Weddingbee boards

Hey bees--as we've been talking about it being the "Holiday Season," I've got a big request for you, except, well, it's not that big!

I know that money is tight for some of you because of wedding planning, and I'm in your shoes (I have $40 in my checking now aside from bill money and I am trying not to use credit or savings! It's going to be a weird two weeks!), but yesterday my sister and I did something that we found to be really rewarding. We saw a sign outside of a local food bank requesting turkey donations, so we went to Walmart and each bought a turkey and a box of stuffing-it was $12 total, and we each donated what we got. The lady was so thankful when we walked in with them, and though we walked into a room the size of my wedding venue (!) that was packed with food, she told us it would all be gone by Christmas.

I know a lot of people donate money and toys for Christmas, but maybe as part of your Thanksgiving this year, you could be thankful for the ability to give what you can to food banks so that others can celebrate with their families. Time, money and even just a $.78 box of stuffing make a difference to people you'll never know, but people so grateful to have help from great brides like you. Perhaps it could be a new tradition in your marriage to do something for thanksgiving too--I know it will be for us now. Just had to share this experience--I was really moved by how much they truly needed, and though I can give little, it still means a lot. 

That is an amazing thing to do!

Another thing is you can go to your grocery store and by a turkey gift certificate. It is often hard for food banks/charity organizations to find a way to store a lot of turkey's for a long time. But if you give them a turkey gift certificate they can hand those out to the less fortunate instead, or they can go buy the turkeys closer to Thanksgiving so they don't have to store them.

Thanks for the reminder. I always try to make a donation to the food bank at this time of year - actually it's my charity of choice any time of year.

babyboo i didn't even think of that--they have a TON of freezer space but I guess a lot of other places probably don't! I might do that for the "rest" of the dinner... like all the fresh veggies they'll need.

Oh, and I know a lot of grocery stores do those free turkeys, so if you were going to pay for one anyways, why not donate the free one?

So true! Food banks are really hurting this year because of the economy--less people giving and more people in need. Even the small things make a huge difference in the lives of people who rely on the help of organizations.

If you're thinking about giving to charity during the holiday season, I would check out Charity Navigator.