Food is an important part of my life. I cook and create meals multiple times daily. I browse farmers’ markets and grocery stores for fun. I enjoy long restaurant meals with my family. I chat about recipes with my mom over the phone. I write about it in this blog.
I don’t have the greatest history with food. Though I was never deprived of a single want growing up, I turned down much of the food placed in front of me, due mostly to lack of interest. Later on, I began to make the unfortunate association of food with guilt, learning to resent it instead of appreciate it.
I have had a varied, consistently developing relationship with food, culminating in where I am today. Now, I have (mostly) made peace with food. I savor produce in nearly unlimited capacities; I steer away from processed foods whose ingredients I can’t understand. I am content with the foods I opt to eat and to not eat; I am increasingly confident in defending my choices. Basically, I enjoy the foods I crave in quantities I desire.
Talk about taking something ridiculously for granted.
Recently, Rose brought to my attention a program entitled, “Blog it Forward to Fight Hunger.” The initiative is part of ShopRite supermarkets’ Partners in Caring, an organization devoted to fighting hunger in the United States.
The program tell us, “More than 36 million Americans suffer from food insecurity” – a state where “you are unsure when or what your next meal will be.” That’s eleven percent of the population. Quite a number of people.
A single dollar can purchase ten pounds of food from a food bank. Since its conception a decade ago, ShopRite Partners in Caring has donated 20 million dollars to the fight against hunger. On the flip side, the diet industry rakes in 40 billion dollars in one year alone. Imagine what could be done with that money if we all threw away the bathroom scale and put those dollars to another use.
I’m a firm believer that change begins with small steps. The Blog it Forward program has a similar philosophy:
For each of the first 30 comments on this post, ShopRite will donate a box of cereal to a local food bank. Whether you are a regular commenter, a lurker, or just passing through, please leave a comment! Tell me if you take food for granted, and perhaps what each of us can do to change that.
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Everybody needs cereal!
how amazing!
Woo hoo you go girl! That is awesome!
What an awesome deal! And you are awesome for jump starting such a cool thing, Thanks!
what a great post.
After just getting back from Honduras for the second time, I would say I definitely take food (and many other things) for granted, as do many people here in the States.
I try to use up leftovers and not waste any food, but it’s still crazy just HOW MUCH we have here compared to other parts of the world. When people around the world still don’t have clean water or you see them digging through the garbage next to dogs for their next meal….it hits you how much we have and how much more grateful and thankful we should be. AND how much we should be giving back.
What a great cause!
I am totally guilty of taking food for granted.
This post motivates me to use up everything sitting in my cupboards and freezer, donating canned goods that I know I won’t use and being more aware of food that I am wasting.
Thanks so much for this post!
Yes!
Great idea! Here’s to many boxes of cereal!
very cool!
how brave of you to write this post! happy weekend. :)
What a great idea!
No one should ever have to go to bed hungry.
here’s another to support the cause! rock on…and thank you.
Cereal is my favorite! How awesome that they are donating boxes of cereal!
that is such a great cause!
Great mission! Happy to help other bloggers and fun to be part of it too!
Can you help me make it to 30? Head over to http://www.mrsmonj.com and help to Blog it Forward in New Jersey.
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