Earlier today, I dropped a comment in Tasini's sobering diary I Try To Eat Less: The Story of the Economy, reminding people to give what they can now to their local food banks.
The Little Voice immediately chimed in with a "Put up or shut up" goad, so I packed this summer's hurricane preparedness canned goods in a bag and headed out to our local Second Harvest.
We dropped off the chow and a small check and spent a few minutes talking with V., who was manning the front desk. She confirmed what all the news stories will tell you: food banks are squeaking. Demand is way up and donations are way down. State subsidies are being cut back (Thanks, Gov. Jindal, your heartless...).
In the short time we were there, V. told us enough stories to break a stone heart. They have added the local crisis hotline to their quick reference list by all the phones because so many people are calling in unable to cope and considering the worst "solution." Not just "poor" people, but middle-class and even--until recently--rather well-to-do folks, people that the food bank counted on as donors.
These institutions are the last line of defense for thousands upon thousands of working families, the difference between not enough and none at all. Please, please, if you have any surplus now, either money or non-perishable food, for the love of humanity, help your local food bank now. You--yes, you--could be the difference between a kid eating today or not.
For the location of the food bank/feeding assistance center closest to your zip code, check here.
WOW! (Update) ontheleft coast has made an incredible challenge in the comments. Fifty cents for every tip up to five hundred freakin' bucks to Second Harvest (New Orleans and Acadiana is my preferred food bank). Mind-blowing.
Also, LAGNIAPPE: Should you be in New Orleans next week, Second Harvest of New Orleans and Acadiana is sponsoring a series of free concerts in Lafayette Square and this coming week, the featured artist is the fabulous New Orleans Radiators. What better reason to empty the pantry, bra?
UPDATE FOR CLARITY'S SAKE OTLC's challenge is to match tips with half-dollars. My tip jar's right below, with the big orange cone. OTLC's still got a little dough left, so drop one in the cone.
You people are pretty darn cool, you know that?
Another WOW plf515 has matched ontheleftcoast's offer of 50 cents a tip. (Odd, though, when I access the diary, the tip jar's reading 0/0. What's up with that?)