Thanksgiving pause: share the wealth

A national holiday that centers on a family meal highlights the fact that many can barely feed themselves on a daily basis. Those of us who live comfortably can take this as an opportunity to give a bit back to those not so well off.

1. You can donate in money/goods: the Daily News provides a list of organizations taking food donations and points out that gifts of Thanksgiving turkeys are running way behind this year. The United Way, Salvation Army, and groups like Philabundance are particularly grateful for money donations during this busy time (most of their food drive periods are past).
   
   
2. You can donate some time, especially in the next few days: Old Pine Community Center (at 401 Lombard) is serving as the clearing house for some 50,000 cans of food donated to food drives around the region, which need to be sorted for distribution to a number of food cupboards and other charities in the greater Philadelphia area (which will run off this bounty for some time). They need hands starting this afternoon (the truck pulls up probably as early as 2:30) and extending late into the evening (a second shift starts around 5-6); work will continue all day Wednesday (starting at 9am) and possibly Friday if there's still stuff to be done.
   Help them be done by tomorrow!

Update: The Old Pine sorting got finished by a real deluge of volunteers. They'll be loading up cars from the various agencies this morning (Wed), but it could imaginably all be done by lunch. Thanks to everybody who helped out!