Saturday, January 24, 2009

YES WE CAN DRIVES


It seems fitting that we inaugurate The Daily Can-Do with ideas for can drives to help the hungry in your community. By all accounts the current recession has dramatically reduced the food supplies at shelters and pantries.

So why not organize a "Can Film Festival." Approach a local movie theatre or theatre chain and ask if, say, over a particular weekend, they'd be willing to give a discount to everyone who brings in a can of food. Volunteer to get a group together to bring all the cans to a previously identified shelter or food bank that has given its blessing to the project.

Not into film? Well, the Super Bowl approaches on February 1. If you're hosting a party, consider making it a truly "Souper Event" by asking guests to bring one or more cans of Progresso, Campbells, or any other brand. Then take the goods to a local shelter or bank. Imagine what would happen if a goodly portion of Super Bowl party attendees did this.

Have any other can drive ideas? Please share them.

6 comments:

  1. Great idea for a site. I'll try to visit regularly and will pass the link on to all my friends.

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  2. Great ideas! And great blog. Look forward to visiting regularly.

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  3. Good, timely idea, and I hope to be able to contribute. Will also send out to friends and family in hopes that can-do spirit will spread and flourish. Let's hope the old 60's "if it feels good, do it" can turn into "if it does some good, we can-do it."

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  4. There is an organized event to benefit local charities. See: http://www.souperbowl.org/
    But your site takes this one step further by getting households involved.

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  5. We have been thinking about such things, as my daughter needs a mitzvah project for her bat mitzvah. We were thinking about going to grocery stores one hour a week and asking for donations for the hungry of one non-perishable item from everyone's bag. My daughter would then donate to a different food pantry weekly.

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  6. My local Kroger store has a "Hunger knows no season" project that allows you to add on anything from $5 to $25 to your grocery bill. The contributions go to local food banks and replace the canned goods collection once sponsered during the Xmas holidays. Like many stores they also have a "discount" program that gives you pennies off a product when you use their store card. I've combined the 2 ideas. I look at what I've "saved" on my purchases and round to the nearest donation amount- sometimes it's $5 and sometimes, like yesterday, it was $20. In our neighborhood if you have something usable- a bookcase/child's bike/chair/etc.- we leave it at the curb and it's usually gone in an hour. My kids were champion retreivers- deer racks/sewing dummies- they all got dragged home as treasures. In the process they learned that something doesn't have to be new to be used and appreciated.

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