March is FoodShare Month. That simply means that there is a big push to collect food items and money for our local food shelf.

If you're not familiar with the Pine River Area Food Shelf, allow me to enlighten you. It is located in the basement of First Lutheran Church in Pine River. It is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Tuesday and Friday. It's open to anyone who is in need of food. Any family in need can get a box of food once a month. There are forms to fill out, yes, but we don't turn anyone down. We're not there to judge - we're there to serve.

I've been working at the food shelf for a number of years. When I first started, a busy day meant that about 12 families came for a box of food. Lately, that has increased to 20 or more families per day. A lot of the recipients have jobs, they just don't make enough money to make ends meet. That's where we come in - to help families stretch their dollars.

I once read somewhere that "If you have food in your refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75 percent of the world's population."

Do you see where I am going with this? If you fit into that 75 percentile you should thank God for your blessings. But, the next time you are biting into a big juicy burger, a gooey breakfast roll or simply enjoying a tasty salad, maybe you should give some thought to those in your community who aren't as fortunate as you.

It's so easy to donate to the food shelf. The local grocery stores have boxes for you to put food in that you buy at their store; they deliver the food to the food shelf. Or, you can make a monetary donation directly to the food shelf. Maybe you want to help out by working at the food shelf. You can do that, too.

Also, for the month of March, you can drop off food or monetary donations at the Pine River Journal. The Pine River Journal will match, up to $100, any money we collect.

In a world where war and crime highlight our daily news, it would be nice if everyone would practice "random acts of kindness." I know, I know, that will never happen. But, at the local level, we can certainly step up to help others in need.

You can reach Mary Bruemmer at mary.bruemmer@pineriver journal.com