Charity Spotlight: Feeding the Needy Together With the Toledo Northwestern Ohio Food Bank This Thanksgiving

The time-honored tradition of Thanksgiving brings family members together, both old and new, along with our favorite friends to the table to feast and be grateful for what we have. When you think about it, both of those words are right there in the title, thanks, and giving. In this light, let's get an attitude of gratitude before, during, and after the upcoming holiday season so we can give back to those who are less fortunate.

Toledo Northwestern Ohio Food Bank

This local nonprofit has been faithfully serving this region for many decades and continues to provide meals to those in need, especially children and the elderly. According to one of their partners Feeding America, which is also facing food insecurity issues head-on, the stats and facts about those who don't have enough to eat are pretty upsetting when you consider:

• Around one in eight Americans go hungry on a nearly daily or regular basis throughout the week
• This equates to about 38 million people in the United States alone
• These numbers break down to approximately twelve million children looking for a much-needed meal

Partnering Inside and Outside The Bank

One of the many ways local charities succeed in their endeavors is by partnering and networking with other organizations. It's a real win-win situation for everyone involved from the contributors to the recipients and their volunteers. Check out these providers and team members from these inside and outside of these organizations that also pitch in to lend a helping hand to those who are less fortunate than ourselves:

The Ed Maurer Insurance Agency: Along with a rewards program that donates directly to the Toledo Northwestern Ohio Food Bank, Ed Maurer and their team of insurance agents continue to contribute. For example, they'll donate $10 towards this worthy cause for every person that receives a free, no-obligation quote from one of their trusted staff members.

SNAP (formerly known as food stamps): With benefits available through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (aka SNAP), there are members of the Toledo Food Bank staff that will assist those who may be eligible to apply and reap the rewards available to feed their families. As an added bonus and similar to this type of situation, once this paperwork is in place, often other charitable organizations and government programs take this status as a future, pre-written acceptance to other means of support.

Getting Involved While Simply Shopping: There are ways those in the community are able to participate without making much of an effort while shopping at our favorite local stores. For example, the Kroger grocery store chain offers customers a program that delivers a portion of their purchases to this charity without costing them a dime in the process. Click here to find out how to apply, it only takes a couple of minutes, and your ultimate total grocery bill will never know the difference.

Operation Turkey: When it comes to a traditional Thanksgiving feast, it's often difficult to imagine this meal without a big ole turkey (and all the trimmings) being served at the table. Sadly, for many disadvantaged members of the Toledo community, these types of courses are simply out of reach for those with little, or no income available at their disposal. Operation Turkey does their best to tackle and take on this challenge head-on by delivering some 7,500 pounds of these popular poultry presentations to those in need. You can check out the Toledo Food Bank Facebook page for other updates on the challenge.

Get in The Spirit of Giving with Buckeye Broadband

Here at Buckeye Broadband, we're also proud to support these types of local (and nationwide) charities and give back to our community. As you've seen, you can help so, continue reading our blog, follow us on Facebook, and learn even more about how we enjoy Giving Local. And finally, from our family and friends to yours, here's wishing you a happy holiday season and a joyous and prosperous New Year.