Feed a Need in Calgary

My husband and I decided it was time to clean out the house and get rid of a bunch of “stuff” that has been piling up over the year – an old couch, my grandmother’s table and chairs, 2 desks, lots of old dishes, bedding, etc.

The last thing we want to do is send these items to the dump. Most of them are still in reasonable shape. They just need a bit of cleaning up.

We called around and many charities only take items that are “like new” so that wouldn’t work. Then we stumbled on Feed a Need in Calgary. Their web site www.feedaneed.ca says, “Many families in our city can’t afford the simple necessities of life; beds, sofas, tables.  For them, furniture of any kind is little more than a dream.”

Perfect!

We called them up and they were more than happy to come out with there truck and pick up all our “stuff”. Because this is an organization run by volunteers and donations, we were happy to write them a cheque to help cover their costs as well.

Feed a Need gathers donated household items from people in their community and redistributing them to others. This is an excellent example of people helping people within a community and making a difference in the lives of others.

It is a great way to avoid taking “stuff” to the dump and help others at the same time!

Eat Local

I never really liked green beans. They always tasted waxy to me. Then I bought a bag of “just picked” green beans at a Farmer’s Market. What a difference fresh makes! Or perhaps it was the fact that they weren’t sprayed with all kinds of chemicals. Whatever the reason, I was sold on the “buy local” and “buy organic” when it comes to food for my family.

Now we have even more reasons to shop and eat local. The average food item travels 1,500 miles to get on our dinner plates. That means they have to be sprayed with preservatives to keep them fresh longer, they contain more packaging and the shipping itself adds more emissions into our air.

Look for a Farmer’s Marketing in your area and give them a try. Not only will your taste buds be in for a treat, you will be doing your part for the environment. And while shopping at our local grocery stores, take a moment to look where the food is coming from. If you have a choice between a local grown tomato or one shipped from across the country, do your part and choose the one closer to home.

Originally posted in the Airdrie Echo May 23, 2007