What You Can Do

-- Donate food to your local food pantry.

-- Organize a real or virtual food drive.

-- Donate shampoo, toothpaste and other personal-care items. They can't be bought with food stamps. Donating these items can help free up money to buy food.

-- Make a cash donation. For the holidays, $28 can provide a family of four with a healthy holiday meal -- a turkey with all the trimmings, said Bread for the City's Kristin Valentine.

-- Volunteer. Thanksgiving and the December holidays are peak donation and distribution times for food pantries, and they could use some help.