An Easy Way to Support the Hawaii Foodbank

State Employees’ Food Drive 2009 – January 13 to April 17, 2009

Governor Linda Lingle encourages you to give generously to the Hawaii Foodbank’s 20th Annual Food Drive.  Your food and monetary donations will feed Hawaii’s children. the elderly, the homeless, low-income families, the disabled and those needing temporary assistance.

All donations raised on the neighbor island will benefit the food basket on the Big Island, the Maui Food Bank and the Kauai Food Bank.

Contact your Food Drive Department Coordinator or visit www.hawaiifoodbank.org to help feed Hawaii’s hungry.

-Message in my February 20 pay stub

I have a confession:  I haven’t really supported the AUW or Food Bank drives at the office over the last couple years.  I did buy a couple candy bars for the AUW drive last year, but that’s not really much.  One of my co-workers, whom I’ve known for a few years before working together, tried every trick or way possible to get me to support the AUW drive, yet I didn’t.  And I used to work at an agency that received support from AUW and used the Food Bank’s services for our clients.

My co-worker made me feel so guilty for not contributing, even though I know how important these causes are to those who receive their support.  So I’ve taken the latest Food Drive as my opportunity to do more, perhaps as my atonement.  I’ve already donated some canned goods and cash – and we’ve already surpassed our food goal.  So now we move on to the monetary goal.  And government employees all over Hawaii are taking on this challenge, including our elected officials at the big square building.

Here’s my little trick to support the Food Bank, which you can use to support any other worthy cause of your choice:  Whenever I spend cash, I keep all the loose change I receive.  In fact, I’ve even taken to picking up all the loose change I see on the ground (yes, even a penny).  I take it all to work and put it in a Ziploc bag (an actual Ziploc bag, mind you) and make a donation once a week.  I don’t make many cash purchases, but it’s a few bucks a week, which is more than I’ve ever given and more than many people give.

So why does this trick work? It’s a little mind game actually.  Since you’ve already mentally separated yourself from the currency you’ve spent, the coins are like “extras” and aren’t missed, at least not as much.  If you’re strapped for cash, or need quarters for parking meters (like I do), I donate the nickels, dimes, and pennies.  Note that our Food Drive coordinators usually exchange my coins for bills, so check with yours to avoid dirty looks about the pounds of pennies!

Over time, and with our collective efforts, this can really start adding up to some serious money!

Tagged as: food drive, foodbank, Hawaii