Fill the Dome...

...And empty my pantry. 

A few years back, some high school kids decided they would try to fill the FargoDome with non-perishable goods for families in need.  It has escalated into a GREAT donation drive that all area schools participate in. 

When you have a child in elementary school, this means you are more than likely donating 25% of your pantry throughout the week as they try to load their backpacks up as heavy as possible for their classroom competition. 

Add another child in elementary school, and I'm forking over like 45% of my pantry!   Now, I like to give as much as the next guy, I really do.  I feel good about it* and I know that the boys think it's a great idea. 

But do they really GET it?  Do they realize that there are some kids out there that can't just open the pantry door and grab a rice krispie treat?  Can't just fill a bowl with their favorite cereal and walk away?  They see bare shelves.  I don't know that they GET that part of this food drive. 

I think the next step is to take them to help actually HAND OUT those donated goodies to a family in need.  Or get them in with the United Way and start filling backpacks with food for kids to take home for the weekend.  SOMETHING to get them to see that not everyone can just go scrounge in the kitchen and find something to snack on.   87 times a day.  It's true, they eat a lot.  My grocery bill is only going to get more and more out of hand.  And that's OUTSIDE of this food drive.  :) 

*I'd like to add that I do feel bad when I'm selecting food out of the pantry for them to take - because I will make sure not to give the last of something away because really, that just means I'd have to add it to the grocery list and ugh, too much time.  Man, that sounded snotty.  I will also be sure to pick things that I know the boys don't enjoy the most.  But OTHERS may really LIKE that food, right!??!?!   Hmm, I don't feel quite so charitable now that I wrote that out.  Oops.