With the continued, relentless, Hurricanes striking the Caribbean and southern states of the US, here is a list of non-perishables that could be bought (for fairly cheap) and donated to people effected:
- Corn Starch
- Dried Beans
- Corn Syrup
- Extracts (vanilla, orange, and mint)
- Coffee (instant)
- Soy Sauce
- Sugar
- Salt
- White Distilled Vinegar
- Uncooked Rice
- Honey
- Powdered Milk
- Canned Vegetables, Fruits, and Soups (These have expiration dates, but most stay good for a very long time, even after their expiration dates)
- Nuts
- Canned Meat and Seafood
- Dark Chocolate
- Dried Fruit
- Canned Coconut Milk
- Protein Powders
- Jerky
- Coconut Oil
- Ghee
- Canned Olives
- Hard Cheeses Encased in Wax
- Seeds
- Canned Olives
- Herbs and Spices
- Red Wine
- Twinkies
- Hard Liquor (Can be used for disinfectants and to spread a little relief to of-age-victims)
We should remember that we are all human beings. If you have ever gone hungry, (even if it was one hour of intense hunger pains) you should understand that there are human beings who have lost everything they owned in the hurricanes.
See during a disaster, people tend to forget that the people in those affected areas cannot simply leave for a number of reasons; people have to stay in the area and hope for the best. Whether it be financial, medical, or no form of transportation out of the area, people are stuck. They lose their homes, family members, loved ones, pets, food, power, and so much more.
As college students, we always complain about how broke we are. But, we all know that, at times like these, we can scrape the change sitting around our rooms, miss out on one night of going to the bar with friends, or skip that one “treat-yo-self” temptation. We can make a difference to people who are suffering from the disasters Mother Earth has plagued us with for being so disrespectful to HER planet.
Even though food is a priority for these people, it is a good idea to do some Fall cleaning. Clear your minds of the clutter in your rooms, for your own mental health. A clean room equals a clean mind. Start the semester off as organized, and prepared, as if it were the first day of your Freshman year all over again. When you are finished cleaning, take any slightly used, or unwanted items, to donation centers for the victims of the hurricanes.