Helping the Needy... Sort Of....

The NALC food drive was today. It went well, but there's something that I notice every year. Some people don't seem to get it.
Every year we send out reminders asking people to put out "non-perishable food items". Pretty straight forward, right? And that the food is being collected for those who could be termed 'needy', yes?
Then why, every year, do I collect things people leave out that don't seem to fit that simple criteria?

Examples from this year include:

• 1 Box Facial Tissue (In case the needy have hay-fever)
• Mixed Diet Snack Bars (Various makes and flavors. Dunno, I'm thinking that if they need a diet bar then maybe a shortage of food is not the problem)
• 1 Canister of Rainbow Sprinkles Cake Frosting (Nutrition, nutrition, nutrition...)
• 1, Count 'Em, ONE Snickers Bar. (In case that particular person in need is 'not going anywhere for a while')
• 1 Package of Celery, open and a couple of pieces missing, . (The Winner of Rob's "Fairly Useless for the Needy" Prize! Already looking a little brown and wilty, this donation should just have time to degenerate into a puddle of celery-colored mush by the time it gets into the hands of someone who needs it. Huzzah!!! The reminder says "Non-Perishable" for a reason, my friends!)

Actually, this year wasn't too bad. As I recall, my all-time winner of the "Fairly Useless for the Needy" prize was last year. Someone left out a 1-lb package of raw bacon. In a plastic bag. In the sun. What I picked up was basically a bag of fat-riddled mush, that smelled oh-so-sweet....

Use your heads, people.
Oh, and thank you for donating!

Talk to you later...