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food drive campaignsThere are numerous counties throughout the USA that host food drives. They are designed to help low income families get the food that they need to survive. It is a time when communities have to come together to help those in need and it is expected that only those who are in need will show up to get free food. Will you take part in the next food drive in your area, either way, a volunteer or a person who needs a little help? Either way, you are welcome to attend.

The Foods Available

free food itemsMost often, the foods included may be things like peanut butter, jelly, canned foods, dry noodles, beans, and sometimes maybe bread or dessert foods. Typically, the idea is non-perishable food items, but occasionally you will also have a food drive that will give away milk and frozen meats. There may also be special boxes for families. They will often include foods and snacks that are great for toddlers. There are also times when the more people you have in your home, the more food you will receive.

When Will a Food Drive Take Place?

In some counties, there are food drives each week, but they may be located in different areas around town. You may have a church host one monthly and the salvation army on another week. Other places throughout the community may also participate in some way to help low-income families. To find out when a food drive may be hosted in your area, you can contact local churches, ask friends, or check local newspapers.

Food and More

free clothingThere are also some churches that go beyond food. They may offer free clothing or cheap prices on furniture that is available. Often, these places require you to take only one full outfit per member of your family. This is often because of a limited supply and most of it comes in as donations from members of the church. You are welcome to show up for free food or clothing at any time and if you do not need those things, you can show up as a volunteer. Everyone will be happy to see you there.

Sighting in A Plan to Grow MFB

charity auctionsMost people do not enjoy giving something for nothing. This creates a unique challenge for people who want others to donate or give what they can to charity, whether it is money, items, or time. Therefore, many organizations are trying to come up with creative ways to get people involved. They are sighting in a plan to grow MFB and everyone is encouraged to join them.

Creative Encouragement

rafflesBecause of the fact that most people feel they cannot afford to simply give money away, there are organizations that try to give them something in return. These things may include silent auctions, raffles, and more. These things encourage people to give the money that they can and promise to provide them with something that they want in return. It is a great way to encourage people to give the most to food banks or other things. However, for it to work, the silent auctions, raffles, and giveaways must be something that people want to have.

Popular Items for Raffles and Auctions

There are numerous things that can be useful in encouraging people to participate in a raffle or a silent auction. Kids may encourage parents to give money to a raffle if there is a chance of them receiving a “free” bicycle. Adults are more interested in raffles if there is a chance they can get a big-ticket item such as a new car. Not all auctions and raffles have to be as extreme as a car. There are raffles that cater to hunters and they may give away the best backup flip up sights from LongRangeScopes to encourage them to participate. There are some prizes that are based on where the person lives. For instance, camping gear would not make a good raffle prize for people in New York City, but it would make a great prize for people who live in the west. The same could be said for skiing gear in a place that never gets warm vs people who live near a mountainous area. Which one do you think would make the most difference?

Encouraging Support for Local Charity

silent auction prizesThere are numerous reasons you want people to donate to food drives and other things within the community. There are also many reasons you will have to give a little to get a little from residents in most areas. Even if you are wanting to help families have a Christmas or a happy Thanksgiving, you will have to promise to the people you want to donate that they will also gain from putting forth the effort. Most people in the area that you are hoping to help may be struggling themselves. They may live paycheck to paycheck or have debts that they cannot afford to pay. Those people may feel that the tiny bit of help that they can provide isn’t going to be enough. Encourage them to take part in supporting local charities by participating in raffles that go toward a good cause or to spend time at a food bank to earn other prizes. If you do that, the people will find a way to get more actively involved.

Bringing Baby to Help at The Food Bank

volunteering in communityParents have a unique job. Not only do they need to raise responsible little people who know right from wrong, but they must also help their children to become good people. Therefore, a lot of professionals recommend that you teach your children about helping others in the community, whether it is giving away toys they no longer play with or help with charitable events. For this reason, we encourage you to start early by bringing baby to help at the food bank.

Helping Children Grow

From the time that your children are born, they learn from your example. If you are a parent who uses bad words constantly, they will attempt to do it as well. If you go to church every Sunday and say your prayers at dinner, they will do this as well. A great way to help them to grow up is to teach them that being a good person means helping out in the community. This can be done by donating toys, sending money or volunteering at local shelters, or helping to serve food at the local food banks. It is still good if you teach kids to work hard to get ahead, but you will also teach them that not everyone can get ahead because of their own situations. They will be helping homeless people, low income families, and perhaps even a few disabled veterans.

Make It a Family Event

kids helping at a food bankChildren of all ages can contribute to the community in their own unique way. Teenagers can do more at food banks than younger children, but everyone can do their part. Young children may be able to hand out drinks or trays to the people who are there hoping to get food. Toddlers and infants can be there to talk and “coo” at the homeless, which will give them something positive to think about while they are eating. Considering many people who visit food banks are elderly, your little one may remind them of their own grand-kids and give them a sense of peace and joy while they are there enjoying their meal. Luckily, you can show off your baby without slowing down on your activities if you get your camo baby carrier at Baby Carrier Review Guide. No matter how old your kids are, it will be a bonding experience like no  other.

Preparing for Your Participation

families volunteeringWhen volunteering at a food bank, you should make sure that you wear comfortable shoes. You can bring small toys for your toddler and a blanket for them to play on if they are tired of helping out. Teens will benefit from comfortable shoes and perhaps an electronic device to mess with. You should bring snacks for yourself and your family since the food that is there will be given out to others who are in need. Comfortable clothing for everyone, extra diapers for your smaller children, and anything else that you may need for that day. Before you go, especially if you have never helped out with your child at a food bank event, explain to your child that there are people who are struggling, and you are all going to help them get a warm meal.

Anytime you are hoping to host an outdoor event, you have a lot of different things to deal with. There are seating issues, darkness, weather concerns, and of course, bugs. Any of these things can cause outdoor events to immediately fail unless you plan ahead to deal with the issues. You can do this by encouraging people to bring their own chairs or blankets, having a generator for lights, having tents to ensure no one gets rained on, and planning for a bug free event by taking care of it before the guests arrive.

Why Plan Bug Control in Advance?

mosquito blocking clothesMost people do not like the idea of being bitten by insects because they are outside doing the things that they love doing. This means that they will not attend events if they have to worry about coming home with mosquito bites from head to toe. It is a very common issue in all the southern states, and each year, insect migration makes it even more of an issue for places that are further north. It isn’t just mosquitoes either. Many people also run from gnats because no one likes to feel their sting and Noseeums are not much fun because most people are not able to see them coming; they just feel the sting. This means, whether you are hosting a wedding, concert, auction, or yard sale; starting ahead of time to get rid of the bugs is going to help you keep people around longer.

Preventative Measures

outdoor night eventsAnyone who lives in the south knows that mosquitoes and gnats are around throughout the year. They have a tendency to mess up most every outdoor event that is planned. The good news is that there are a lot of things you can do to keep insects at bay. You can have the county drive their truck by the property to have them spray chemical repellents. Most counties, especially those in areas where mosquitoes are everywhere, have spraying trucks. If you spray shortly before the event, you will have fewer bugs bugging guests. Most counties are willing to do this for a small fee if they are making a special trip to your event location. You can also have mosquito traps, such as the propane mosquito magnets, sitting around the perimeter.

Other Easy Options

If you are outdoors and still feel that bugs may be an issue for your event, you still have options. Mosquito foggers that you can spray right before the event are a great option for larger events. If you are hosting smaller events with fewer people, you could also encourage them to consider wearing mosquito proof clothing seen here. This may not liven up their wardrobe, but insects will be a lot less likely to bother them, no matter how long they are standing outside at your events. Although it is not something that will work for large groups unless you can have everyone make the decision to try mosquito proof clothing, it can help the people who heed your advice. If you are hoping for your events success, you will be happy that you put in a little extra effort and planned ahead.

Powering Up Our Portable Events

food driveAlong with needing food, for a successful mobile food drive you will also need power. There are a lot of food drives that happen during the daytime hours, so you may not imagine needing power, but there is still a need. You have to keep the cold foods cold and have a speaker set up to ensure that everyone can hear what you have to say. In the event that we have an evening event, which often correlates with feeding the homeless hot meals, we also have to worry about lights and other things. Therefore, a top priority for us is always figuring out how to best handle powering up our portable events. Luckily, we and many other mobile food units that have discovered the key.

Power Is a Necessity

mobile food drivesEven though mobile units are designed to be portable, they still may not have enough power to handle a situation where there are a few hundred people waiting. It may not have the power to run a lot of lights, large speakers, and everything else that may be required to ensure it is a success. To do that, you need a power source that can generate ample amounts of power. That is one of the main reasons that a lot of mobile units have a 2000-watt inverter generator as a backup power source for their biggest events.

Choosing the Right Generator

mobile food unitsEven if you do not have a mobile unit that delivers food to the homeless and others who are in need, you can still use a powerful generator. They are designed for larger events, but many people have begun using them when they go tailgating or camping in the woods with their smart phones. Many of these generators can stack well with others like them and this allows you to power up even more. The downside is that some of the “best” generators are not up to par when you use them. It is a mistake that many people have already made. Therefore, we suggest that take the same advice that we did. We went online and found the top 2000 watt generator at generatorpowersource.com and read all the reviews for it that we could. When we purchased, we were able to buy with confidence that we had made the right choice and so far, we have not been disappointed.

What Will You Use Extra Power For?

People choose generator power for a variety of things. They use powerful generators for their RV, they use them as a backup power source for their homes, for outdoor concerts, weddings, and pool parties. The truth is; there are many things that you could use it for, and many of them you may not even have considered at this time. Often, people say that they will never have a need for 2000 watts, until they have it and then they cannot imagine what they did without it. Honestly, before we found our new generator; we were in the same position and now we understand why they are available. We also wish that we had made the upgrade much sooner and feel that you will as well.

Food Bank Supporters

food banks helpNot everyone is willing or able to donate to a food bank, but there are a lot who can and do. There are people within all communities who are able to help others and they often go above and beyond what is expected of them. These outstanding food bank supporters also gain from the things that they do. That is why most people say if you have it to give, you should join in their efforts.

Who Donates to Food Banks?

food bank volunteersThere are people from all walks of life that donate the food that they can to banks. They live in all communities around the world. You may think that only those people who are rich do it, but this could not be further from the truth. They are young people, older people, small business owners, and big company owners. They may be people who offer aquatic welding and people who run small, “mom and pop” restaurants and diners. They are people who simply feel it is a good idea to help their community become stronger.

What Do These People Gain from Donating?

food banksOften, for many people, it is not something that they hope to gain from. They simply want to show their support for food banks and helping homeless or lower income families survive. However, most of these people and business owners still gain. They gain satisfaction in knowing that they have done something good for others. An individual may be recognized as charitable.  They may stand out in the community as a good family to know. As business owners, they may also gain a better reputation in the community because their name is put out there on a larger scale as a “business that cares”. The more that they do, the more their company name will be heard and as those families get on more stable ground, they may turn to that company for their own needs. In short, it becomes a pay it forward type situation where everyone gains from a little bit of kindness.

Are You Ready to Give?


Admittedly, by giving to food banks and showing your support for them, you may never get your name in lights. This does not mean that there will not be rewards. By providing homeless people with food and volunteering either food or a little bit of your time, you are showing everyone that it is good to give. You will become a person who is known to care about the community and makes it so that things within your area start to change and improve. Eventually, you may notice fewer homeless people on the streets. This could also mean fewer crimes and “slums”. The bigger the city, the bigger the issues, and the more a little bit of your time and money can make a difference. You simply have to decide that you are ready to start doing something more positive. You do not have to give much. You only have to give what you are able to give. The rest will take care of itself.

Feed Montana News

Hungry FamiliesIs solving hunger something you feel is very important? If so, you can join in annual fundraising drives to help combat the fact that people are starving in your area. In your community. In fact, there has never been a better time for you to get involved. There are even numerous things that you can do if you want to do even more for the area that you call home.

The Ways You Can Help Fight Hunger

food drives for everyoneMost people think that hunger is not their problem to solve. They feel that the people who are having issues finding food are there because the choose to be. The first thing you have to do to help fight hunger is to acknowledge that they are not always hungry because of choices that they have made. They are people who have fallen on hard times. They are people like you who are simply suffering and perhaps been dealt a rotten hand. Once you have done that, you can get involved with food drives and more. Your creativity is your only limit. If you have a business, you can accept donations for food drives or host your own mini-fundraiser. If you have a lot of friends, you and your friends can team up to do something to gain attention for those who are in need of a solid meal. If neither of those situations includes you, you can simply volunteer to hand out food at a food bank or food drive event or you can give food that your family may not need to someone who does need it.

Why Get Involved Now?

Help OthersThe number of elderly, retired or disabled veterans, and children who go to bed hungry each night is overwhelming. They do not all live in other countries. They are in our country, in our states, and in our neighborhoods. They are people of the community that you may be a part of. They are homeless and in need of someone to notice that they are doing without. You could be that person for them and perhaps make things better for them in some way. It is important that you at least consider becoming involved.

Join the Food Fight to Feed Montana today!

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