Give The Gift Of A Good Meal

Rising food and housing costs; low wages; not enough work hours - people are relying on food banks more than ever before. According to a Feed Ontario report, the people in this province have been visiting food banks in greater numbers and in more frequency for six years running. Now more than ever, a donation to your local food bank would be greatly appreciated. As we head into the holiday season, a novel way to help the less fortunate this Christmas would be to create a reverse advent food calendar. As I posted on the Franklin on Food Facebook page, each day you would add an item to a box. On Christmas Eve, you then arrange for the box to be sent to a food bank. If this is something that appeals to you, here are the Passionate Penny Pincher's donation suggestions:

Remember to check the expiry date before you donate.

• December 1: box of cereal (whole grain if possible)
• December 2: peanut butter
• December 3: stuffing mix
• December 4: boxed potatoes
• December 5: macaroni and cheese
• December 6: canned fruit
• December 7: canned tomatoes
• December 8: canned tuna
• December 9: dessert mix
• December 10: jar of applesauce
• December 11: canned sweet potatoes
• December 12: cranberry sauce
• December 13: canned beans
• December 14: box of crackers
• December 15: package of rice (brown rice is needed most)
• December 16: package of oatmeal
• December 17: package of pasta
• December 18: spaghetti sauce
• December 19: chicken noodle soup
• December 20: tomato soup
• December 21: can of corn
• December 22: can of mixed vegetable
• December 23: can of carrots
• December 24: can of green beans