Take These Cookies, Please!

Due to a series of events, I ended up with six boxes of gluten-free cookies. (It's a long story.) I opened one box of cookies, didn't like the taste of them, and pitched them. So that left five boxes for me to deal with. If I was working at the office of my day job, I would have taken those cookies and left them in the break room for someone to take. But, since I'm working from home, I can't do that. So I decided to give these cookies a good home and donate them to a church or food bank. I had no idea how much of an ordeal this would be. First I went to my city's website and looked for organizations that accepted food donations. I found a local church that would. I went there Monday to take the cookies, but they had a sign on the door that said donations were only accepted Tuesday-Friday. I went back to the church this morning to take the cookies and was told by a church worker that I had to send an email to the church and tell them what food items I wanted to donate and then wait for a response to let me know if they'd accept the food. Really? Yes, really. I left that church and went to another one and that church accepted my five boxes of gluten-free cookies without any hassle. They thanked me, said they'd add the cookies to their pantry, asked me if I needed a tax donation receipt (I didn't), and told me to have a blessed day. Thank you, church that accepted my cookies.

I never thought it would be such a hassle to give a food donation. Given the dire straits many Americans are in with Covid and record unemployment, I know a lot of people are struggling to put food on the table. Granted, cookies aren't healthy staples like rice and canned goods, but we all could use a sweet treat every now and then and it wasn't like I was peddling Twinkies and Ding Dongs. Plus, these were fancy organic, gluten-free cookies! Not junk! People shouldn't have to jump through hurtles to try and give to those in need. I understand there's a pandemic going on and donation systems have changed as a result, but institutions like the first church I visited need to be a little more accepting of help offered to them. I'm glad those cookies found a good home.

In other food-related news, why has it taken until 2020 for someone to realize the Aunt Jemima brand is past its prime? (Uncle Ben, your time is up too!)