Wednesday, October 15, 2008

My daily bread: Blog Action Day

I am learning how to bake my own bread. For me it is an exercise in gratitude. When I am baking, I am thankful for my kitchen, for the time and the ability to bake from scratch, for the leeway to buy more if I mess up. I know there's millions of people in this world who have none of these luxuries.

If money is tight, being able to cook can stretch your dollar much, much further. Hillbilly Housewife knows this. I made her corn tortillas for less than half of what it costs to buy a packet. She has an emergency menu and a lot of advice for feeding a family in hard times. Sophie Gray, the Destitute Gourmet, also knows this - her cookbooks are beautiful exercises in frugal, healthful abundance.

But still, there are people who won't have the resources to feed themselves this evening. I'm sure we've all seen pictures of fights over bags of rice in refugee camps, in far flung corners of the world. I think for today, Blog Action Day, we should look closer to home.

Do you know of a soup kitchen in your area? How about a food bank, or somewhere that hands out food parcels?
I challenge you to find a charity in your area that helps feed people. I'm sure there will be more than one. Find one that aligns with your values, or that you believe does good work, and see if you can help. Donations are always great, but why not volunteer? You are reading this blog, so I know you are already interested in food. Why not help share it? We could change the world, starting with our own neighbours.

Here's some of the groups here in Canberra that provide food to those who need it:

I am proud to be part of Blog Action Day. If you're helping share food and fight poverty in Canberra, please let us know in the comments.

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