So, today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. In the past, when asked what I was going to give up, I almost always chose some sort of food: chocolate, ice cream, soda, McDonald's chicken sandwiches (which I had developed an unhealthy obsession with). This morning, though, when I thought about what I wanted to give up, I realized that I had already given up such things back on January 1. What, then, could I give up?
The answer: money.
Okay, I need to explain that one. I'm not going to give up all of my money--I'm not crazy--but I've decided to make a donation to an organization focused on hunger and food security issues for each month that I lose weight (and as long as I am financially able to do so, of course). Thing is, I used to spend a ridiculous amount of money on junk food, and now that I don't, I want to pay it forward in an effort to atone for my past gluttony.
Since I made this decision today, I didn't donate anything after January and its 13-pound weight loss ended. I'm rectifying that oversight today, with a donation to City Harvest. As its tagline, "Rescuing Food for New York's Hungry" suggests, City Harvest reclaims food that would otherwise go to waste and distributes it to its partners, such as soup kitchens and food pantries, who in turn distribute it to New York City residents. City Harvest also has the Healthy Neighborhoods program, which seeks to make healthy, nutritious food and food education accessible to low-income individuals. They do great work that not only helps feed hundreds of thousands of people but also reduces the strain of added waste on the environment. And, most impressively, they've been doing it for 30 years!