Serving the Hungry

One really good idea for family service is to volunteer at the local food bank. There are several ways to do this. You can always take in donations of canned goods, and even do a separate project to collect the food first. They also always need help sorting the donations at their facility, especially during the holiday season, as that is when people tend to donate the most. When our family went a few years ago, we put together a few orders for families with mobility issues and then drove boxes of food to four different families that night, all over the valley. Our kids were invited into each of these homes and were thanked profusely for the help. There was one lady we helped that night whom I will never forget. She was a Russian immigrant and insisted that we try some of her special cake. She was just so thrilled for the company, probably more than the food. You should have seen her face light up when my son (about age 8 then) said the only Russian word he knew to her (goodbye). It was so very rewarding for us and for the kids to step outside of our comfort zones just a tad and serve a few people who were strangers in need. If you decide to do this, call their number first to schedule the time. The Utah Food Bank is located at 1025 South 700 West, and their phone number is 908-8660. I highly recommend it!