Don’t let your generosity burn out after the holiday season!