During the holidays, many people are in a more generous mood, and the South Kitsap Helpline seems to receive lots of donated food staples for the food bank. After the holidays end and the holiday bills start to arrive, along with the worry about April taxes, the generous mood of the prior two months seem to fade away.

So who donates the other 10 months out of the year? And I’m not talking about the lovely deliveries of bread products.

Many different churches try to help with the problem in so many ways. The post office has you donate by putting canned goods in your mailbox a couple of times a year.

And every now and then a club or organization will take the time to gather food or donate cash.

Fresh produce is donated from the Farmers Market vendors at times.

Many people donate personally.

How many of you have spoken to Michele and actually asked her what they are short on?

If you’re donating lump sums of cash, go get a shopping list from Michele and save Michele and her crew the time and gas expense and go shopping for what they need (best buys can be found in bulk items).

Beans, rice, sugar, flour, potatoes and onions in those 25-pound bags can be broken down into smaller lots by Michele and her crew.

Canned and dry dog food is appreciated.

Eggs are gold to the SK Helpline, and only six eggs per family are handed out. These have to be store-bought, too.

For those of you who raise your own beef, pork or lamb, consider when you have your meat slaughtered donating some of it.

One-pound packages of hamburger would be appreciated, I’m sure.

For all the folks who have fruit trees, donate your excess. But the rule of thumb should be, “If you won’t eat it or can it yourself, then don’t donate it.”

I was appalled at what some people feel fit to donate (fruit, mainly).

This was the second August that my local TOPS Chapter 1298 has made a donation. This time it was 248 pounds of food products, including 35 pounds of meat and 15 dozen eggs.

You see, as chair of our annual foood drive I have talked to Michele. And 10 days after our firt delivery, I went shopping again and took in 10 dozen eggs and four pounds of lunch meat.

This December, when Chapter 1298 usually holds a gift exchange, we are going to skip it and donate cash, and the chapter is sending me off on another shopping spree.

And yes, I have already asked Michele, “What are the small items that would complete a holiday dinner?”

Guess what her answer was?

Packages of Jell-O, packages or cans of gravy mixes, and canned or fresh fruit.

But by all means donate those turkeys, hams, vegetables, cranberries, olive and pies, etc.

So let’s get busy and figure out ways to keep the food bank stocked.. For those of you able to write grants, that will be your contribution.

And for those with extra time on their hands, donate four hours a week as a volunteer — especially if you have bookkeeping or computer skills.

What will I volunteer extra? Well, I have an older one-ton Dodge truck and am willing to donate four hours of my time, the truck bed and gas to haul bulk donations a minimum of once a month.

ZORINA BLEAU

Port Orchard