A photo is worth a thousand words. Yet, I sometimes struggle to take great photos of my children. On the other hand, they're usually pretty excited about milk. They love milk and I love that it's an easy and affordable way to provide them with the nutrition they need. Since they sometimes tag along with me on visits to my dairy clients, they also see the behind-the-scenes work that goes into their favorite drink. They take some pride in knowing where their milk comes from.
When I heard about the "Ten Gallon Challenge," I knew that it was a great way to get my kids involved in helping others in need. The challenge is simple: Purchase 10 gallons of milk and donate to your local food bank.
Since my children know many of our local dairy families, they can understand that buying milk supports those farm families. Milk prices are the lowest they've been in years and milk consumption has also dropped significantly in recent years. Many small, local dairy farms are struggling to survive.
While my local WHEAT food pantry is well supported with donations of non-perishable food items, they spend a healthy portion of their budget on milk. Milk is often the least available, but most requested item at food banks.
The "Ten Gallon Challenge" is a simple and affordable way to help with two major food issues. I purchased 20 half-gallons of milk for less than $30. Since my pantry supports many elderly couples along with families, half-gallons allowed more flexibility in their milk distributions. The smaller containers also allowed my kids to help load at the grocery store and unload the milk at the pantry.