As a public school teacher, I once saw a seven-year-old boy putting the remains of his school lunch sandwich into his backpack. I asked him what he was doing and he explained that he was taking it home to share with his family. I soon learned that his parents were going through some tough circumstances, struggling financially. The boy must have been hoping that these morsels from his sandwich would help ease some of the stress at home and provide comfort to those parents who were undoubtedly wondering how they would put the next meal on the table.

Thankfully, there is help out there for families or individuals who are struggling to get enough food to eat. But, it’s up to the rest of us to ensure this help continues. People are very generous during the holidays and the weeks leading up to the holidays. In fact, just a few days before Christmas, hundreds of Christmas dinner items were given out to families in need here in Utah County from Tabitha’s Way food pantries in American Fork and Spanish Fork. A month before that, hundreds of Thanksgiving meals were donated.

However, donations often decrease after the holidays, but the needs of those who are hungry are still there. It’s important to remember that food insecurity occurs throughout the year.

According to Utah Food Bank, 410,000 Utahns are at risk of missing a meal today. That is one in eight Utahns. One in seven Utah children is unsure of where their next meal is coming from. Those of us who work with children know this all too well. There are many children whose only full, nutritious meals are eaten at school.

These are a few tips gathered from local food pantries and banks that we can keep in mind as we donate to help the needy in our communities:

• Consider donating some fresh fruits and vegetables. They’re not as readily available during the winter months, but as we are shopping for our own families, we can pick up some extra fresh produce items to donate. These are hard to come by for people in need when finances are scarce.
• Cash donations can help food pantries and banks to be able to feed the hundreds of people they feed every month. Pantry employees know what is needed more than we do and with the cash donations, they can purchase what they need as well as pay for costs to keep the pantries and banks running.
• Donate ingredients, rather than ready-to-eat items. While boxed and canned foods are great for meals, people also need items to cook and bake. Families in need often cannot afford to keep a pantry stocked with items that many of us always seem to have on hand, such as salad dressing, salt, pepper, sugar, flour, olive oil, cooking spray, baking soda, vanilla and other flavorings and spices. Some much-needed items at Tabitha’s Way food pantries during this time of year include condiments, baking goods, crackers, cookies, almonds, dried fruit and other healthy foods.
• Keep in mind that food recipients range in age from infant to elderly when deciding which foods to donate. A variety of foods can help people eat nutritiously and enjoy what they are eating.

This new year, let’s resolve to keep the spirit of giving alive throughout the year so that no one has to go without eating.

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