SS Holiday Food & Toy Drive

I'm excited...the donations for the Seasoned & Stirred Holiday Food & Toy Drive have started to pour in. Our goal is to provide bags/boxes of food to at least 25 families or individuals before Christmas.

We are seeking donations of non-perishable food items, supermarket gift cards and new toys. The supermarket gift cards will help families to purchase meat and other staples. Also, depending on availability, families with children under 12 will receive a toy for each child.

We will set up in east Baltimore, corner of Jefferson Street & Montford Avenue sometime during the week ending December 24th. The exact date will be determined later. Please help us by donating canned goods, boxed foods and other non-perishable items, toys, cash, or Giant or Safeway gift cards. For cash donations, simply click the "Donate" button on the top, left sidebar of this blog. To donate food, toys and gift cards, please email me at lotusrising523[at]hotmail[dot]com for the mailing address.

"If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother." Deuteronomy 15:7 

There is NO reason anyone in this great country of ours should ever go hungry. Please stand with us as we do our part to help eradicate hunger--one soul at a time! Thank you for your assistance and happy holidays.

Pledge to Fight Senior Hunger

Photo courtesy of ComfortKeepers.com

"Nearly nine million older Americans are struggling to get enough to eat, and unless we do something to help, even more will go to bed hungry next year." ~ AARP Foundation

Take the pledge to help seniors in your community fight hunger and if you can, make a donation to the AARP Foundation! 

Number of hungry senior citizens growing

Hungry seniors in southwest Florida

Senior hunger summit

Comfort Keepers 

Food Stamp Challenge...Time for reflection and action!

The second annual Food Stamp Challenge (2011) sponsored by Maryland Hunger Solutions has ended. Over 160 people participated including a Maryland senator, several delegates, the Maryland AARP State Director and other advocates.

A few students from the University of MD participated in the challenge and blogged about their experiences. Many wrote about their concerns regarding the lack of nutritious meals, variety and the feeling of intense hunger. Click here to read the blogs.

Now that the challenge has ended, we have the perfect opportunity for reflection and action. Could you live on $4.30 a day for food and if you could, would you be able to purchase healthy options and create well-balanced meals for yourself and family? If you were in a position to help would you?

The new face of hunger? - Photo courtesy of FeedingAmerica.org

The face of hunger is changing in America. The new hungry is now the educated and middle class. Many rely on food banks or other food programs to keep food on the table. Most of us know someone who is hungry. Now is your chance to make a difference! You don't have to have a lot of money and you don't have to save everyone. Just make a commitment to do something:

• Donate food or volunteer at your local food bank
• Adopt a family or individual in your community: purchase grocery store gift cards; collect packaged food from family members and friends and give to the family; or when you cook for your family, make a little extra and share of the cooked food
• Participate in public events to raise money for the hungry (check for events in your area) 
• Write to your governor about hunger in your state and in your community
  

There are many things you can do to help. Find creative ways to give back and make a difference in your community. Enlist the help of your family, friends and colleagues--chances are many of them would jump at the opportunity to help. Feeling bad for those in need is not enough. Get involved!

Articles:

CNN Living: The new hungry: College-educated middle-class cope with food insecurity

USA Today: New breed of Americans going hungry

Other Links:
Feeding America

Contact government officials

How to write letters to your congressman

Food Research and Action Center

If you are hungry and in need of food, search for resources in your state by going to a search engine and typing in something like "hungry in (your state or city)." If you do not have internet access, call the mayor's office in your city and ask for telephone numbers for food banks and food programs in your area.

Take the Food Stamp Challenge!

The Food Stamp Challenge, sponsored by Maryland Hunger Solutions, gives participants insight into the struggle of hunger and food insecurity that many of our fellow Marylanders experience every day.  

Challenge participants will use the average federal Food Supplement benefit -- $30 per person for the week - as their budget for food for one week. They are forced to make difficult food shopping choices, and often realize how hard it is to avoid hunger, afford nutritious foods, and stay healthy.

Could you live on $4.30 a day for food? Join Maryland Hunger Solutions and Take the Food Stamp Challenge -- September 19-25, 2011.

Did you know: 8.8 million seniors face the threat of hunger? Visit AARP's "Drive to End Hunger" website and get involved. 

S&S Community Meal Project Launched!

With the economy in a tailspin and the high unemployment rates, more and more people are turning to food banks, soup kitchens and similar places to help feed themselves and their families. It wasn't that long ago that I found myself in one of those lines waiting for food. I remember feeling hopeful (and grateful) because I knew where my next meal was going to come from but some people aren't so lucky. I vowed that when my situation changed I would do something to give back--to help others in need.

One family helping other families...

The Seasoned & Stirred Community Meal Project is a collaborative family effort. My sister, brother and I created the Project as a way to help eradicate hunger while spreading love and hope throughout Baltimore City. Our goal is to prepare and serve fresh, nutritious meals to low and no-income families and individuals while dishing out heaping portions of love, compassion and inspiration.

Last Wednesday, we officially launched the community meal project. We set up a table at the corner of Jefferson & Montford Streets in east Baltimore and were able to feed over 50 people (what a blessing!). We served oven fried chicken, roasted herb potatoes, angel hair pasta w/creamy butternut squash sauce, fresh corn on the cob with garlic/herb butter, fresh summer fruits, bread and chocolate candy bars for those wanting a sweet ending to the meal.

The folks couldn't believe we were giving away food! When they saw that we were serious, they were astounded and very, very grateful! Our efforts were rewarded with plenty of hugs and compliments on the meal and I'll never forget the beaming smiles on the faces of the kids. :>)

Currently, the project is funded solely by us with a little help from friends (THANKS Karen, Rodney, Yvette & Jamaal!). We are seeking monetary donations to continue the meal project and to be able branch out to other neighborhoods. Please consider helping us to feed other families and eradicate hunger--one plate, one neighborhood at a time. Use the ChipIn widget or "Donate" button located on the sidebar to make a donation (all online donations processed via PayPal) or contact me via the Seasoned & Stirred Facebook page for a mailing address. No amount is too small. If you are a business owner and would like to donate food let us know. If you cannot make a donation, please help spread the word about our project and say a prayer for us. Thank you in advance for your contributions and support!