Be Kind to Your Web-footed Friends

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Be Kind to Your Web-footed Friends

 oon the warm weather will arrive, and with it will come the patriotic days: Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, Bennington Battle Day, With them will come America’s favorite march, The Stars and Stripes Forever, by John Philip Sousa. In case you have forgotten, this is so much a part of our heritage that we have words for the music. In case you have forgotten, the original goes something like this (there are variants, as with any folk music:

 Be kind to your web-footed friends,

For a duck may be somebody’s mother.

They live all alone in the swamp,

Where it’s cool and damp.

Well, you may think that this is the end,

But it’s not, for there is another chorus:

Be kind to all the creatures of the swamp,

Where it’s cool and damp.

      

There’s a joke version where you sing “Well, you may think that this is the end. Well, it is.” More people have come to know this than the original, but if you don’t ever sing the original, what’s the point of the joke?

I’m thinking of all this and emergency food shelves. Right now, Vermont Public Radio is having one of its fund drives. My wife has already made us sustaining members, and now she’s thinking of increasing her basic contribution to WAMC in New York (they started at Albany Medical College but now have stations that cover eastern New York and northern Massachusetts and parts of Vermont) just because she supports public radio. I suggested that she spend the money on food for the local emergency food shelf instead—our version of the Depression-era bread lines and soup kitchens.

But I have a contribution myself that I think could bring in more emergency food than just handing over some money. When I go to the grocery store (you see I’m identifying myself as an oldster here) again and again I come to the food shelf bin on the other side of the cash registers and I think “Oh, no, I’ve done it again. Forgot completely—and now it’s time to lug all this stuff home.”

So why don’t the stores put up signs at the ends of a few of the aisles saying, “Don’t forget to buy something for the Emergency Food Shelf.” It wouldn’t have to take up a lot of space, it wouldn’t hurt sales, and I’ll bet you’d see a spike in donations after the signs went up.

I’m going to pursue this with some store managers. My batting average in this regard isn’t impressive: I worked on Price Chopper for years to put a waste basket in their otherwise excellent men’s room that didn’t have a hinged flap. What sense did it make to wash your hands, wipe them with a paper towel, then push against the filthiest thing in the store to dispose of the towel? Price Chopper, probably due to someone other than myself, finally got it. The others probably wonder why so many people toss their used paper towels at the container rather than in it. Well, now you know why—and knowledge is power.

And never forget (all together now), “Be kind to your web-footed friends…”

 

Comments

[Colleen Bertrand Wright]

Hey Ed- you are so right about the food shelves- people who you would never think of as "food shelf folks" are finding themselves in need. Problem is, many of the people who have always given are now finding themselves in the position of needing to receive. That's tough on the belly and on the spirit. I know you have a good sized audience, so I am giving you some ideas to maybe pass along....discard if you like- its ok..
1.Lots of people who go to food shelves (fs) do not have cooking facilities beyond a microwave, hot plate or outside grill. State law does not require landlords to provide full kitchens. So, giving a bag of flour and some baking powder is not helpful.
2.Many people who hit food shelves(fs) don't have good teeth. Therefore, while things like beef jerky are good keepers, a lot of folks just can't chew it. When thinking proteins, think peanut butter. (Or, of course, tuna, canned stew etc.....)
3.Unfortunately, refrigeration is also not an option for many. Single serving things are good. Cereal is good. Pre-packaged, non-refrigerated items are good
4.Most of the stuff that keeps well in shelf places, is over-processed, salty, bland and starchy. Thats why you will see people who are fat at food shelves- the food itself does not provide good nutrients- just sates the appetite.

If your readers are gardeners, or gleaners, keep in mind that the food shelves(fs) can take your excess produce at any time. *While they can't hand out food that I have cooked, they can hand out food that I have grown, so some of us just grow an extra row.
*Keep an eye on decorative apple trees (those apples are good applesauce to be for people, and while prepared, home cooked food is typically taboo, frozen applesauce can be taken to some shelves, and why waste those apples?)
*Showing up at your neighbors house with a bag of veggies is never an imposition, or an insult. You all know who is in trouble near you (Or you should and shame on you if you don't) One can always stop by and say "Oh my- I am flooded with green beans- would you guys use some for supper?" or "My chickens are going crazy- could you use some eggs so they don't go bad on me?" People can accept them without shame, because you phrase it so that they are helping you.

ANYWAY< pay no attention, Ed- just some ideas in case people want to pick up some stuff for the local shelves, or if they just want to drop off stuff at their neighbors...Enjoy! Colleen Bertrand Wright