Operation: Lessons Learned

'Tis the season of holiday food drives. Of course the need is year round, but there's something about the bitter cold to remind me that someone else doesn't have a coat, or sleeps outside every night; the huge feasts help me recall that many don't have enough on a regular basis; and the extravagant toy shopping helps me to realize that just one of the gifts under the tree would be a dream come true for many kids.

So this year, we did something a little bit different for one of the local charities, Operation Holiday. While we usually raid the shelves/pantry for the food drives at school, or go searching for old, but good coats in our closets, this year we took a much more direct approach to the giving season. My mom was the catalyst: she had taken the kids shopping last year, to let them pick out food to give to the food pantry. This year, she would be busy helping dad recover from his bypass, but wanted them to have a similar experience. So she gave the kids $20 each, and a few days later the kids and I headed to the grocery store.

Owen grasped the concept easily:

Lauryn was entirely sure she'd rather keep her "dollar" for herself.
(She was hiding it behind her back in this photo.)

Once inside though, it became a game to pick out our favorite meals and snacks. The kids walked through the aisles, carefully deciding what items were too expensive, what would be tasty for kids, what kinds of meals they could make with each purchase. Owen kept a running total, and as we inched closer to the $40, their choices were much more calculated.

The purpose of staying within the $40 wasn't that we couldn't afford more; it was about the kids realizing how far the money could go, how much it cost to feed a family, how much their favorites cost each day.

Here was the total:

$46.83

I had agreed, from the beginning, to pay the tax, for ease of calculating. Tax= $2.78

46.83-2.78 = $44.05

I had agreed they could each pick out a snack for themselves (because it was already 4:45, they were hungry, and I forgot to put the lasagna into the oven before we left, so it was going to be at least an hour, after we returned home, before supper was ready.) They picked out Yogurt Raisins ($1.69) and Muffins ($2.29)

So $44.05-2.29-1.69 = $40.03

They spent exactly $40.03, before tax.

And here's what it bought:

Once we spread it out on the kitchen table, Owen was thoroughly amazed that for the price of one new video game, he could buy all this food. I'll admit I too, was impressed with the purchases. Of course we couldn't buy all the expensive perishables: meat, milk, cheese, butter, bread etc., but still we did get quite a lot for our $40. It has forced me to take a closer look at my own grocery habits.

The kids and I made a list of what we bought. If one family of four were to receive all that we gave, what could they make? Realizing that we couldn't buy the perishables, and expecting that the family would have certain basics at home, here is what we calculated:

4 suppers of spaghetti, sauce, veggie and fruit
4 lunches of mac and cheese with fruit
2 lunches of soup, veggie and fruit
2 tuna casseroles
2 tuna sandwiches
12 breakfasts
5 weeks worth of PB&J for school lunches
3 loafs of bread
1 batch of cookies
2 months + of Rice
2 weeks worth of afternoon snacks.
Enough popcorn for 12 movie nights

Operation Holiday is now $40 richer in food. Another family will have enough to eat this month. And the kids learned a valuable lesson. (I think I did too.) 'Tis the season!