Stamp Out Hunger and Clean Your Pantry

by Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger

09 May 2008 02:53 PM

Do you want to help others and clean out your pantry at the same time? Well tomorrow, May 10th is the perfect opportunity to do both. That is because the National Association of Letter Carriers is having its annual Stamp Out Hunger event. (Image from the National Association of Letter Carriers.)

I found out about this event yesterday, when my oldest child brought home a flyer from school. In the flyer were all of the details of the event. Basically, you gather a bag full of non perishable food and place it by your mailbox (or on a front porch). Tomorrow, when your postal carrier delivers your mail, he or she will pick up the food. Then the food will be donated to charity. Who could ask for an easier way to help someone in your community?

So, why not take a little bit of time today to go through your pantries and your cabinets to find some food that you are willing to donate. By all means be generous, but you can also see this as an opportunity to get organized and put to good use all of the food that has been sitting there unused.

Perhaps you bought something on sale but then didn't like it. Or there is a meal kit that seems too time consuming. Maybe your child outgrew baby food, but you still have a few jars. Whatever that might be available in your home could help.

I found that it is easiest to organize the pantry shelf by shelf. Take out all of the contents in one area and then only put back items that you know you will use. Have your bag ready. A paper grocery bag is really convenient, because it can stand flat on its own. Check for expiration and sell by dates before you designate anything for donation.

I started this process this morning, and I will get back to it a little later this evening. So far, I have identified multiple cans of cream soups and chunky soups. These are great for donating, since they can be meals on their own. We haven't been cooking much with canned soup lately, so I know it really won't be missed.

What's in your pantry?

Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, technology in the Computing Blog, and creating a home in the Home Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here.

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Learn more about Mary Ann Romans

Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat.

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