Food Tidings

I will confess to you that I have a passion for my iPhone that is perilously close to idolatry. If there is anything I need to track, manage, or discuss, there's likely to be an iPhone app for it. I'm on that thing all day -- tracking calories, entering exercise, logging business miles, reading email, playing games, answering text messages, organizing my schedule, and occasionally even placing a phone call. Though all these functions serve me, there's something I discovered yesterday that serves others. And for that reason, it's worth drawing attention to it.

Today's "This-Is-Almost-As-Useful-As-An-iPhone" Award goes to .... (drum roll!) ... Food Tidings! This website is a whip-smart idea but very simple to use. It is a way to organize meals for your friends and family in need. I've been on the receiving end of a bazillion group emails about such efforts, so the idea of relieving my inbox and being directed to one site where you can get all the info you need about dietary preferences, delivery schedules, and the meals that others are making is quite attractive.

I especially like the fact that when you sign up to make a meal, you are prompted to enter your planned dish. Several years ago a friend of mine who had cancer sheepishly admitted that he and his family were grateful for all the meals and support they had been receiving, but they were truly tired of chicken. The Food Tidings site will let you see what the people before and after you are making, so you can tweak your menu if needed. 

What do you use Food Tidings for? You could use it to organize meals for someone with a chronic illness, a woman on bed rest during pregnancy, for a family in bereavement, or even for a friend facing a grueling project or deadline. The uses are only limited by your imagination and compassion for others. 

Comments

[Nana Vinar]

I remember after giving birth our friends blessed us with meals. Since it was in the fall, each lady was inspired to make lasagna and an apple crisp. Delicious but repetitive!

[sheila]

Have you heard of lotsahelpinghands.com?

This is a resource we're thinking of using to coordinate volunteers for a friend who recently had surgery. Goes beyond meal planning to really any needs that someone might have.