Heather over at Clipping For A Cause emailed to share with me the success of her local efforts and how successful and rewarding the project has been to all involved. She told me about her upcoming project and I asked if she would be willing to share some info with you all as I know it really only takes a very small effort to make a big difference. I get emails regularly from readers asking how and where to donate. I love to hear about people who use couponing as a means to give back! If you are interested in organizing your own Mobile Food Drive visit Heather over at Clipping For A Cause and she will be able to give you information on how you can make a difference in your community!!
Last month, you may have read my first guest post about my new blog, “Clipping for a Cause.” Over the past month, it has been unbelievable to see how this ministry to others has evolved..all by just clipping and using coupons! So many of you post your own ideas on your blogs and websites about how you donate your freebies or “cheapo” items to your local food banks or other favorite charities. Isn’t it the best feeling to know that not only can you help your own families by saving so much money on groceries..but you can help others in need as well?!
Just recently, we have formed the “Clipping for a Cause” ministry at my church–First United Methodist Church of Lawrenceville. It is something that truly gets the whole congregation involved! There are many different parts to it, including:
Clippers: People who meet 3 times a month in a designated room to clip the coupons that will be used with the sale items that week.
Coupon Donators: People in the congregation who don’t use coupons, but would like to donate their coupons to the cause.
Shoppers: Those who shop for the items that week using the clipped coupons.
Drivers: Volunteers who drive the items to be donated to the designated charity for that month. (We have 3 main ones we are sponsoring which are all linked up on my blog)
As you can see..this is a way to get a community excited and involved with a common purpose! To date, we are approaching 700 donated items in a matter of 4-6 weeks!
After speaking to Michelle, I let her know that part of the effort is conducting a personal “Stock the Shelves” Mobile Food Drive. What I did last month and what I will do coming up on March 26th is ask neighbors and friends in the area to place one grocery bag of non-perishables outside of their doors to be picked up and delivered for them. This is an easy and nearly effortless way for others to give –February’s drive was quite a success!
You can’t help but hear every time you turn on the news about the hundreds each day who lose their jobs or may have to ask for handouts for the first time in their lives. Now more than ever, food banks everywhere NEED people like us who are willing to take the “couponing” and “extreme saving” concepts to a whole different level and “stock the shelves” nationwide.
The picture above will help you visualize just how little it takes to make a huge difference. The change that I could have literally found in my sofa cushions (30 cents to be exact!) went to purchase roughly 20 items to be donated last week!
Please visit my blog at Clipping For A Cause for more information about what you could do in your area. Also, if you are interested in participating in the “Stock the Shelves” Mobile Food Drive coming up on March 26th, let me know!
What a wonderful post! Our MOPS group has been doing this in order to purchase items for the church’s food pantry. I personally have bought over 100 items for less than $10! What a great way to bless others with what God has blessed me.
How wonderful is it to be able to give! I just posted on this same thing this morning. Our girl scout troop also does coupons to send overseas to the troops. It is all very rewarding. Thanks you for reminding us what great things we can do.
We’ve been helping a family in need. The husband was diagnosed recently with Lukemia and can no longer work, so about once a month my hubby and I have been loading up 2 huge boxes with groceries and household necessities and delivering it to their doorstep. I’m just glad we’re able to help!
I have already located a local food bank that I can deliver to and plan on donating anything that will expire before I use it (like the Duke’s bogo from last month, I will not use the second jar before it expires in July) as well as just making space in my cupboard after all this couponing! I don’t have the time to stockpile like some couponers do, so I don’t have as many items and use almost everything I do have, but this little bit helps.