Feed the Homeless During the Holidays

When I first decided that I wanted to help feed the homeless, I was terrified! I had no idea what to expect and no idea what I was doing! At first, I kind of hid out in the kitchen . . . and I'm not real fond of cooking or big kitchen-type events! I did the "safe" activities - - food prep and washing dishes. But after serving a few times, I got used to things, served food in the line, and freely interacted with the people I was feeding.

When my family was a part of it, they also became more and more comfortable. My daughters and I even ended up volunteering for a while at Jasper Place Health & Wellness Centre, a drop-in centre for people who are homeless, or in need, where we served small snacks and just sat and had conversations with people, played games and got to know them. I think sometimes we stay away because we don't know. We don't understand. We're afraid. But people who are homeless are just people. They're just like "us."

There are places in Edmonton that regularly serve meals to people who are homeless and various groups in the city volunteer to provide, prepare and serve meals on certain dates (e.g. churches, clubs). If you're not already part of a group that serves in this way, call one of the organizations that serve the homeless (e.g. soup kitchen, street church). I'm sure they'd love for you to join in with an existing group . . . and I'm sure that group would love the help!

This is something that can be less intimidating to start with and it's something that your whole family can get involved in on a regular basis. As you buy groceries each week, grab a couple of extra items. Create a space that's your "Food Bank" at home - - items that you're collecting to eventually take to the actual Food Bank. When you collect enough, take it to your local Food Bank, or other organization, and donate it together as a family. At holiday times like Thanksgiving and Christmas, you could make extra purchases to create a holiday meal package to deliver.

Contact local organizations to find out what they need. They often have "wish lists," especially at holiday times.

When I handed out food to the homeless, I did it through The Mustard Seed, so it's an option to go through an organization to do this. But it's also something you could do just from home.

I think it's is a great way to teach kids about people who are homeless. Families can purchase food items, prepare the food together, and hand it out to people in need. It's a little more hands-on than simply donating to a Food Bank, but still less intimidating than serving a meal at an organization that feeds the homeless . . . so it might be a good way to start out.

It feels really good to know that you're giving and it creates a tradition that can be handed down from generation to generation! You could even combine with other families in your neighborhood, or families you know.