Concern over my students facing hunger because of the loss of SNAP benefits was the main reason for the charitable theme I selected for the 2025 holiday season. Since I don't know that you can make a donation direct to SNAP and considering that it's a government program, so why would you want to, I am selecting Feeding America for my first charity to highlight.
Started in the 1960s, Feeding America was originally known as Second Harvest and America's Second Harvey before undergoing a name change in 2008. The organization assists in stocking food pantries, food banks, soup kitchens and shelters. Plus, their nutritional cooking and eating endeavors in cooperation with the USDA are second to none. While they've faced criticism for their reliance on corporate partners, I see no problem with that as the CTE programs in which my culinary courses are umbrellaed, rely on corporate partnerships all the time. The way I see it, if the fat cats are willing to dole it out, I won't say no to a donation. I don't care how much profit you make annually.
I wish I had their budgeting skills. According to Feeding America's website, a $1.00 American donation can provide 10 meals! I'm lucky if I can feed my wife and myself for less than $20 a day! With a serving population of over 46 million people a year, that means Feeding America can work miracles for roughly $5 million dollars!
If ensuring that your friends and neighbors in need have food on their table, I encourage you to donate to Feeding America. We throw away so much food on a daily basis that nobody should go hungry. EVER! And I am not just talking about in our country. Millions of pounds of perfectly good food are disposed of every hour around the world, all in the name of freshness and tax write-offs. Feeding America seeks to divert that food waste to those in need while providing a tax ID number and an audience for the repurposed meals.
To make a donation click here...
