Food Pantries Feed Pets, too.

[Karen]

Did you know that? There have been several articles in the news lately, relating to the downturn in the economy, and people have to make the awful choice of buying food for themselves or food for their pets ... and other more awful choices.

Did you know that many local food pantries do stock pet food?

Did you know you could donate pet food - nonperishable, of course, to food pantries? Useful to know when a pet decides, for example, that a certain kind of food just isn't edible any more ...

Do you know where a food pantry is in your town?

My church houses an ecumenical food pantry in its basement. I often bring things that we bought but are not going to use. This week, for example, there's a big sale on cereal, so I'll buy some for me, and give some to them. Buy-One-Get-One-Free items are often too much food for just the two of us, so the Food Pantry gets the second one.

[Catty1]

Greg, the priest at our church, often reminds us about Food Bank Sunday (first Sunday of the month) and that we can donate pet stuff too. Of course, he and his wife and girls are owned by two felines.

Someone posted a free samples site on PT recently - I ordered all the Canada stuff I could, and it is going in the box! I have coupons too, and buy the stuff at a discount to donate it to the food bank.

[pitc9]

Great idea Karen, buy one for me... get one for someone else!

I admit... I never thought about food pantries taking in pet food as well!
Thanks for the heads up!

[caseysmom]

I volunteered for a food bank while my kids were in grade school, it was coordinated through the school. We always had pet food on hand and several folks would ask me for food for their pet, I sometimes wondered if they were getting extra for themselves, they could only come once a month.

[lizbud]

Funny you would post this today because I just read an article this
morning on this very subject. I have to admit I didn't think of pet food
for food pantries. It must be so hard for some people.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/wayof....ap/index.html

[smokey the elder]

They had a thing in the news a few weeks ago, a featured called Take Two or something like that. Each day presented two inexpensive or free tasks one could do to make life better for oneself or others. One idea was at each trip to the grocery store, purchase two extra nonperishable items, and set them aside in a box. Once the box was full, take it to the food pantry or soup kitchen or what have you. This could also be applied to pet food runs, of course.