This fall someone in my neighborhood started a local chapter of Family to Family, an organization that "links families with more to families with much less." Each sponsor family is paired with a needy rural family; each month the sponsor family ships a box of nonperishable food to "their" family based on a shopping list provided at the web site. I joined because I thought that this would be an excellent activity to get involved with for the kids—we could go shopping together and learn about both economics and nutrition while doing a good deed. Our chapter was paired with a chapter somewhere in upstate New York.
The first month's shipment was due, wouldn't you know it, during that hellish week when everyone was sick and Gram was in the hospital. My plan to take the kids to the supermarket suddenly wasn't feasible, so I went myself, packed up the box, and left it at our group leader's house to be shipped out via Fed Ex. Steph wrote a letter and drew some pictures for "our" family, which I enclosed.
I think this is a great organization, but one big drawback has surfaced. We were given the option of sending a check instead of a box of food, but we all (the other members of the chapter and I) rejected that idea because we all wanted to get our kids involved. As I've said before, I think that kids need tangible evidence of their charitable work; a check in an envelope doesn't mean as much as food given to a hungry person. But now we're thinking that a check would mean that the families could buy fresh produce, which we obviously can't send. And, moreover, we wouldn't be wasting all the money and fuel on Fed Ex either. I'm torn.
Why not consider some non-perishable food items as well as some money to buy fresh fruits and veggies?
Posted by: Deb C | November 29, 2007 at 09:45 PM
According to the organization higher-ups, our chapter as a whole has to choose to send EITHER the food from the list OR the money. In fact, we're not even sure they'd let us alternate months, which is what we thought of as a good compromise.
Posted by: Karen | November 29, 2007 at 09:49 PM
I notice there are no chapters listed on the website under "donating chapters" for our state. Is the chapter you belong to somewhere else?
Posted by: Risottogirl | November 29, 2007 at 10:09 PM
Our chapter is brand-spanking new; we just sent off our first shipments a week or so ago! I bet they just haven't updated the web site yet.
Posted by: Karen | November 29, 2007 at 10:13 PM
A while ago my wife and started shopping for the local food bank. On the months where she got an extra check (she was paid bi-weekly) we would load up a shopping cart with staples and leave them all in the cage at the front of the store. It felt good to actually have tangible evidence that you would be helping people. The more I thought about it though the more I realized that a check to the food bank would be beter for them in the long run since they could buy what was most needed at any given time, as well as, allow them to buy produce, meat,dairy, etc. So we've now switched to writting a check. It defineately dosn't feel as good but I think it helps at least as much if not more. I do think that you're idea of having something tangible is important for kids. It's too bad they don't allow you to mix both shopping and money (seems a little silly).
Posted by: B.O.B.(bob) | November 30, 2007 at 08:24 AM
When I volunteered at the local food bank we were told to encourage people to give money not food. They can buy food so much cheaper the donation goes farther. But people like the feel good factor of giving food.
Posted by: Rae | November 30, 2007 at 11:37 AM
I am always (tee hee) turned off by absolutes! Maybe you can suggest to your group that each family has the discretion to send a check or gift card twice a year. Sometimes those families might need the extra cash to pay the electric bill and explaining THAT to your kids might be a very good lesson...that even the warmth you feel in your house costs money. Those families also need things other than food...tampons, razors, etc. that could be gotten with a Wal-Mart gift certificate.
There are so many ways to turn the giving of money or gift cards into a teaching experience with your children. About car payments, rent, utilities, security deposits, etc.
OK...just scrolled up to comments...if your "chapter" REQUIRES that you choose either food or cash...they are crazy. They should do anything their donors want to do and be thankful for it! Worse comes to worst, your chapter could "officially" split into two chapters, one giving checks and one giving food while unofficially staying together as one group. I just can't imagine a charitable organization that is trying to help people saying, "Sorry....we don't want your check, you are in food only group!"
Posted by: Di | December 02, 2007 at 07:21 AM
It's the national organization that makes the rules, so we have to abide by them (or leave the organization).
Another reason I wish I could send money is so that they could buy local food rather than processed, imported food. But I would also never in a million years send a gift card to WalMart. I'd rather encourage these families to support their local community merchants rather than the WalMarts of the world.
I realize that I can do only so much, so I'm going to have to be content with my box of food. As Andy points out, the extra money spent on shipping can be seen as an investment in raising our kids to be the next generation of charitable citizens.
Posted by: Karen | December 02, 2007 at 08:36 AM