Hurray for the Community Food Bank!

I try, as often as possible, to take advantage of the community food bank's Harvest Club. For $22 (it just went up from $18), anyone can purchase a "box" of food. It is really a FULL shopping cart full! I wish I had been able to take a photo of it all, but time didn't permit and I was really tired! Yesterday, for example, I came home with a dozen eggs, gallon of milk, 1 lb. of ground beef, a whole chicken, package of hot dogs, several cans of corn, several boxes of crushed tomatoes, Oreo cookies, Nestles giant chocolate bar, two apple pies (well, my kids were really excited about all these sweets:-), 4 heads of cabbage, 4 bunches of leaf lettuce, big box of baby spinach, several bags of leaf lettuce, several bags of salad mix, two pkg. of celery hearts, a bag of carrots, huge bag of chopped onions, 5 lbs. of red potatoes, big bag of grapefruits, 2 boxes of macaroni and cheese, 5-6 loaves of bread, hamburger buns, 3 large pkg. of flour tortillas, 2 2-liter bottles of grapefruit soda, several cans of applesauce, apple jelly, peanut butter, box of elbow macaroni, can of chicken noodle soup, big box of Rice Krispies and a bunch of other miscellaneous stuff I can't remember right now. Talk about a bargain!! Of course, since we live in the main agricultural area for lettuce for the U.S., we get ALOT of produce in the winter. Not so great a deal in the summer. But this REALLY helps my family keep our budget low, and the items that we don't eat (mostly the processed stuff) or is too much to consume before going bad, we give to a men's rehab center that really needs the help. So we are able to share alot and still save alot!

If you have a community food bank, check it out and see if they have a program like this. This helps them raise the funds they need to provide the emergency food and programs for the needy. You don't have to qualify in any way to buy this box of food. And, especially here in the winter, it can be a GREAT bargain! And share what items you might not like to eat with someone you know who will appreciate them.