The Grumpy Bachelor Does A Good Deed

Tomorrow is the big collection day for Food For the Hungry. Now I am always hungry, but this is for people who have a difficult time doing something about it. You can take one look at me and see that I have no trouble doing something about it. So last night I decided to go through my stockpile and see what I had to donate.

They need non-perishable items. OK, that means I don't need to look in my refrigerator. Not only is everything in there perishable, most of it HAS perished.

Pasta is an item that is always in demand. I know I have a lot of pasta in my cupboard, but it takes me the better part of an hour to find a package that hasn't been opened. I double check the little window to make sure that just the box is green and not the pasta.

Canned goods! Those are non- perishable! Well, except for a few cans way in the back of my cupboard, they're non- perishable. Let's see what I've got. Two whole shelves of green beans. Now that's tempting.

I don't care much for green beans and don't have any idea what possessed me to buy so many. Maybe they were on sale. This would be a good time to get rid of them, but I decide not to. I'll bet I'm not the only one who has enough canned green beans to sit out a nuclear attack. They probably have more than they need. Believe me, I have it on good authority.

Let's see what else is up there. Here's a can given to me last Christmas by City Editor Chris Blackburn. It's cocktail meatballs. Never had the nerve to try them in a martini. Chris says he uses them for his infamous meatballs with grape jelly sauce. I've tried his concoction and I'm they aren't any better in a martini. But I bet they are good by themselves, so I throw them in my bag.

In fact there are several cans of meat and I'm sure they could use anything like that. Tuna fish is included in that category too. Sorry cats.

Next I come across several boxes of hamburger help-out. If you've ever tasted my cooking, you would know that I need all the help I can get. But I have plenty of this stuff and no hamburger in the fridge. (At least none of it LOOKS like hamburger, except for the stuff in the cottage cheese container, and I am pretty sure that is ... er, uh ... was macaroni salad) But I digress.

Peanut butter would be good too. I think I might have a jar that doesn't have a finger scoop taken out of it. Eighteen jars later I find one.

Sauces are good too, but that's all stuff in the fridge. Cereal, the non-moldy kind, is a fast mover for them too. I also gather up some various toiletries, soaps, a couple of disposable razors and the like. I am sure these will not be turned down and even I can't make toothpaste spoil.

My informants tell me that there will be 20 pick- up locations in the county tomorrow. The main one will be at the Shopping Plaza in the old Odd Lots building. Also Big Bear, Big K-mart, Budget Saver Foods, Kroger, Neff's Cardinal Market and Wal-Mart in Mount Vernon.

In Bladensburg there is Davidson's Grocery. The drop-off point in Brinkhaven is the Post Office. Centerburg has Hometown Market, Interchurch Branch Office, Post Office and Intown Restaurant. Danville will have drop-off points at Dale's Cardinal Market, Interchurch and Dave's Place. In Fredericktown the places to go are Taylor's Super Valu, Interchurch Fredericktown Community Library and Designs by Deb.

In Gambier, the place to be is the Village Market. In Greer it's The Greer Wesleyan Church. Howard/Apple Valley donations can be made at Floral Valley Community Center, Post Office and Valley general Store.

Last but not least in Millwood you can make donations at Spearman's Restaurant.

If I had a list like this every week, I wouldn't worry about writing a column.

But seriously folk, this is a worthwhile cause so get out there tomorrow. Tell 'em Grumpy sent you.

George Breithaupt is a photographer, copy editor and sometime columnist. This time he did ok, but we're still keeping an eye on him. We suggest that you do ,too.