On the heels of Thanksgiving come the consumer-driven “holidays” of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Barely are we able to fully feel the blessings of being surrounded by family before we’re quickly headed in search of material bargains.

Our friends at local food banks remind us there’s another date on the calendar that’s not to be missed.

Giving Tuesday is Nov. 29. This global event encourages communities to do good deeds and usher in the charitable giving season.

Giving comes in many forms and many sizes.

You know the feeling of handing someone your cart at Aldi instead of taking it back to the corral to retrieve your 25-cent rental fee?

Picking up the tab for the person behind you in the Starbucks drive-thru?

Volunteering your time and talent at the food bank, with area civic groups and larger organizations like Habitat for Humanity?

Are you smiling? Feels good, right?

During a recent scroll through Facebook, I came across a post that suggested a way to give back in a small way each day. This Reverse Advent Calendar, per passionatepennypincher.com, collects for food banks. It begins Dec. 1, just as traditional Advent calendars do, but instead of receiving a small gift each day, you place a pantry item in a box. On Dec. 24, the box is complete and ready to be taken to the food bank.

Here’s the list:

Dec. 1 - box of cereal

Dec. 2 - peanut butter

Dec. 3 - stuffing mix

Dec. 4 - boxed potatoes

Dec. 5 - macaroni and cheese

Dec. 6 - canned fruit

Dec. 7 - canned tomatoes

Dec. 8 - canned tuna

Dec. 9 - dessert mix

Dec. 10 - jar of applesauce

Dec. 11 - canned sweet potatoes

Dec. 12 - cranberry sauce

Dec. 13 - canned beans

Dec. 14 - box of crackers

Dec. 15 - package of rice

Dec. 16 - package of oatmeal

Dec. 17 - package of pasta

Dec. 18 - spaghetti sauce

Dec. 19 - chicken noodle soup

Dec. 20 - tomato soup

Dec. 21 - can of corn

Dec. 22 - can of mixed vegetables

Dec. 23 - can of carrots

Dec. 24 - can of green beans

An unofficial tally, following a quick stroll through the grocery store, puts the cost of this complete box under $50.

If you yourself are pinching pennies and simply can’t spare the extra money to collect these items, no worries. Consider a smaller venture of perhaps just one or two things.

If you’ve got a few extra dollars to spare, maybe you could fill more than one box.

Remember, giving comes in many forms and many sizes.

Giving is about doing right by others - and, subsequently, doing right by yourself.

Kelly Lutterschmidt

editor

Whitehall-Coplay Press

Northampton Press

Catasauqua Press