These Holiday Food Gives Rock Anyone’s World

Ohhh holiday food gives! One of my favorite and a favorite of my family’s as well. We love to cook, we love to bake, so holiday food gives are right up our alley. If you are not loving being in the kitchen, there are some food give ideas for you as well this holiday season That keep you out of the kitchen but still participating!

Since the pandemic, we have found a global food insecurity issue that is effecting people who have never had to worry about where their food was coming from and if there was enough. It seems to be the perfect storm in the last year for food insecurity. Climate issues, forest fires, drought, floods, on top of distribution channels being stopped or cut, and inflation that makes many food items unaffordable for many has created this perfect storm. More people have used food banks over the last year, many people have seen a 30% increase in their monthly food bill. We have had to look at solving these food issued differently. People are growing their own and sharing with neighbours. Others have had to look at discounted or pay what you can afford grocery stores that have popped up to help those who are food insecure or on a limited income.

This holiday lets find ways to give to others so no one goes without this year. It is about giving and sharing in your community with those who need solutions.

Holiday Food Gives That Are Necessary and Fun

1. Cook up a storm in your kitchen and make individual meals for seniors in your area. Do a shout out on social media to see who could use a meal over the holidays. Deliver your meals and watch this give ripple through the community. You will feel great, the person who has the meal will feel happy, and those who see your shout out on social media will also feel the love and happiness. This is a win win.
2. Bake holiday cookies and deliver to a local shelter. Local community centers and shelters will have volunteers helping to serve meals during the holidays, but who would think to share cookies and treats. Your cookies will show others you care, they are important, and give them a little boost this holiday. If your community has many homeless living in encampments, or on the street, pass out little bags of holiday cookies in  your area.
3. Invite someone to your table for dinner. Do you know someone who might be alone this holiday? Is there a widower, a single person, a refugee or new immigrant that could sit at your table? Invite them over for dinner and share your traditions and food. No one should be at home alone, and pulling up an extra chair is easy.
4. Bring holiday treats into work. You can pick up chocolates, store bought cookies, or share your baked goods at work. None of us know the real situation that everyone is living. Sharing some treats at work just makes the day that much easier.
5. Volunteer to serve a holiday meal at a local shelter, community organization or church. So many local organizations reach out to their communities and serve holiday meals. Join the volunteer team and be that person that serves a hot meal during the holidays. Team work is dream work and volunteers are always needed to feed those who need it in the community.
6. Bring treats to a local fire station, police station or hospital. These services do not close down during the holidays. Show your support and bring some holiday treats to the local public service of your choice. These workers will be missing time with their families and loved ones to keep all of us safe. The very least we can do is acknowledge their work and share some our holiday treats.
7. Host a small neighbourhood cooking party. Share your results with others who are food insecure, single parent families, families where a parent is working on Christmas, or a homeless encampment. This is a great way to pool your resources, share recipes, and what the giving magic happen. If you and your friends are all food insecure, share your food at one table and make sure everyone gets something to eat or a take home meal for their family.
8. Set up a community fridge outside a local business and keep it stocked. Toronto, Canada neighbourhoods have been doing this during the pandemic and continue to stock up community fridges set up outside local businesses. This idea has spread throughtout the city and has enabled people to donate food, and take fresh food when they needed it. The success of this campaign has helped so many low income families and people and is worth setting up in your community.

These Food Gives Can Be Done All Year Long

We love these food gives for the holiday, but these ideas can be regular monthly or weekly food gives all year long. Food insecurity is becoming one of our largest global issues and in many cases a quiet or hidden crisis. People do not talk about their food insecurity, so we never know who might be having issues. The more you can just give to others, through any of these ideas, the more giving will help you and others. Food is a basic need for all of us, so lets start giving more of our basics to others without anyone having to ask. Happy giving and happy holidays!

Find more giving ideas at 365give and make your daily give a wonderful way to increase your happiness, the happiness of others, and especially your community. Giving to others does make the world go round!