Miami Proud: Woman puts bargain hunting skill to use for a good cause
DAVIE - A South Florida native whose parents moved here during World War II is making Miami proud.
Carol Clarkson knows how expensive groceries can be and that's why she puts her bargain hunting skills to use for a good cause.
"I like bargains," she said.
Clarkson can't pass up a good BOGO (buy one, get one) deal but for her, it's more like buy one, give one.
"Anyone can give a little bit, those who can give a lot should give more. I know in this economy there's a lot of people who need it," she said.
Clarkson scours supermarkets for the best deals on groceries, not to stock her own shelves but to help fill the ones at the Dorit and Ben J. Genet Cupboard in Davie. She donates hundreds of pounds of kosher groceries to the Goodman Jewish Family Services food pantry each month.
She tries to shop for items that aren't usually donated, like sodium free and sugar free options for those with restrictive diets.
"Paying full price you don't get very much. I find some excellent bargains. When I get nervous, I go shop for food instead of going to the mall. I go to grocery stores and pet food stores," said Clarkson.
"Carol is imperative to what we do here in the pantry. With the rising food costs, we are not able to raise enough money to buy the food for all the families we serve," said Ross Adel, with Goodman Jewish Family Services.
Adel, who is the Director of Operations at the Cupboard, lost his old job during the pandemic. He said it very well could have been him at the pantry in need of food for his family so that's why generosity like Clarkson's is so vital.
"Every little bit helps. Whether it's one can of food or boxes of food, don't throw anything away. One man's trash is another man's treasure." he said.
"Because I have personal income, I feel I have to share. God blessed me with the income and I feel it's important that people and animals that don't have such good fortune, share in it," said Clarkson.
She said her generosity is in her DNA, her family has been giving back to the community since they moved to Broward County in 1939. In addition to donating food, she's also known to make financial contributions whenever Goodman Jewish Family Services is in need.
