Julia K Cole

Some items are in high demand at the food bank and you may not realize it. Because they aren’t essentials, the staff doesn’t publicly ask for them. A survey on Reddit.com asked volunteers what items people would be most appreciative of and we’ve listed the top 10 below. If you’re looking for an easy way to help out, pick some of these up while shopping and drop them off at one of our area food banks. 1. Spices. Think about it. People who rely on the food bank eat a lot of canned food, rice, oatmeal, white bread, etc. They love spices. Seasoned salt, cayenne pepper, chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, oregano, basil and so on. 2. Feminine Products. Can you imagine being worried about affording these? Pads, tampons, panty liners, etc. Recommended: Buy in bulk at Costco for donating. 3. Chocolate. People don’t need it, but think about being in their shoes and how nice it would be to be given a chocolate bar or brownie mix along with your essentials. 4. ...

Is Paying  It Forward on your Christmas List this year?   Well, here are just a few ways you can check it off! Volunteer at your local Homeless Shelter.  Serve a hot meal to a neighbor or a stranger. Visit/Volunteer at  a Nursing Home and/or Children's home. Your Local Shelter Is In Need Year Round! Foster, Rescue or Adopt a Pet from your Local Shelter.Shelters are Always looking for donations in the form of money, blankets, cleaning supplies, food, toys.  Volunteer to hold and play with kittens and pups and/or walk a dog. Donate food and/or money to your local food pantry (both human and animals)   Hold the door open for someone Let someone go ahead of you in line! If you ride the public bus, pay the fare for the person behind you (You can also do this at your favorite fast food hang out,  coffee shop, grocers, etc.) Read to the elderly, to children, to the blind, to the home bound! PET FOOD BANK: Donate Food for Needy fam...

Is Paying  It Forward In 2014 on Your List Of Things to Do?   Here are just a few ways you can check it off! Volunteer at your local Homeless Shelter.  Serve a hot meal to a neighbor or a stranger if you so desire. Visit/Volunteer at  a Nursing Home and/or Children's home. Your Local Shelter Is In Need Year Round! Foster, Rescue or Adopt a Pet from your Local Shelter.Shelters are Always looking for donations in the form of money, blankets, cleaning supplies, food, toys.  Volunteer to hold and play with kittens and pups and/or walk a dog at Your local shelters. Shovel snow, salt down sidewalks, walkways of neighbors, local restaurants, stores Clean public toilets Check in on your Elderly and/or disabled neighbors to make sure they have what they need with respect to heating (or cooling during warmer months), blankets, plumbing in working order, etc. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~* PET FOOD BANK: Donate Food for Needy families with pets. Fin...

Instead of building houses, Caleb has spent the last five years trekking to downtown Detroit each holiday season to pass out Christmas presents to homeless people on the streets. Read Entire Story by Click HERE http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/12/24/boy-delivers-gifts-to-detroit-homeless/4185181/

Source:   HACKENSACK, N.J. (AP)   Offers of support have been pouring in from around the nation for a formerly homeless New Jersey man whose good deed proved costly. James Brady of Hackensack was notified recently that his government benefits were being suspended after he failed to report as income the $850 he had found on a sidewalk and turned over to police. Brady, who was homeless when he found the money on a sidewalk in April after leaving a local homeless shelter, turned the cash over to police. He was allowed to keep it six months later after no one claimed it during a mandated waiting period. But the Hackensack Human Services Department denied him General Assistance and Medicaid benefits through Dec. 31 because he failed to report the cash as new income. The director of human services said the agency was just following the rules. The 59 year-old Brady is a former photographer and market data analyst who has suffered from depression since losing his job a decade ago, acc...