How to do it:

There are numerous ways to engage in mutual aid around food. Take stock of your own situation and choose at least one way to help at least one person. How tight is your budget? How much time do you have? Are you an experienced cook, or could you stand to learn?

Here are a dozen quick ideas. Over time we’ll flesh them out with individual posts:

• invite a neighbor without family over for dinner and company
• do you rely on convenience foods? Exchange easily reheated meals with another family.
• build a little free pantry and stock it with staples or snacks (tips here.)
• donate money to a food bank
• take a casserole to a furloughed federal worker
• Host a “charity dinner” at your house and invite people to donate to a food bank
• create a snack-station (like a little library) with kid-friendly sealed meals
• help feed kids at school
• get take-out containers from a business-supply store and make extras to share with friends
• learn to cook beans from scratch (the cheapest protein!)
• volunteer at your religious group or a homeless shelter’s food program
• if your kids are on a team that asks you to bring snacks, ask the coach if you can sponsor an extra week, and bring sturdy snacks for hungry kids (without being flashy)
• give a struggling neighbor “extras” from your Costco run. (Who has space?!)
• Offer a talent (cookies, birthday cake) in exchange for donations to a food bank
• Many people reliant on food banks lack reliable transportation. Offer a ride to someone you know, or on a community group. This is also a good option if you find yourself needing the food bank for the first time. They’re your guide!
• Adopt a family on a Buy Nothing. Set boundaries: how many people, and what can you do? Cash? Extra Costco supplies? Cooked meals? Everything helps.
• If your church or business often has leftovers, set out to-go containers for participants to take some home

Leverage the Holidays

• give tea to those you’d normally give a Starbuck’s certificate to: buy several boxes of individually sealed tea and a bag of cookies or chocolates in single-packs and package them attractively for co-workers, teachers, etc. (Use only single-pack items. Costco is a good source.)
• or give them a gift certificate to a local coffee shop you like
• gift special holiday foods (e.g. a gift certificate for the local bakery’s cinnamon rolls)
• send gift certificates to local restaurants or grocery stores, instead of commercial baskets
• Give friends a themed food gift: pack shelf stable charcuterie items onto a bamboo plate with a coupon for “game night” or create a tea-time kit with individually packaged tea (e.g. Stash), a tiny jar of honey and some cookies. Make it a them by including a game, book, or cozy blanket.
• at Halloween, include kid-friendly real food, like mac-n-cheese cups or single-serve cereal
• If you have a cooking skill, like baking, gift “catering” for a special occasion