The New York Times, like much of the country around this time of year, is in a giving sort of mood. But despite our best intentions, giving isn’t easy.  Following up on an article last week that announced severe shortages in food banks across the country, today’s Times published an article which declares that giving is more complicated than it used to be. Food giving, the article says, no longer simply refers to bringing a can of wax beans to your local food pantry (though it still means that, too).

Kim Severson writes in So Little Time, So Many Charities to Feed,

“…figuring out where to direct help can be complex, especially in an era when tens of thousands of such programs exist.

Charitable groups dedicated to saving farms from bankruptcy or delivering vegetables to poor urban neighborhoods have popped up in recent years. So have groups that build organic gardens in struggling school districts or protect endangered indigenous foods like the O’odham pink bean.”

So, do you stick with the can of beans to the food pantry? Give to a food bank like City Harvest? Donate to a Jewish hunger organization like Hazon Yeshaya, or Mazon? It turns out, just like there’s no one perfect diet for everyone, there’s also no perfect place to donate.

“The question to ask yourself as a donor is, What problem do I want to solve, and how do I best think that it could get solved?” said Melissa Berman, the president of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors…”

I would add that, just as we all need to eat, so is it our responsibility to help others - or support those people who are helping others.

So what’s your favorite food charity? If you have one, list it below - if not, check back in the comments section for ideas.