The holidays are upon us again, and I wanted to find a way to give back, especially to those in need. As of late, I have noticed the LONG line in front of the Salvation Army food pantry, which is within sight of the studio, that seems to get longer and longer as the year progresses.
I was curious about what I could do to help the food pantry, so I took the opportunity to meet with the friendly people of the Salvation Army food pantry. We talked about what goes on behind the scenes and the needs of the pantry, holiday or otherwise. If you didn’t know, the food pantry serves Jones and Onslow counties and provides 40 boxes per day, Monday through Friday. That is 200 boxes a week! Items often needed are shelf-stable food items, toiletries, feminine hygiene products, and unopened diapers.
With their permission, I went behind the scenes to see their operation and what goes into making their boxes to hand out to families. Which are the photos you see below.
My goal this holiday season is to make 100 boxes, 50 for Thanksgiving and 50 for Christmas. I am eager to help and hope that you are too! I will be hosting a food drive at the studio Friday, November 11, Saturday, November 12, and Sunday, November 13, between 10am and 3pm. Dates for the Christmas box will be announced soon. So what is needed? I wanted to provide items that would be your typical holiday meal trimmings while adhering to the shelf-stable needs of the pantry to ensure things don’t spoil.
Here are non-perishables that you can consider donating:
- Canned cranberry sauce
- Canned pumpkin or pumpkin pie mix or fruit filling
- Canned yams
- Instant mashed potatoes
- Turkey or brown gravy (jars or packets)
- Dry macaroni or mac and cheese (Velveeta or Kraft)
- Canned veggies (corn, green beans, greens, and/or peas)
- Cornbread mix
- Pie crust mix
- Salt and pepper
Other items to consider would be foil pans to cook in.
For those who donate, I will provide a raffle ticket for every non-perishable food item donated. These raffle tickets will be entered into a drawing for 3 lucky winners. These winners will get to choose a mini-family session (in the studio or locally), or if you have already had a session with me, I will provide a $100 print credit. The drawing will happen on November 21!
I am excited to meet and exceed our goal! Thank you again for helping, and I look forward to helping our community!
