We’re going to spread some Christmas cheer once again with (5) $500 giveaways for families in need. And like last year, we need YOUR help finding the families!

You can help by nominating someone who might need some financial help this year. Anyone who could use a blessing of Christmas cheer (and some financial help too) will qualify.

Want To Help Give Someone A Wonderful Christmas This Year?

While I realize that pretty much everyone would love to have an extra $500, let’s focus on the people around us who might have more needs than others. Job loss, car troubles, health issues, and more can all add stress to our lives.

If you know a person or family who could truly use $500 this Christmas, please fill out THIS FORM to nominate them!

And if you’re unsure whether the person you’re thinking of will qualify, go ahead and nominate them.

Nominate A Family In Need!

Nominate as many families as you would like, but only ONE family per form.

You cannot nominate yourself. If you’re truly in desperate need of help, have someone nominate you. Nomination forms will not be accepted if the person submitting the nomination form is also the recipient or the beneficiary of this gift in any way.

If you’ve been asked to fill out this form for someone else, you are under no obligation to do so.

Please complete the form to the best of your ability for the family you are nominating. Do not contact the family you are nominating if you do not have some of the information on the form, as we would like this to remain a surprise for them if they are chosen.

We will get the remaining information if we select the family that you have nominated. The most important thing is to make sure you give us details about their situation and a contact phone number.

Who can tell us more? Besides you, who can we talk to so we can find out more about the needs of the person you’re nominating?

The form will ask you to provide contact info for an additional person (a personal reference) outside of the nominee’s family, who can tell us more about the nominee’s circumstances.

Nominations will only be accepted by using the form HERE. Emails, blog post comments, and Facebook messages to Barefeet In The Kitchen will not increase your chances of being chosen. Only nominations submitted through the form will be accepted and considered.

Please be as descriptive as possible when you answer the questions on the form. The recipient must have a true need. If you wonder what exactly that means or are unsure if your nominee will qualify for a gift, go ahead and submit your nomination.

Nominations will be CLOSED on November 30th, 2021. The families will be selected no later than December 12th.

Families will be selected by the Younkin family (me, Sean, and our three boys) after reviewing all nominations. This giveaway is not sponsored. It’s a gift from our family to these families.

Nominators must be available via email and phone for questions and assistance.

Nominators may be contacted for additional information prior to contacting the recipient if their nominated family is chosen. The selected families will be given their choice of an electronically delivered Amazon gift card or cash via Paypal or Venmo.

The post $500 Christmas Giveaways for Families in Need appeared first on Barefeet in the Kitchen.

You can help by nominating someone who might need some financial help this year. Anyone who could use a blessing of Christmas cheer (and some financial help too) will qualify.

Want To Help Give Someone A Wonderful Christmas This Year?

While I realize that pretty much everyone would love to have an extra $500, let’s focus on the people around us who might have more needs than others. Job loss, car troubles, health issues, and more can all add stress to our lives.

If you know a person or family who could truly use $500 this Christmas, please fill out THIS FORM to nominate them!

And if you’re unsure whether the person your thinking of will qualify, go ahead and nominate them!

Nominate A Family In Need!

Nominate as many families as you would like, but only ONE family per form.

You cannot nominate yourself. If you’re truly in desperate need of help, have someone nominate you. Nomination forms will not be accepted if the person submitting the nomination form is also the recipient or the beneficiary of this gift in any way.

If you’ve been asked to fill out this form for someone else, you are under no obligation to do so.

Please complete the form to the best of your ability for the family you are nominating. Do not contact the family you are nominating if you do not have some of the information on the form, as we would like this to remain a surprise for them if they are chosen.

We will get the remaining information if we select the family that you have nominated. The most important thing is to make sure you give us details about their situation and a contact phone number.

Who can tell us more? Besides you, who can we talk to so we can find out more about the needs of the person you’re nominating?

The form will ask you to provide contact info for two additional people outside of the nominee’s family, who can tell us more about the nominee’s circumstances.

Nominations will only be accepted by using the form HERE. Emails and Facebook messages to Barefeet In The Kitchen will not increase your chances of being chosen. Only nominations submitted through the form will be accepted and considered.

Please be as descriptive as possible when you answer the questions on the form. The recipient must have a true need. If you wonder what exactly that means or are unsure if your nominee will qualify for a gift, go ahead and submit your nomination.

Nominations will be CLOSED on November 30th, 2020. The families will be selected no later than December 12th.

Families will be selected by the Younkin family (me, Sean, and our three boys) after reviewing all nominations. This giveaway is not sponsored. It’s a gift from our family to these families.

Nominators must be available via email and phone for questions and assistance.

Nominators will be contacted prior to contacting the recipient if their nominated family is chosen.

NOMINATIONS ARE CLOSED FOR 2020.

The post $500 Christmas Giveaways for Families In Need appeared first on Barefeet in the Kitchen.

The Ecuadoran people welcomed us last week with literal open arms. Our trip to Ecuador with World Vision was no less than a life-changing experience.

Meeting the families whose lives have been transformed was unforgettable.

From learning new ways to eat an orange to experiencing the reality of a meal prepared in a home without any access to running water, my respect for the work required to simply live in these parts of the world is higher than you can imagine.

For more on why we were in Ecuador, you can read my thoughts on the Chosen Program.

MEET DIANA – She is the head of her family, mother of two, and she cares for her sick father as well. Since 2016, she has been able to become a small business owner, manufacturing candy in the downstairs room in her home.

World Vision has made this business possible through community sponsorship. Her mother, cousin, and neighbor assist her with the candy making.

Even though her children are not sponsored in the program, their family benefits from the community efforts.

She told us that before World Vision entered their community and began sharing nutrition education, their typical meals might have been yucca (a root vegetable similar to potato), rice, and rolls or bread.

Breakfast was typically coffee and a roll. The area is abundant in oranges for a sweet bite.

Now, many of the families have learned how to grow and cook vegetables, more fruits, and even fresh herbs.

Diana is very proud of her garden and she gave us a tour of everything she’s growing.

Diana cooked a delicious meal for our entire group while we visited with her.

There is no running water in the home. None of the conveniences we take for granted. She was so happy to have us there and thanked us repeatedly for working with World Vision.

MEET YEISY – She was adopted by her grandmother at six months old.

Yeisy was severely malnourished while living with her mother.

She is still in therapy now at 12 to help her continue to grow stronger. Early childhood malnutrition is the cause of some of her learning struggles today.

Yeisy LOVES to dance. She danced the Marimba for us and is learning more dance in her community dance program.

MEET THE DANCE TROUPES – World Vision assists the dance program by providing material for costumes.

Their dance teacher is a World Vision volunteer.

Dance gives the children pride in the accomplishment and pure joy in the dancing itself. The program is a major self-esteem booster for the kids.

It was an honor to have them perform for our visit.

MEET JAIME – He is one of the sweetest, most smiling 12-year-olds that you can imagine.

He’s so cheerful and grateful to be in the program. He is sponsored by a family in Alaska. He showed us all of the cards and notes he’s received from his sponsor and described them as treasures.

He lives in this two-room home with his grandmother and younger brother. His mother had to move to Peru for work and he misses her.

Jaime attends school in the afternoon. He also helps out in his uncle’s electronics store.

He makes jewelry with his grandmother. They sell the beaded jewelry at their community market to help earn a bit of extra money.

Jaime dreams of being a firefighter someday and also would like to learn carpentry from his father.

MEET ANGELA – Her family already benefits from the workshops and generosity of World Vision working in her community.

She was very excited to be part of the Chosen event while we were in Ecuador and told us she was looking forward to choosing her own sponsor.

Angela loves to draw and her favorite class in school is English. She’s one of five children.

Angela wants to be a psychologist when she grows older to help children become more happy and healthy. She wants to give them advice to make good choices.

Her family has a business selling ice cream, as evidenced by the large freezers in each room of their small home.

There is no running water here, but they’ve managed to create a business and there is electricity available to make it possible.

MEET THE WOMEN of this sewing co-op – These women have built a business for themselves by sewing everyday clothing, bedding sets, and special costumes.

World Vision has helped with sewing machines and materials to get them started.

MEET THE WOMEN who built this candy factory – These women make candy in a small building that World Vision assisted them in setting up.

The ladies have improved their working conditions and the products are now made in more hygenic ways.

Child sponsorship benefits the entire community with things like materials for these small businesses and so much more.

It has been life-changing for the women to have the ability to earn a bit of additional income for their families.

MEET THE FISHING COMMUNITY – For many of the families in Ecuador, the family’s income is dependent on fishing.

The men are almost all fishermen and the fisherman’s life is a hard one. They prepare in the afternoon to go out on small boats at 7:00 pm and they stay out on the water all night.

We spoke with Jesús. He is a leader in the fishing community.

He’s been fishing for 58 years and while some things have obviously changed over that time, unfortunately, it hasn’t improved their lives.

The fishermen are sometimes attacked by pirates who might steal everything, even the engine. They might be captured and taken farther from home before being abandoned and left to find a way home.

Despite how hard the fisherman’s life is, it remains the only income option for most men.

In the early morning, you’ll often see women sweeping the dirt paths in front of their homes.

The Ecuadorian people have found ways to make their homes lovely and they don’t take what they have for granted.

Using broken pots, buckets, and plastic jugs, there are plants and flowers in abundance everywhere you look.

The pride in where they live is evident everywhere you look.

THE #CHOSEN EVENT – The children arrived hours early the morning of the event. The stood in line patiently waiting for their party to begin.

Most of the children were dressed in the nicest clothing they either owned or were able to borrow.

The smaller children were accompanied by a parent or grandparent and the older kids chatted with friends while they waited for the fun to start.

The groups played games and sang songs with the World Vision volunteer team while they waited for their turn to choose their sponsor.

Some of the children were excited, many were nervous beforehand, but they were all happy to show us their sponsor’s photo after they made their choice.

It was emotional beyond words to meet the children who chose my family as their sponsor and I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to share this with all of you.

I absolutely loved meeting the children who chose your photos.

It is still incredible for me to realize how many lives we have touched through this work.

It was an unforgettable experience to meet the Ecuadorian people and spend time in their homes. If you would like to join with World Vision in helping these communities, there are almost 400 children still waiting for sponsors in Ecuador.

Some of these children have been waiting over a year for a sponsor.

Monthly sponsorship donations are pooled for maximum impact in each community.

You’ll help your sponsored child and other vulnerable children in the community with life-changing things like: clean water, nutrition, healthcare, education, jobs for parents, protection, and sharing God’s love.

As a sponsor, you’re able to write/email with them, send small packages, pray for them, and make extra financial gifts that do contribute directly to that child’s and family’s specific needs.

There is huge power in knowing that someone loves and believes in you.

Every single child we were fortunate enough to speak with told us how much they love to receive notes and small gifts from their sponsors in other countries.

They save every note and trinket they receive. The children took them out of boxes to show them to us and everything was described as a treasure.

It was a very surreal feeling to be in Ecuador visiting some of the poorest and most vulnerable communities and simultaneously promoting the release of The Weeknight Dessert Cookbook.

The fact that we are so very fortunate to have baking ingredients at our fingertips and to have a kitchen that makes it possible to bake, and cook, and chill the dessert recipes in this book is a blessing I may never again take for granted.

I am honored to have worked with World Vision in Ecuador to spread the news about the #Chosen program, but I have not been compensated for this post or my time. All opinions in this post are my own and my prayer is that sharing what I’ve seen and learned will touch your heart as well.

The post Welcome to Ecuador appeared first on Barefeet in the Kitchen.

Hey friends, today’s post is near to my heart and I’ve been looking forward to sharing this with you for a while now. I realize that this post is a longer read, but please stay with me today.

I’m headed to Ecuador with World Vision this week to experience their new Chosen program and I’m near tears just thinking about it. The best part about it is that you can be there with me via this awesome internet. We’re going to work together to help as many families as we possibly can.

Join me in being chosen and find out how you can open a child’s eyes to their value and purpose. Read the post and watch the video below to see how World Vision has transformed sponsorship.

Are you familiar with World Vision? They are a humanitarian organization helping children, families, and their communities overcome poverty and injustice for almost 70 years.

I remember the first time I heard of World Vision as a teenager. I was heartbroken imagining all the families who didn’t have enough food to eat and even on my rather small part-time income, I decided then to start donating just a little portion of my paycheck towards sponsoring a child.

(Side note – I am beyond thrilled to share with you the changes World Vision is making to benefit the whole community in these vulnerable areas and not just the sponsored child and/or their family.)

As you know, I grew up in a large family and my family was often blessed by charity food gifts. I didn’t grow up eating the kind of recipes that I share here on this website.

I learned a lot from countless meals of plain beans and rice. More than anything else, I learned to be actively grateful for every single thing in my life. And though I grew up poor by some American standards, I was richly blessed and I never went to bed hungry.

Today, I’m passionate about feeding the hungry and Barefeet In The Kitchen partners with Feeding America to help make sure that food pantries around the United States are stocked with food for those who otherwise might not be able to feed their families.

I feel deeply honored to be partnering with World Vision as well now to help families around the world. And this is where our awesome community comes together to help as many children as we possibly can.

World Vision partners with communities around the world to develop programs at the community level.

Most of their aid is focused directly on helping the community whether that’s through a clean water program, farming, building schools for the children, or any number of different ways the community can benefit as a whole.

The children and families selected to be part of World Vision’s programs are chosen based on their vulnerability. Vulnerable children are nominated by their community for the child sponsorship program. Each child is matched with only one sponsor.

The mission is to reach the most vulnerable, so that is the primary criteria. Once children are registered for the sponsorship program, they begin benefiting from World Vision’s work right away, regardless of when they may get sponsored.

So, if they’re already benefitting, you may be wondering what makes being a sponsored child unique? A big part of that comes down to the relationship they build with their sponsor.

As a sponsor, you’re able to write/email with them, send small packages, pray for them, and make extra financial gifts that do contribute directly to that child’s and family’s specific needs.

There is huge power in knowing that someone loves and believes in you.

World Vision’s Chosen Program

In a dramatic change from the traditional sponsorship model where a sponsor might select a child from a list of photos, World Vision’s “Chosen” program is turning that around. The focus is still on that connection between child and sponsor, but for the first time now, it is more of a two-way street.

The power to choose a sponsor is now in the child’s hands.

Poverty steals choices from kids. It’s time to give those choices back. Empower a child to take hold of their future – starting with the chance to choose you as their sponsor.

When you decide to sponsor a child through World Vision today, you apply to the program and send in your own photo. As World Vision goes into an area, the children in the program are able to choose YOU.

The children and their families decide if they want to be sponsored AND by whom.

This is why I’m so excited. You can join World Vision (and me!) in empowering children living in poverty to take hold of their future, starting with the chance to choose YOU as their sponsor.

The first time I saw this video and witnessed the children choosing their people to be connected with, I was floored. It’s a significant change that puts the choice and the power behind it in the hands of the children. I’m not going to deny that I shed a lot of tears watching this.

Sign up now to be chosen by a child while we’re in Ecuador next week! The deadline to sign up for this choosing event is the 25th of September – sign up now so you can partner with me!

Join me in being #chosen and find out how you can open a child’s eyes to their value and purpose. Watch the video below to see how World Vision has transformed sponsorship.

How Does World Vision Work

When World Vision begins an Area Program, the first 1-2 years are spent creating a plan with the community leaders to address the needs that they identify within their community. The plan is to stay on the ground with the local community for about 15-20 years.

When World Vision steps away from that community, the goal is that the community will be able to own and maintain the development that has been accomplished.

Each sponsor’s monthly gifts don’t necessarily go directly to the child they sponsor, but rather to broader programs that will benefit both the child as well as their community.

Each country models this plan a little differently, but one example is the school that was built in Uganda last year. About half of the kids at that school were part of the sponsorship program, but every child attending that school was benefiting from the education programs World Vision had implemented.

Similarly, when a clean water well is built, the entire community, including the sponsored children, benefit from having clean water.

You can explore more about how World Vision works, the sponsorship model, what it means to be community-centric, and more HERE.

How Can We Help?

Today, we have an incredible opportunity to work together to sponsor as many children as we can. And I will be there in person in Ecuador when these children choose YOU as their sponsor.

For $39 a month, you can make an immediate difference in the life of a child.

Can you sponsor more than one child? Absolutely.

YOU can be chosen right now by these kids who need you so much and I am so very honored to be able to be there to see it happen.

Barefeet In The Kitchen will be matching sponsorships for the first 5 readers who apply to sponsor children today. My kids and I will be the ones writing letters, sending small gifts, and praying for the children sponsored through Barefeet In The Kitchen.

Please join me in praying for the children and for their sponsors, in addition to following along as I visit Ecuador next week. I’ll be sharing more here on the website, as well as on Instagram and Facebook every day.

Here are a few questions I asked World Vision that you might also be asking:

World Vision is at its core a Christian humanitarian organization. Is being or becoming a Christian required in order to receive help?

No. We are a signatory to the International Red Cross Code of Conduct, which includes the imperative that ‘aid is given regardless of the race, creed or nationality of the recipients and without adverse distinction of any kind. Aid priorities are calculated on the basis of need alone.’

While the majority of our staff are Christian, our policy states that we will not select partners or children on this basis, nor insist on the delivery of Christian messaging, nor use aid to induce a person to change religion. We are inspired by Christian values and seek for our work to be our testimony to the example of Jesus Christ.

Is evangelism a part of World Vision’s projects?

No. World Vision does not proselytize. The organization does not demand that people hear any religious message or convert to Christianity before, during or after receiving assistance.

Educational activities based on Christian values may occasionally be included in World Vision projects if appropriate and desired by the community. However, World Vision respects the religious beliefs and practices in countries where it operates and seeks mutual understanding with people of all faiths.

Whenever appropriate, World Vision works in partnership with local churches and other faith-based organizations in an effort to work inclusively and collaboratively within existing community structures. Our focus is to respond to human needs, and our compassion and professionalism reflect our faith.”

When was the model changed from sending money directly to the children’s family?

A few decades ago, the former model where a donor’s gift went directly to a child was found to lead to a few problems. First was that it led to jealousy between people who were or were not in the program, sometimes even siblings. And second, once a program ended, people sometimes found themselves back where they’d started because the community was not empowered to continue that progress.

Experience something that’s never been done before. Through World Visions’s Chosen Program, kids have the power to choose their own sponsor — and one of them can be you! Sign up to be #chosen.

I am excited to be partnering with World Vision for today’s post. World Vision is bringing me to Ecuador to work with them on spreading the news about the #Chosen program, but I am not being compensated for this post or my time. All opinions in this post are my own, but the photos here are provided by World Vision ©2019. You can follow along on my trip day-by-day on Instagram and Facebook and I’ll be back here to share more of my photos from the experience.

The post World Vision is Changing How Sponsorship is Done: Be Chosen appeared first on Barefeet in the Kitchen.

Barefeet In The Kitchen will be donating $1 to Feeding America for every comment that is made on this blog post. In addition to that, on December 30th, we will be matching all donations that have been made to Feeding America through the link below, up to $2500.

If you’ve known me for long, you may recall that over the past few years, we’ve talked a lot about different ways to feed the hungry. Having grown up without an overabundance of food in the house, having a pantry full of groceries and a fridge full of fresh ingredients is something that I will never take for granted. I remember watching my mother cry over a gift of groceries and I remember countless meals of beans and rice. Though I grew up without an abundance of material things, I was richly blessed and I never went to bed hungry.

One of my favorite Christmas stories is from my mom. If you are fortunate enough to know her, you know what it’s like to see Christ’s love in action. Her perspective on everything is a reminder that we are truly blessed in the big and the little things. My mother would give you the shoes off her feet if you needed them. She recently shared this Christmas memory from years ago and I’m sharing it here with her permission:

“Our church was collecting canned goods in a box for a “poor family”. Every week I looked to see if anyone had put in a can of cranberry sauce. You see, the Lord had been nudging me to share my can of cranberry sauce. Big deal, you say? It was a very big deal because money was so tight that if I took my cranberry sauce to the church I would not be able to buy any more. Finally, I obeyed that gentle nudging on the last Sunday before Christmas. We still had cranberry sauce for Christmas because on the day before Christmas they delivered the whole box to us! I think God must have chuckled over my foolishness.”

Whether it’s sack lunches for the homeless, or donations in the grocery store, food drives, or wherever you find a need locally and try to help, there is no wrong way to help.

Once again, as the end of the year approaches, I’d love to get as much food as possible into the homes of those who need it. Every dollar you give through our Virtual Food Drive helps provide 11 meals for people in need. We can work together to make a HUGE impact in many lives this holiday season.

Feeding America is the nationwide network of 200 food banks that leads the fight against hunger in the United States. Together, they provide food to more than 46 million people through 60,000 food pantries and meal programs in communities across America.

Earlier this year, I flew to Ohio for a visit to a dairy farm with American Dairy Association Mideast. We toured the farm, oohed and aahed over the newborn calves, and I was even lucky enough to be there in time to feed one myself.

While in Ohio, I learned about The Great American Milk Drive. Milk is a nutrient powerhouse with 8 grams of natural, high-quality protein and eight other essential nutrients in every 8-ounce glass. Nutritionists recommend that each person drink three servings of milk per day. But on average, Feeding America food banks only have enough supply to provide one gallon of milk…per person…per year.

Fresh milk is one of the items people request the most and it’s also one of the least donated items. Through Milk Life and Feeding America you can donate funds directly towards milk that will be provided at the local food banks.

I researched a great many charities before deciding to support Feeding America. Feeding America spends 94.13% of their budget directly on food distribution endeavors. You can examine their ranking among other charities here.

Please consider joining Barefeet In The Kitchen and helping feed the hungry this holiday season.

Donate to Feeding America HERE

Leave a comment sharing your favorite Christmas memory. (Reading your stories is one of my favorite things to do each Christmas!) Barefeet In The Kitchen will donate $1 for each comment on this blog post and we will also be matching all donations made to Feeding America up to $2500.

The post Feeding the Hungry with Barefeet In The Kitchen appeared first on Barefeet in the Kitchen.

As I was growing up, my family was often blessed by food gifts from charity. I hardly knew the difference between a food pantry and the grocery store. I simply knew that food was coming into the house and that made everyone happy.

I remember watching my mother cry over a gift of groceries. I recall being speechless with joy over a huge bag of day-old doughnuts, because I couldn’t recall having a doughnut before that day. The doughnuts were part of a food box that my mother stood in line for every Tuesday afternoon.

She would bring them home and sort them. She set aside the doughnuts that were still whole on a plate to be a special dessert that night. The doughnuts that were smashed were chopped up and allowed to dry out overnight. The next day she made them into “doughnut pudding,” a simple bread pudding without added sugar.

I learned a lot from countless meals of plain beans and rice. I learned to be grateful for every single thing in my life. Though I grew up poor, I was richly blessed and I never went to bed hungry. There may never be anything more beautiful to me than a full pantry.

The monotony of grocery shopping as an adult is countered by the overwhelming gratitude that I am able to go to the store and purchase what we need every week. I don’t weigh the cost of new shoes against whether or not we’ll be able to purchase our food.

If you’ve been reading this blog for very long, you may remember hearing these stories before and you might recall that a couple years ago, together with so many of you reading this today, we helped provide almost 50,000 meals for the hungry through our virtual food bank.

For over 15 years now, I’ve been packing sack lunches for the homeless and my family gives them away whenever we see someone in need. A smile, a conversation, a simple gift of a bottle of water and a snack bar might be enough to make a difference in someone’s day.

Today, I’m partnering with the Albertsons Safeway family of stores to tell you about the national “Hunger Is” campaign taking place September 1st through September 30th, 2015 to help aid in the relief of childhood hunger in America.

 

Disclosure: This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of the Albertsons Safeway family of grocery stores. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Barefeet In The Kitchen possible. As always, all thoughts are my own. 

The post Hunger Is appeared first on Barefeet in the Kitchen.

As we sit down to tables overflowing with food to celebrate Thanksgiving this weekend, I’m reminded that for many people, the struggle to put food on the table is part of everyday life. When I was growing up, a gift of food was the best thing you could have given us. Church groups, food pantries, the kindness of friends and strangers, all of these things contributed to a childhood that I never understood to be lacking.

Sack Lunches for the Homeless are a great way to help feed the hungry and I love that my kids are able to participate this way. I challenge you today to look around your town and find a way to help. A smile, a conversation, a simple gift of a bottle of water and a granola bar might be enough to make a difference in someone’s day.

If you prefer to donate foods in person, to a local food pantry, here’s a link to help you find the location nearest to you.

Food Pantries will not distribute foods with dented, damaged, or opened packaging. Please check the expiration dates on your foods and make sure that nothing has expired. Any damaged or past expiration products will be discarded.

If you have a local food bank and are able to donate there, here’s a list of items that are always appreciated and a few tips that will help make the most of your gift:

 

Canned meats: chicken, tuna, and salmon

Canned fruits and vegetables

Canned beans

Canned (preferably not jarred) spaghetti sauces

Dry pastas: spaghetti, elbow, egg noodles, etc

Dry beans

Rice, any varieties

Canned nuts

Shelf-stable milk

Canned soups, stews, and chilis

Oatmeal and lower-sugar cereals

Powdered milk

Peanut butter

Jams and jellies (preferably in plastic, not glass jars)

Oils: olive, vegetable, canola

Condiments: mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup

Personal hygiene products

Baby products: diapers, wipes, formula

Keep in mind that large organizations can get much better deals on food than we can. A $10 donation to Feeding America will purchase 100 meals! While it may feel different from helping your local pantry, you are still doing that. Feeding America supplies food for the pantry nearest to my own home and likely provides food for a shelter or food pantry in your community as well.

Are you looking for more ways to spread some holiday cheer? Check out this post for 35 Acts of Kindness that just might brighten someone else’s day.

From the depth of my heart, I thank you all for being the amazing group of people that you are. You have already done so much to help feed the hungry this holiday season. Thank you for being here, thank you for reading, sharing, and participating with so much generosity. I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving weekend!

The post 3 Ways To Help Feed The Hungry appeared first on Barefeet in the Kitchen.

*** Throughout the month of November 2014, Barefeet In The Kitchen will donate $1 to Feeding America for every comment left on this blog post, up to $500. Thank you for helping feed the hungry! ***

As I was growing up, my family was often blessed by food gifts from charity. I learned a lot from countless meals of plain beans and rice. I remember watching my mother cry over a gift of groceries. I learned to be grateful for every single thing in my life. Though I grew up without an abundance of material things, I was richly blessed and I never went to bed hungry.

There may never be anything more beautiful to me than a full pantry. The monotony of grocery shopping as an adult is countered by the overwhelming gratitude that I am able to go to the store and purchase what we need every week.

If you were hanging out with me here on the blog last year, you’ll remember that we participated in a food drive through Feeding America and together we raised almost $5,000 to help feed the hungry throughout the holiday season.

Once again, as the end of the year approaches, I would love to get as much food as possible into the homes of those who need it. Every dollar you give through our Virtual Food Drive helps provide TEN meals for people in need. We can work together to make a HUGE impact in many lives this holiday season.

The post Feeding America with Barefeet In The Kitchen appeared first on Barefeet in the Kitchen.

Do you ever find yourself wanting to do more to help those in need but not knowing where to start?  Or feeling overwhelmed by the immense need in your community?

I hate the empty feeling of seeing someone in need and looking the other way. Several years ago, I found a simple way of giving back where I’m able.

I keep sack lunches in my car to give away when I see homeless people around my city. It doesn’t take much effort to prepare them and my children like participating too. I usually prepare 10-12 bags at once and keep a few in a bin in my car at any given time.

Giving away these lunch sacks has shown me that when I extend kindness to others I am blessed just by giving. My children get to see that they can help make a difference in someone else’s day and perhaps life.

I often wonder who has been blessed more by this simple kindness, my children and I, or the person who received the sack lunch.

Non-perishable foods keep well in the vehicle for an indefinite period of time. It isn’t about whether the food is organic, all natural or fresh from the garden. Sometimes it is as simple as a package of peanut butter crackers, some applesauce, and a bottle of water. Every little bit helps!

Here are some of the things I’ve packed into our bags:
Cracker packs, with cheese or peanut butter
Fruit or applesauce cups
Vienna sausages
Ready to eat tuna packs
Cereal bars
Soft snack bars (avoid nuts and crunchy granola bars)
Dessert snacks
Bottled water
Napkin
Plastic fork and spoon

Barefeet In The Kitchen has partnered with Feeding America for a Virtual Food Drive. (You can read more about why we chose Feeding America in the original blog post.)

Working together we provided 27,840 meals for the homeless and we are still working to provide more meals. You can help!

Click the link here to donate your spare change; every dollar donated will provide TEN meals for the hungry. If you’re inspired to pack a lunch or two, tuck it into your car and pass it along to the next hungry person you meet.

The post Sack Lunches for the Homeless appeared first on Barefeet in the Kitchen.

If this is your first time visiting Barefeet In The Kitchen, you might be impressed with pretty pictures of delicious sounding recipes. These are not the recipes I remember from my childhood.

As I was growing up, my family was often blessed by food gifts from charity. I hardly knew the difference between a food pantry and the grocery store.

I simply knew that food was coming into the house and that made everyone happy.

I remember watching my mother cry over a gift of groceries. I recall being speechless with joy over a huge bag of day-old doughnuts, because I couldn’t recall having a doughnut before that day.

The doughnuts were part of a food box that my mother stood in line for every Tuesday afternoon. She would bring them home and sort them. She set aside the doughnuts that were still whole on a plate to be a special dessert that night.

The doughnuts that were smashed were chopped up and allowed to dry out overnight. The next day she made them into “doughnut pudding,” a simple bread pudding without added sugar.

I learned a lot from countless meals of plain beans and rice. I learned to be grateful for every single thing in my life. Though I grew up poor, I was richly blessed and I never went to bed hungry.

There may never be anything more beautiful to me than a full pantry. The monotony of grocery shopping as an adult is countered by the overwhelming gratitude that I am able to go to the store and purchase what we need every week.

I don’t take for granted the fact that we don’t have to weigh the cost of new shoes against whether or not we’ll be able to purchase our food.

Every dollar you give through our Virtual Food Drive helps provides EIGHT meals for people in need. We can work together to make a HUGE impact in many lives this holiday season!

Feeding America is the leading domestic hunger-relief organization, with over 200 food banks serving every state. Those food banks provide food and groceries to 33,500 food pantries, 4,500 soup kitchen, and 3,600 emergency shelters.

Follow this link to Barefeet In The Kitchen’s Virtual Food Drive. It only takes a moment to donate and you really can make a difference!

THANK YOU SO MUCH for your gift to help feed the hungry this holiday season!

I researched a great many charities before deciding to work with Feeding America. Feeding America spends 97.9% of their budget directly on food distribution endeavors. You can examine their ranking among other charities here.

Through Feeding America we can accomplish the most with even the smallest of gifts. Even if you only have a dollar to give, you can make a difference through our Virtual Food Drive!

The post Feeding America with Barefeet In The Kitchen appeared first on Barefeet in the Kitchen.