Day 17 ❦ Leftovers can provide meaningful giving opportunities.

Day 17

The Gift: Left-over food to the Salvation Army

Leftovers take an unfair rap. In my home, because we eat spectacular food and I always cook too much, a leftover meal can easily be the equivalent of a gourmet meal in most homes. It is not unusual if you come to my home unexpectedly during meal time for me to pull out a six course lunch or dinner for you to enjoy. I love to share my cooking and you will notice that several giving opportunities in this book are related to “special meals” that I gave to people. I am only mentioning this to increase the level of esteem in which you might hold the term “leftovers” when thinking about them as a legitimate gift. In this case, however, the leftovers were fairly pedestrian - but meaningful. We had company for a cookout over the weekend and when they left, we had many unopened food items leftover that we would not eat because they did not adhere to the “Dr. Phil Plan”. So in an effort to maintain a “no fail environment” I took these food items over the local food shelf where they were gratefully received. As I talked to the woman who accepted my gifts she commented that so many people don’t think about giving these kind of “leftovers” to their local food shelf thinking them not good enough (and throwing them away), when in fact, they are exactly what are needed on a daily basis.

❦ Leftovers can provide meaningful giving opportunities.