We are living in unique, and often uncertain times, and yet people from all walks of life have displayed some of the most incredible acts of service and kindness. More than 4.2 million people in California facing hunger and food insecurity, and more than 450,000 of those individuals live right here in Orange County. In partnership with got milk?, toma leche, and Feeding America, my daughter and I identified a local food drive we wanted to support as part of their new #FoodForThought campaign.
Post sponsored in collaboration with The California Milk Processor’s Board and The California Milk Advisory Board.
Hunger in California
Our current pandemic has exacerbated the hunger crisis, and food security is a challenge for families across all walks of life in California. The statistics are staggering:
- 1 in 9 people struggle with hunger
- 1 in 7 children struggle with hunger
In our local community of Orange County, more than 450,000 people experience food insecurity each month. Hunger does not discriminate and includes children, seniors who live on fixed incomes, people with disabilities and the working poor. COVID-related job losses have exacerbated the hunger crisis across the state.
I can’t even imagine having to choose between paying rent, purchasing much-needed medications, or buying food. And yet, this is the choice facing families across California every single day.
How You Can Help Fight Hunger in California
When the California Milk Processor’s Board (creators of got milk? and toma leche) and the California Milk Advisory Board asked us to help spread the word about their new #FoodForThought campaign, we knew exactly how we wanted to help our community. The need here in Orange County is great and visible as mall parking lots are being used for drive-through Food Banks.
To help alleviate Hunger In America right here in California, Got Milk and Real California Milk have partnered with Feeding America to help provide 1 million meals and 1 million servings of milk to communities in need throughout the state. The campaign was initiated on August 25, 2020 with a donation of 1 million servings of milk from California dairy farm families. Every dollar donated to Feeding America helps secure the equivalent of at least 10 meals. Milk is an important part of nourishing families here in California. I appreciate that the partner organizations have recognized the needs and disparities of our community and have acted in meaningful ways to fight hunger.
Through September 30, 2020, every act of kindness shared on Instagram, tagging @gotmilk and using the hashtag #FoodForThought will count towards their goal of donating 1 million meals. This campaign recognizes the value in everyday acts of kindness by individuals and groups serving their communities. I personally love the fact that the entire campaign is dedicated to showcasing acts of kindness in our local communities, inspiring families to think about others and give back to those in need.
My daughter initiated our act of kindness. She started by decorating a box to fill with shelf-stable food items. We then headed over to our local #FallFoodDrive to donate 2 full boxes of food!
At present, there are 18 Feeding America food banks that serve California, however, you can also search for a food drive in your local community. Our local food bank is housed at Saddleback Church which has become Orange County’s number one food pantry during the pandemic, having already distributed more than 2.4 million pounds of food.
10 Acts of Kindness
Local influencers across California are sharing their own acts of kindness, in support of the #FoodForThought campaign. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Drop off milk and donuts to a local neighbor (Cupcakes and Cutlery)
- Put together a dog care package for a local neighbor (That’s It LA)
- Create a Back-to-School tray for a local mom (SoCal Field Trips)
- Create an “We’re All In It Together” tray for a neighbor (Living Mi Vida Loca)
- Prepare and serve up a bowl of Changua (Columbian Egg and Milk Soup) (Una Columbiana en California)
- Write a card to a friend or family member (This is Jessica Rose) and (Stuart Brazell)
- Surprise a local family with packed lunches that include milk (The Parentologist)
- Prepare and serve up mini cheesecakes for a friend or family member (La Cooquette)
- Create a sign to display in your window or outside that we are Stronger Together (Halez Garcia)
- Donate to your local food drive (Rockin’ Mama)
I hope the above ideas inspire your own acts of kindness.
$100 Visa Gift Card Giveaway
One reader will win a $100 gift card! To enter, simply complete the Rafflecopter form and leave me a comment with one act of kindness you’d like to complete if you win! Comments will close on September 20, 2020 at 11:59 pm PST.
a Rafflecopter giveawayUS Residents only. Duplicates and comments not including the above information will be disqualified. Comments are moderated. If you don’t see your comment in a reasonable amount of time, send me an email. Bloggers and non-bloggers may enter. If you don’t want to leave your email address, please be sure to check back for my announcement on the winner. Please note that winners must respond within 48 hours of being announced/contacted or another winner will be drawn.
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I would like to do a pay it forward where I buy a struggling family some groceries.
I’d continue paying for someone else’s foods or drinks at Starbucks or other fast food places’ drive thru, it’s fun to see their reaction if possible.
I’d love to feed the hungry with my kids. They are almost old enough to help 🙂
I’d like to use it to help my local food bank with groceries.
I would donate to a local back to school supply drive.
I would buy groceries for a local food bank
We will donate to our local food drive.
Donate food for the needy right now.
I buy food for food banks.
I would like to donate diapers to a women’s shelter.
I WOULD LIKE TO HELP MAKE SURE OUR KIDS IN THE COMMUNITY HAVE FOOD AND BACK TO SCHOOL ESSENTIALS 🙂
We have always bought turkeys with the kids and dropped them off at the Salvation Army. I need to now teach them we should always donate to help our community. I would like to grocery shop and take in another donation.
I always make sure I do one act of kindness a day for someone or an animal. I would use this gift card to buy more canned cat food for the elderly rescue cats I shelter. They are so old, some have no teeth.
I would like to help a stranger with food.
I would like to donate time at an Elderly center.
I would like to help a struggling family by buying them food and stuff they need.
Write a card to a friend
Donate to our local food bank.
I wish I could have brought our adopted daughter’s entire family to come live with us.
I would donate food to an animal shelter.
Paying for the person behind me’s coffee!
mia2009(at)comcast(dot)net
I have been buying back to school supplies for local drives.
I would love to be one of those CHristmas angels and pay off someones holiday lay a away bills
I’d like to donate to my community soup kitchen.
I would buy groceries for a local food bank.
I’d like to donate to a local animal rescue.
I would love to donate clothes and food to the needy.
I want to pay for some ones meal.
I would want to pay for someone’s drink or meal.
I buy groceries for my neighbor who is going through a hard time
I would continue to keep donating food to my local food bank.
I would get dog and cat food and treats and beds for the no-kill animal shelter in Marion Indiana.
feed the homeless
I would like to help my neighbor learn to use her computer. Thanks for the giveaway!
I would like to make another donation to Cat’s Exclusive. It is a local non-profit clinic and no kill adoption center. They have taken great care of my cats along with some stray kittens that I took in this summer to get fixed and find homes for. One kitten had a broken leg and stayed at the vet for nearly a month. The cost of her care alone would have cost me thousands if it wasn’t for my wonderful non-profit clinic that went above and beyond to help care for this kitten at an affordable rate for me.
I would love to visit veterans and sit with them; to be a companion to them and to read to them if they want.
Ask if you can help someone who may be having a difficult time in life right now.
pay it forward when i can
I would continue giving coin to the homeless on the off-ramp.
Making masks!
I’d like to use it to help my local food bank with groceries. With so many people out of work and a lot of kids at home instead of school a lot of families are struggling to afford enough food.
Donated to a family (Dad has cancer)
These are all great ideas! I’m going to write some cards to friends who might be lonely during this time.
After Covid19 is over i’d like to take my 92 year old grandmother out to dinner.
I made an afghan for Warm Up America, now I just need to send it in!
I’d like to donate some food to a food bank.
Love to pay off debt and help out family more and get things that will help with living easier
Help out the elderly carry bags or pick up things they need.
I would like to organize the neighborhood to do a food collection drive for the people without work due to Covid.
Buy groceries for the person behind me.
I would help out to fight hunger.
I would like to organize a food drive within the community.
I would like to get school supplies to needy kids
I want to donate to a local animal shelter. I think they are sometimes forgotten during times like this.
I would see if I can lessen an elderly person’s time out, like pick up groceries
Bringing baked treats to someone who is having a pandemic birthday
nI would love to pay rent for a family who cant
I have donated to a women’s shelter before and have gathered up some more clothes that I would like to donate to them.
help the homeless
I recently bought groceries for a needy family.
I would help a family with their gorceries.
We have a fantastic organization in my area. It has a food bank, clothes closet, and always has back to school and other drives. I’d donate to it.
I would like to Put together a dog care package for a local neighbor .
I plan to Write a card to a friend or family member .
I enjoy donating to our local food bank and charity store
Donating to a local food bank
I’ve donated to a local food bank.
I would like to create a Back-to-School tray for a local mom
I would donate to a local food bank
Sending food to a family with one member having COVID
I would like to write a card to a friend to encourage them.
I’ll be helping my elderly neighbors rake their leaves.
I’d help my neighbors with yard clean up.
I help the widow’s in the neighborhood do all sorts of house maintenance and yard work
Dropping off milk and donuts to a local neighbor is a great idea!
I would like to buy grocries for one of my friends that needs a little help.
I would like to be able to buy strangers their meals more often
My local grocery store always lets us donate our change to the local foodbank
I would like to donate food to a animal shelter
i would love to help all our houseless freinds have showers
I would like to support a family for the holidays.
I would like to donate again to the rescue that we got our Pepper from. They help so many dogs and can really use the funds.
I love the doggie care package idea! Especially for elderly neighbors.
I’m trying to donate as much as possible to my local food bank
our local food pantry is having a diaper donation drive!we are donating lots of diapers!
I would help my neighbors who need food.
I would like to do more volunteer work for our food shelf.
I built my elderly neighbor a box fan air filter to help with all this wildfire smoke. I would like to continue acts of kindness like that.
Pay for someone else in the drive thru lane
I would like to donate my time to the Food Bank.
I would love to go back to visiting the nursing homes. There are so many elderly that never get visitors.
Donate to local charities.
If I see someone struggling to pay for groceries, I’ll step in
I would help at a food bank
I would like to pick up trash around the neighborhoods and parks where I walk, and recycle what can be. Currently can’t walk due to an injury that is not healing, so I am going to the doctor to see what can be done.
Will help out our local food bank.
I would love to be able bake cookies with my daughter and take them to our local senior assisted living home and brighten their day.
Donate the money to feed a family one meal.
I would love to bring dog toys and treats to the local pound
I would like to help older folks get their groceries and necessities.
Get groceries for my neighbor.
Thanks for the contest.
i’ll continue to help my elderly parents, i don’t mind them leaning on me
twice a month i donate to the local food bank
I would like to continue donations to places like St Judes and Feeding America.
I would like to help out a homeless person with food or clothing
We donate to our local foodbank.
I would like to donate food for the hungry and clothes because its starting to get cold outside
We adopted a puppy in June and we want to support the rescue group that saved the mom and 7 puppies.
I would like to donate to more charities.
I will pay for the person behind me at the drive thru
I would donate to a local animal shelter!
I’ve donated to local food drives & would like to do this again!
Donate to our local food bank.
I would buy gloves and mittens for an elementary school. The younger children are always losing their gloves and/or mittens.
I would like to donate to our local food bank.
I would love to be able donate more to the food shelf. Thanks!
I would like to adopt a rescue dog, soon!
I would like to donate more to a pet shelter.