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If you're struggling to eat
Search for food banks in your area. There are three in my town and one gets really good product from some of the nicer stores in town. They give us two grocery bags to fill, then usually have two more bags filled with pasta or soup mixes. And that doesn't account for the fresh produce they provide. I've filled my, my sister's, and my mom's pantries from a single visit to the food bank. I never felt like I was taking too much, but I always end up with more than one man can eat on his own. So, my sister gets to feed her kids and my mom can feed the ladies that help her at home. Their hours may conflict with your work schedule, but a single trip can benefit you immensely. Maybe get a friend to go if it doesn't work out timing wise for you.
Thank you so much for this info. Also, many churches have pantries.
NGL, as a person with an eating disorder, I completely misinterpreted this title!
Ooh, I can see it now that you said it. My bad.
Also Sikh Temples serve meals to people who need food.
The nice part is they won’t use feeding you as an excuse to attempt to convert you.
Try getting that experience at a church…
I've seen stuff about that. They seem so happy to do it and the food looks DELICIOUS.
Lasagna Love is a "Pay-it-Forward" volunteer community outreach using the love of a home-cooked meal to help people in need. If you have the capacity to volunteer, I really urge you to do so! It's something I'm certainly wanting to get involved in once I am in a more settled situation.
But if you're someone in need, they will connect you with a volunteer who will cook you a homemade a meal to help you. It doesn't necessarily have to be lasagna and I have heard stories of some volunteers reaching out to ask about preferences or other dishes. There is a limit to how often you can request, but sometimes a homemade meal can be such a moral booster when you're struggling.
Also, I've done a few meal trains and food is the last thing people think of during the hard times. When my dad chose to unlife himself, his mom (my grandma) kept us all fed. She was probably struggling more than any of us, but she spread her love with food.
Wow! That is amazing! If you do wish to get involved, I'm willing to share a few recipes with you.
While this is all US-only information, Feeding America has a tool that can help you find food banks in your area.
If you have access to SNAP or WIC benefits, you can check the Double Up web site to see if your state participates. This program doubles your money at participating farmer's markets and some grocery stores by exchanging a portion of your benefits (you choose how much) for redeemable vouchers, which has double the value of your benefits.
Not every state participates, and not everything at the farmer's market qualify for this program (WIC is for fresh unprepared food only and SNAP doesn't cover anything cooked), but it's a solid way to extend your benefits while also supporting your local agriculture.
Similarly a spreedsheet from the USDA for January 2023 listing all of the participating farmer's markets with addresses can be found here.
Amazing info here! Thank you!
Minnesota has a program where $1 in food stamps is worth $3 at farmer's markets.