Just how large is your local Food Bank?

We have two - one run by the frocked Socialists (Catholic Social Services) and a normal Food bank, run as a non-profit.

Food Bank Alaska - Our role is unique. Food Bank of Alaska works with food industry partners to salvage food that would otherwise go to waste from grocery stores, wholesalers, producers, farmers, and the fishing industry.

We also collect food donated by community members and administer government food programs. (Anchorage population 294K)

With your help last year, we distributed more than 6.8 million pounds – 5.7 million meals – statewide to 300 partner food pantries, soup kitchens, senior centers, and children’s programs feeding their hungry neighbors.

Poverty is Big Business here. Pay is pretty sweet as well.

Curious about what runs in your area - size wise.

 

From July 1 17 to June 30 18 Eastern Illinois Food Bank served 58,000 persons monthly 8.2 million meals and 1.9 billion pounds of food distributed. I think they do a fine job for those in need and if I'm ever lucky enough to hit the lottery the shelves there will never be empty

 

There are three food banks in my City and they are all operated by churches. They feed a lot of people and are smartly run. One of the food banks has a thrift shop and those church ladies sure know how to run things. I know of a neighboring christian service that is all for helping the poor. Food, classes on getting jobs etc.. they provide over $500,000 in food alone.

 

Lost count of how many there are around here, but food, housing assistance, furniture, even dental services are out there. Churches, local businesses and community donations appear to be the major benefactors.

Quick perusing on their websites show several million pounds of food are distributed to thousands of families annually.

That's not counting the LDS warehouse...

 

Government wants to control food here. So churches are distributing non-food items to those who can't afford them.

 

Did the food distribution thing in the Jaycees back in the early 90's,Definitely a learning experience!

 

There are several food banks and food pantries operating in Sydney, Australia, and there are a number of the same in NSW country regional areas...with a mix of secular and faith based charity providers. Most food banks and food pantries sell their products at discounted prices, with further discounts available to pantry 'membership' customers, and customers who are receiving government welfare benefits. Under some circumstances free 'charity' care packages may be provided by some organisations (terms and conditions typically apply).

Each organisation varies in scale and scope; some being as large as wholesale warehouses, whilst others might be quite modest, consisting of a small amount of shelving and a limited range of stock: mostly packaged food (including cans and jars). Some food pantries have fewer restrictions on eligibility, and are open to the working poor, as well as those living below the poverty line (on government benefits). Food quality is generally good, and although in some cases 'best before' dates may have expired, usually 'use before' expired items are withdrawn from stock. YMMV. Some excellent quality, indeed luxury quality stuff occasionally is available...usually supermarket run out lines that are donated as in-kind charitable tax write offs.

Some food pantries offer non-food stock, such as household cleaning products, hygiene and basic health and beauty products. Some faith based pantries come with a message from Jesus, or Allah as the case may be, though many do not.

Here are some that presently operate (as at January 2019)

Fighting Hunger in Australia - Foodbank

The Food Pantry | Addi Road Community Centre

https://www.foodbanknsw.org.au/about-us/what-is-foodbank/

The Staples Bag – Providing access to affordable groceries

 

Our main listed supplier is Helping Hands. The website says 100k meals a week.

I don't think they include meals on wheels in the calculation.

The county seat has several venues and many serve county wide. There's a ghetto urban area in the county on the north end that probably soaks up most of it.

 

Thanks. Odd that so many millions of pounds of food/meals are distributed and yet we still spend 70Billion + of 'food assistance'. Befuddling, to say the least

 

Yessir. It does seem a bit.....odd.

 

In my experience the folks on government assistance are too proud to go to the charitable handouts.

I have generally seen the disaster-poor waiting on family or insurance to help or elderly at the food bank. Nobody working there seemed to have any money either but they donated time out of good heartedness.

 

If they are on the dole, it would be double dipping in a manner of speaking.

I doubt anyone checks any more. The "Food for Kids" wagon goes to local parks in the summer. Most of the chow goes to the vagrants .... like feeding ducks, always more when they show up.

 

That is often the case, particularly when the food / aid is given as free charity. The food pantries I'm aware of, charge a nominal amount for the purchases, well below the commercial rate in supermarkets and even bulk buy discount stores...that nominal charge affords customers the dignity of having bought their goods. Most customers have some money, the pantry just enables the financially insecure the ability to make what money they have to stretch further. Some regular customers work as volunteers in their food pantry to compensate for the purchases that they would be unable to afford otherwise.

There was a time when I was compelled, as a dire necessity to seek a food parcel handout from a charity... I itemised the contents of the parcel, toted up the cost of equivalent items in the local supermarket, and when I was back on my feet financially, made a cash donation to the same charity in recompense. They were somewhat surprised.

I think the key to the work that food banks and pantries do, is to afford their customers the dignity of being able to utilise their services without the customers feeling that they are inferior or some kind of social failure for having to do so. Stigmatising the poor doesn't actually reduce poverty, it just discourages the impoverished from seeking assistance, making their poverty invisible.

 

I do not think when you sign up for food stamps you get them that day. There is the paperwork gap between applying and receiving. I am not sure how long paperwork takes but I know my Aunt (who works at a food bank/assistance center) said they are faster helping the people than the state. My Aunt's assistance center even gives out dog food for those people with pets.

 

They have food banks in every town in Maine that I have visited. One of my customers became homeless and unemployed and tried to collect but he couldn't prove he was jobless and starving in the wintertime so they refused him. They also refused his unemployment, general assistance, food stamps and state aid because he couldn't afford his child support. They threw him in jail for not paying it even though he was unemployed and job hunting. But hey, that's Christmas in Maine.

There is a very large population of heroin addicts here and they are VERY good at paperwork so they all collect what ever makes its way to the pantries and banks. From what I hear its a multi million dollar business and the guys who run them are not hurting for money. Its hard to imagine people wanting to get off heroin when the alternative is freezing to death in poverty. The local businesses can't actually find anyone who wants to work and several of them have gone under for lack of employees. Socialism in action. Maine may have friendly gun laws but the socialism and corruption is off the charts.

 

^^^ Yeah,I feed every coyote I can,Usually a .30 cal diet!

 

I have worked for salvation army and an independent Christian thrift store that was a food bank as well.
In our small community there were churches that participated too, but oft times it was not enough . There were abusers too that first got wet they could get for free and then go shopping for the expensive things .So we had to create a data base of recipenants that typically made the rounds ,and put a limit on them. People become dependent on hand outs even people that don't actually need it .
We ran out of food all the time and had community money helping as well as the thrift store funds .
Some times people had a true emergency and needed a place to stay so we put them up in a hotel over night but that was really limited . We discussed creating a homeless shelter but after a council with Salvation army, it would only attract more homeless to our area so we had to drop that idea.
In the olden days there was a social worker that performed an investigation that would determine if you were legitimate ,now days you have to rely on one's honesty .

By the way I FEED THE WILD LIFE.
I have bird feeders I maintain and what my chickens do not eat the rest of wild life clean up.
I have wild rabbits and squirrels here as well that get fed too ,they feed the owls and coyotes and bobcats .

 

The Food Bank here will take 'outdated' cans if they don't bulge. I expect the rule is more from their insurance carrier than a worry over bad Chow.

My wife comes form a itty bitty town in rural Utah (pop ~3500) One surrounded by farms. And they have a food bank. Mostly for seniors. You should see the line outside on Free (FedGov) Cheese Day. Incredible!

Thanks for the posts - glad to see a few have imposed ID requirements and cross checking.