Food banks or food pantries are one way of helping those who are at risk of hunger in the community. There are many different food banks across the nation, but the process is the same at most. The food bank will collect donations and store and organize the food received. It will then distribute the food to other organizations for use or further distribution. Hunger is a very immediate and debilitating reality for many Americans. Donating to a local food bank can be a way you show kindness to those directly in your community.
Need some encouragement? Look to “Jelly John.” Jelly John, John Barsamian, is a seven-year-old boy who has single-handedly made sure that his local food bank is stocked full of jelly for those in need. He has donated more than 700 jars of jelly in just two years!
It all started two years ago when John was five and he started growing produce in his own garden. His parents fed his desire to help others by encouraging John to use his gardening talents for good. Young John started selling baskets of his home-grown produce to his neighbors in town. He then used the proceeds from his garden sales to buy jars upon jars of jelly for the local food bank.
Jelly John has continued his generosity for two years, growing his own produce and then selling it for the funds to purchase his sweet contribution. The food bank has noted that they sometimes wouldn’t have jelly at all if it weren’t for the efforts and donations of Jelly John. With weekly donations, the food bank is always stocked with the jelly they need, and John continues to use his passion for gardening and service to contribute in a positive way to his community.
Did you know that in 2017, 40 million people didn’t have access to enough food to sustain a healthy lifestyle or didn’t know when or from where their next meal was coming from. If you can find a bit in your budget, consider making a small donation to your local food bank as an act of kindness for this week. Pick up some items while doing your regular grocery shopping and know that your kindness could be providing breakfast to a hungry child before school or giving a single parent the peace of mind that they can provide dinner for their family that evening.
We hope you are inspired by Jelly John’s story and hope you find a way to use your talents to fuel your acts of kindness!
