HELP FEED THE HUNGRY THIS HOLIDAY SEASON. Support the 4th Annual DU Charity Donation Drive.

[Skinner]

(Please kick and recommend this thread so more DUers will see it. Thanks.)

For the last three years, the members of Democratic Underground have joined together in a year-end charity donation drive, benefiting Feeding America (Formerly America's Second Harvest) -- the Nation's Food Bank Network. As we approach the end of the year, I encourage all DUers to do what you can to help feed the hungry this holiday season.

100% of your donation goes directly to Feeding America, and you get the tax deduction. Feeding America has set up a secure, dedicated page so we can keep track of donations from our members. DU does not collect the donations, and DU does not receive any of the money donated. To donate, click here:

https://secure2.convio.net/a2h/site/Donation2?idb=0&df_id=1560&1560.donation=form1&s_src=W0912DMU


Here are some of the Faces of Hunger from the Feeding America website:


DANIEL



Little Daniel is out to prove that he is the toughest and bravest of all his siblings. As the youngest in the family, he has a need for power and speed, ready to fall to the ground to do a series of pushups when he is not running laps around the makeshift church and pantry of Denver’s His Hands Ministries.

The five-year-old started coming with his family to the pantry during the fall of 2008, finding that His Hands Ministries offered a safe place to play as well as to get food. Daniel’s parents, who have often been weary of the youth violence in their neighborhood, are glad to let all six of their kids attend the Food Bank of the Rockies agency for after school activities and church services.

Daniel’s mother, Santana, relies on the large boxes of fresh produce and meat she receives each week from the family. Since her husband lost his job with a railroad inventory company, the family has often struggled to come up with one meal a day. The food stamps she receives don’t stretch as far as they did when her children, ages five to fourteen, were receiving free meals through their schools’ lunch programs.

Daniel’s ambition to be a cop, a fire truck, and an ambulance all derive from his mother’s determined drive. Santana is putting herself through school by working at a discount store, training at night to one day work in a hospital preparing medical bills and codes. She dreams of a time when she and her husband can move Daniel and his older brothers and sisters in to a ranch house on a sprawling farm. Wherever this young family is headed, they know they have the support of His Hands Ministries to get them there.

https://secure2.convio.net/a2h/site/Donation2?idb=0&df_id=1560&1560.donation=form1&s_src=W0912DMU


ZOEY AND FAMILY



The job search has been taxing and unpromising for Crystal, a former shift manager at a fast food restaurant, and her husband, who prior to the storm worked at an air conditioning company. Scouting leads in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Florida quickly depleted the family’s savings. They came to South Carolina after an internet search alluded to the state’s booming labor industry.

At the time of this early December interview, Crystal and her family had spent only two weeks in their South Carolina city, cramming the entire crew into a motel. As they had done each morning, the family got up and put on some of the same clothes they’d worn on the day they left their Mississippi home. Alex, Crystal’s eleven-year-old son, often shares clothes with his mother. Now he finds himself continuously adjusting the extended waistline of his ill-fitted sweat pants while attempting to control his three rambunctious siblings.

Crystal’s husband isn’t at the Tricounty Ministry with his family- he spends his days searching for construction work while she brings the children over to the small food pantry. Apart from the hot meals and grocery bags full of food they receive from the Tricounty, Crystal is excited to know that the executive director of this Lowcountry Food Bank agency has even offered to help them find a new apartment. It’s a needed comfort in this turbulent time for the young family, allowing Crystal to concern herself with other ways of keeping her family afloat.

https://secure2.convio.net/a2h/site/Donation2?idb=0&df_id=1560&1560.donation=form1&s_src=W0912DMU


EDWARD AND FAMILY



Since 2004, Edward’s life has been a near-constant struggle. Shortly after losing his job due to a chronic illness, he also received temporary custody of his ex-girlfriend’s four children. He has since drained his savings, and cannot get by solely with the assistance of food stamps and modest disability pay. Faced with virtually no income and a newfound family to feed, Edward began to search for help.

He contacted the San Antonio Food Bank for support. Trough the food bank, he found out about local food services offered at a church—where he now receives groceries two Thursdays each month.

“It’s been a blessing because it gets me through the week,” Edward explains. With the food he receives, Edward creates weekly menus for the kids—with rice and beans, he makes chalupas; with chicken and ham, he makes sandwiches.

Edward grew up in a poor family and learned from his mother that children always come first. He holds true to this lesson today, and when food supply is low, he waits for the children to eat first and then eats their leftovers. He does not believe in letting his children go hungry—he will go without before he sends his children to bed with empty stomachs.

Edward is scheduled to have surgery on his knees and ankles, which will address his chronic health problems. It is his hope that they will heal smoothly so he can gain his strength back to go back to work. In the meantime, his local food pantry and the assistance he receives through food stamps help him get by.

https://secure2.convio.net/a2h/site/Donation2?idb=0&df_id=1560&1560.donation=form1&s_src=W0912DMU


ABOUT FEEDING AMERICA (Formerly America's Second Harvest)

Feeding America is the nation's leading domestic hunger-relief charity. Each year, the Feeding America network provides food assistance to more than 25 million low-income people facing hunger in the United States, including more than 9 million children and nearly 3 million seniors. Our network of more than 200 food banks serves all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.The Feeding America network secures and distributes more than 2 billion pounds of donated food and grocery products annually. The Feeding America network supports approximately 63,000 local charitable agencies that distribute food directly to Americans in need. Those agencies operate more than 70,000 programs including food pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters, after-school programs, Kids Cafes, Community Kitchens and BackPack Programs.

https://secure2.convio.net/a2h/site/Donation2?idb=0&df_id=1560&1560.donation=form1&s_src=W0912DMU


DONATE NOW AND DOUBLE YOUR DONATION!!

Once Again, DUer brooklynite has generously offered a challenge grant to provide a 100% match on the first $7,500 donated through our link! If you donate now, he will match your donation! Please don't leave all that extra money on the table -- Donate today and put it to work feeding America's hungry!

(If anyone else would like to make a challenge grant, please send me a private message with the details of your offer, and the words "Challenge grant" in the subject line.)

https://secure2.convio.net/a2h/site/Donation2?idb=0&df_id=1560&1560.donation=form1&s_src=W0912DMU


ABOUT YOUR DONATION

100% of your donation goes directly to Feeding America (formerly America's Second Harvest). Democratic Underground is NOT collecting or forwarding the donations, and Democratic Underground does NOT get any part of what you donate.

Donations are tax deductible. You will get a receipt for your donation directly from Feeding America.

Democratic Underground does not have access to any of your personal information, or any information about your donation to Feeding America. We won't know who donates, or how much you donate. All we know is the total value of all the donations made through our link.

https://secure2.convio.net/a2h/site/Donation2?idb=0&df_id=1560&1560.donation=form1&s_src=W0912DMU


The Charity Donation Drive ends at midnight December 31, two weeks from today.

If you have any questions, please feel free to post them in this thread. We hope this donation drive is a big success!

David Allen (Skinner)
Dave Allsopp (EarlG)
Brian Leitner (Elad)
Democratic Underground Administrators

[babylonsister]

1. Thank you, admins, for this gesture. So many people need help. nt

[Lisa0825]

2. K&R

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. Thank you! K&R

[Warpy]

4. Thanks, I was waiting for this

because I want DU to get the credit.

I also match my own donation, but to the local food bank in NM.

It should be mentioned that the average food bank can bulk buy food, so every dollar you donate turns into $8-$17 in food.

Oh, they still need non perishable food donations, too. When I was hungry, the one thing I wanted and could never afford was fruit, so that's what I like to donate during food drives--dried and canned fruit. I know that's something they really need at the food bank because it's a luxury.

[dgibby]

5. Thanks.

Will be sending my donation today. Just saw a news item (CNN,I think), that 1 billion people worldwide are chronically hungry.

[Solly Mack]

6. K&R

[PJPhreak]

7. K&R nt

[Beaverhausen]

8. K&R - my monthly donation to them will go through here

[Plucketeer]

9. I've never known REAL hunger.

At 65, I'm lucky in that department. I can't begin to imagine what it's like to not have food when you want it.
Even tho the wife and I are among the fading remnants of the "middle class", we have to watch our monthly outlay with prices of everything skyrocketing. But this doesn't prevent us from helping those less fortunate. I've been buying and delivering frozen turkeys and various canned and fresh goods to our local food bank on a weekly/monthly basis (funds permitting). It feels good, and it's a feeling in your heart that you just can't buy outright. Give here or give locally, but remember this as well..... hunger doesn't restrict itself to holidays. Every passing hour of every passing day, can produce empty stomachs. If those empty stomachs have to depend on compassionate CONservatism for help, they'll - A: likely go hungry or B: likely get food with a dash of religious spice. Both those options are unpalatable to my liberal conscience.

[Ocracoker16]

72. You have made several excellent points

Kudos to you for still giving eventhough you have some financial concerns of your own. I am also glad that you mention that people are hungry every day of the year and not just during the holidays. The holidays are a popular time for making contributions through special charity drives like this one, but we must remember to be generous all year long.

[whatchamacallit]

10. K&R

[Ignis]

11. K&R

:kick:

[leftstreet]

12. K&R

[pinto]

13. Kick. A great organization.

:kick:

[TomClash]

14. Done nt

[Hissyspit]

15. Excellent.

[Beaverhausen]

16. Kick

[rasputin1952]

17. Kick...

:kick:

[Hissyspit]

18. kick nt

[Zomby Woof]

19. They're a good charity

[liberaltrucker]

20. On payday, mi amigo

K&R

[flvegan]

21. K&R

[Skinner]

22. Kick (nt)

[pinto]

23. Kick.

:kick:

[StarfarerBill]

24. K&R

[SIMPLYB1980]

25. And another K&R

[Vinnie From Indy]

26. Kicking and donating

eom

[mrs_p]

27. will hopefully have $$ tomorrow

bookmarked for later. thanks DU1

[TexasObserver]

28. Recommend

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

29. K&R

[Redstone]

30. Mrs R and I volunteer at the local food bank. One thing you may not know is

that it's much more of a benefit to food banks to give them money, rather than food.

The reason for this is that the food banks can buy food REAL inexpensively.

(Not to discourage anyone from donating food, of course. Everything helps.)

Admins: Good on yer for doing this. There's real need out there.

Redstone

[stevedeshazer]

31. Kicked

[Botany]

32. Damn you Skinner!

You made me donate



Someday I will break free of your control ..... Merry Christmas

[bajamary]

33. K&R

Donated K & R

Thanks

[sandnsea]

34. kick n/t

[life_long_dem]

35. K&R

[Vattel]

36. k and r

[Parker CA]

37. K&R

[NikolaC]

38. K&R

[G_j]

39. K&R

[Hekate]

40. Done. But jeez, one of Zoey's twin brothers has an unfixed cleft lip.

:cry: Just no damn words for that.

:loveya: Skinner for doing this. :yourock:

Hekate

[AllyCat]

63. I saw that too. Why? Wonder if Smile Train could help here.

[Hekate]

67. I also thought of Smile Train. I wonder if they work in the US as well. nt

[Canuckistanian]

41. K&R

[City Lights]

42. K&R. nt

[brooklynite]

43. C'mon folks...cough up the money now

You know you're going to eventually, and it'll save me doing bookkeeping over Christmas week.....

[Agony]

44. K&R I prefer to give directly to my local food bank. But check out the list of Food Banks

that benefit from your donation to Feeding America.

Cash GRANTS to hundreds of food banks. In case you were wondering where your money might go.

http://feedingamerica.org/about-us/financial-information/~/media/Files/financial/990/2008/statement-3.ashx

-----8< ------ only the first part of 6 pages... the last number on each line is the cash grant value
FORM 990: PART II, LINE 22b - Cash Grants
NAME ADDRESS CITY ST ZIP CODE GRAND TOTAL
Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank 546 Grant Street Akron OH 44311-1158 21,429.63
Alameda County Community Food Bank P.O. Box 2599 Oakland CA 95337 22,983.01
All Faiths Food Bank 717 Cattleman Road Sarasota FL 34232 2,395.98
American Red Cross Regional 2116 Mint Road Lansing MI 48906 15,815.20
America's Second Harvest Food Bank Of Wisconsin 1700 W. Fond Du Lac Ave. Milwaukee WI 53205 121,521.99
America's Second Harvest Of Coastal Georgia, Inc 2501 E. President Street Savannah GA 31404 203,861.89
America's Second Harvest Of Greater St Joseph 915 Douglas St Joseph MO 64505 96,799.78
America's Second Harvest Of Kentucky's Heartland P.O. Box 821 Elizabethtown KY 42702 53,507.56
America's Second Harvest Of South Georgia, Inc 1411 Harbin Circle Valdosta GA 31601 18,767.81
America's Second Harvest Of Tampa Bay 5300 Adamo Drive Tampa Bay FL 33619 146,291.46
America's Second Harvest Of The Big Bend, Inc 4016 New Pasage Tallahassee FL 32303 3,530.60
Arkansas Food Bank Network 8121 Distribution Drive Little Rock AR 72209 32,907.47
Atlanta Community Food Bank 732 Joseph E Lowery Blvd NW Atlanta GA 30318 76,801.75
Banco De Alimentos De Puerto Rico Po Box 2989, Calle Marginal #9 Corujo Bayamon PR 960-2989 74,823.49
Bay Area Food Bank 5248 Mobile South Street Theodore AL 36582 280,570.59
Blue Ridge Area Food Bank P.O. Box 937 Verona VA 24482 75,840.68
Boot Heel Food Bank Po Box 1688 Cape Girardeau MO 63801 15,671.57
Capital Area Food Bank 645 Taylor Street, Ne Washington DC 20017-2063 35,808.21
Capital Area Food Bank Of Texas 8201 S. Congress Avenue Austin TX 78745 45,988.26
Care And Share Food Bank 2520 Aviation Way Colorado Springs CO 80918 110,912.01
Central Illinois Food Bank 2000 E. Moffat Springfield IL 62791 36,144.83
Central Missouri Food Bank 2101 Vandiver Dr. - Suite B Columbia MO 65202-1910 15,762.92
Central Pennsylvania Food Bank 3908 Corey Road Harrisburg PA 17109-5929 46,219.57
Central Virginia Foodbank, Inc 1415 Rhoadmiller Street Richmond VA 23220 36,899.00
Channel One Food Bank 131 35th Street Se Rochester MN 55904 15,552.19
Channels Food Rescue 1300 Market Street Lemoyne PA 17043 25,721.82
Chattanooga Area Food Bank 2009 Curtain Pole Chattanooga TN 37406 60,703.99
City Harvest 575 Eight Avenue, 4th Floor New York NY 10018 437,935.26

[KoKo]

45. Skinner....I just gave..we give at end of year.. Just wanted you to know it's a good thing

but we just wrote out our check...and it's not through DU...didn't know you were going to do this for DU'ers.

Anyway. WE ALREADY GAVE...Hope others will do so, too! Since I just gave to you...I'm not gonna feel guilty. and THANKS!

[Kitty Herder]

46. K&R

[ccharles000]

47. k/r

[kimi]

48. Happy to do this

K & R

[Octafish]

49. K & R for what's good in life...

...to serve others, especially those who are suffering and those who are less fortunate. It is the path.

[NYC_SKP]

50. kick. n/t

[highplainsdem]

51. K&R

[katandmoon]

52. K&R and done!

[democrank]

53. K & R

Thank you for posting this.

[Lochloosa]

54. Morning Kick

[Lochloosa]

79. ...

[Lochloosa]

82. ...

[MissDeeds]

55. K&R

:kick:

[SergeStorms]

56. Gotcha.......

things aren't that great here in the Storms hacienda, but they're not so bad that there isn't food on the table. I threw a sawbuck their way. I wish it could have been more, but with Xmas and everything........... :shrug:

[freddie mertz]

57. Agreed. Tis the season.

K & R.

[Skinner]

58. Kick (nt)

[HughMoran]

59. K&R

[Triana]

60. DONE. K & R nt

[slay]

61. K&R

Thanks for all you do Skinner.

[AllyCat]

62. Done

[Sunnyshine]

64. K&R

and big Thank You to everyone who gives!

[dmr]

65. k&r

[NanceGreggs]

66. ...

:kick:

[Uncle Joe]

68. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Skinner.:thumbsup:

[Beaverhausen]

69. kick- making my donation now

[Scurrilous]

70. Kick

:kick:

[mdmc]

71. too late to r

:kick:

[ZombieHorde]

73. k

[Moosepoop]

74. Donated and kicked (too late to rec)

Thanks admins, for making this so easy! :thumbsup:

And many thanks brooklynite, for the matching grant!!! :yourock:

[Beaverhausen]

75. kick

[Lisa0825]

76. K&R

[Hekate]

77. Kick

:kick:

[DFW]

78. Happy to donate $100

'Tis indeed the season

[Beaverhausen]

80. kick

[Lisa0825]

81. kick

:kick: