Loading ...On this Grateful Monday and week of Thanksgiving, I’m reflective of all the wonderful things in my life for which I’m thankful. Even during difficult times, something can always be found about which one can feel much gratitude. This holiday season, I’d like to issue a challenge to all Virtual Assistants…
THE ISSUE: Community food banks around the country are in dire need. With rising food prices and companies continuing to lay employees off in the declining economy, many local agencies are reporting a nearly 50% increase in demand from families needing assistance. Many of these agencies have bare pantry shelves or are otherwise not prepared to assist what many expect to be record numbers this year.
THE CHALLENGE: In view of the rising need and coming holidays, the Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce has issued a challenge to Virtual Assistants worldwide to mobilize as an industry to do what they do best—helping others—by donating a minimum of $10 or more to their local food banks and charitable organizations this holiday season.
At my house, we sponsor a family each year and donate food and grocery store gift certificates to our local community service agency. I like donating gift certificates because people can get the foods they like instead of food someone else has picked out for them.
Cassandra Cooper of The Time Miner responded to my challenge on Twitter and made an excellent point: Community service agencies are also always in need of toiletries such as bar soap, toilet paper and travel shampoos, which aren’t things that can be purchased with food stamps. These are things that would be very useful (and appreciated) to include in your donations.
My buddy Christine Wade Christine Wade of eRealtyAssistance.com had a great tip: The Feeding America (formerly Second Harvest) website has a food bank locator in the bottom right-hand corner where you can enter your zip code and find out where to deliver food.
Christine donates food and toiletry items through her children’s Christian school every year, as well as bags of food at an annual ornament party she attends, which are then delivered to a local charity.
Another buddy, Victoria Miles, is a Virtual Assistant in Argentina and owner of TheBilingualVA.com. “I love the idea of ‘think global, act local’ that the VACOC promotes. I will be definitely embracing the initiative locally, and hopefully engaging many others to do so as well.”
VACOC member Dinah Cline is the owner of Your Success is My Success. She suggests Angel Food Ministries at www.angelfoodministries.com, a non-profit, non-denominational organization dedicated to providing grocery relief and financial support to communities throughout the United States.
Dinah likes the fact that Angel Food Ministries donates $1 to every host site’s benevolence fund for every Angel Food Box distributed.
“We are all here to help one another, whether it’s professionally or personally; being a part of the VACOC community provides this opportunity in both aspects. I feel not only blessed but honored to be a part of them both,” says Dinah.
The ways you can help are limitless and every gesture, no matter how big or small, has a big impact. Please, I implore you, will you join us this holiday season and help us help others?!
I would love to hear what you did or are doing to meet the challenge. Please do comment here with your stories and tips and ideas. You can also join in the discussion at our VACOC Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=22876770984
Oh, and if you’d like to submit our release with your own info, tip and quotes included, feel free to use our template (Word format)
Thanks be giving!!!
