topic Re: FOOD BANKS in Community Chat

FOOD BANKS

ShowMe — Tue, 22 Nov 2016 23:15:30 GMT

They are showing a local food bank going through the donations that have been made. It's amazing the food that has been collected. The Boy Scouts just had their collection this past Saturday, and they donated their donations to the food bank.

It is amazing how many folks still need food..... What I have been wondering is what do these people do during the rest of the year to get their food......?????

Please don't get me wrong, I think this is a wonderful thing for those that can't get food any other way.

Re: FOOD BANKS

cherry — Tue, 22 Nov 2016 23:20:18 GMT

My church has a food bank every week, another church has a weekly soup kitchen. People are given meat as well as staples and fresh produce

My husbands chiro has a donation place in his office. He always gets a lot of food donated.

Re: FOOD BANKS

deepwaterdotter — Tue, 22 Nov 2016 23:23:47 GMT

The food bank in my town makes food available year-round to those who qualify. The local butchers, farmers, and cannery are happy to fill the refrigerators and shelves to keep it stocked. It is a blessing for those in need.

Re: FOOD BANKS

CelticCrafter — Tue, 22 Nov 2016 23:30:26 GMT

Our township Food Bank is opened year round to give and accept donations.

Re: FOOD BANKS

tansy — Tue, 22 Nov 2016 23:31:33 GMT

People are more generous around the holidays but there are food drives in my community year round.

Re: FOOD BANKS

Mominohio — Wed, 23 Nov 2016 00:34:21 GMT

I prefer to donate to food pantries at other times of the year, because they get very low on supplies at other times.

People donate heavily during the holidays, and I think it is better (for me) to give during the 'off season' when the need is still there, but the donations aren't always available.

Re: FOOD BANKS

SahmIam — Wed, 23 Nov 2016 01:02:06 GMT

One of my sons volunteer at our county food bank. It's been an eye opener regarding how it is run, the issues they face and how they deal with donations.

One of the biggest problems they face is receiving expired food. If you can't eat it, what makes you think the poor/needy can? Having to tell the person/company that they can't accept it due to it being expired has shown my son the true ugliness in the word including the attitude many have: "they should be grateful for getting anything!!".

Donate food YOU would want to eat; that YOU would want to serve your family. Remember that canned fruits or fruit cups may be the only time a child EVER gets to have any type of fruit. Remember that it's not just food but detergent in order wash their clothes; diapers for babies, ANYTHING that you find you reach for on a daily basis.

Food banks deliver far more than just food to those in need. Far more.

Re: FOOD BANKS

Mz iMac — Wed, 23 Nov 2016 01:03:59 GMT

In my town the food bank is open 2 days a week to anyone who lives in the county. No questions asked. All you need is a photo ID. A "customer" can use the food bank every 28 days.

Re: FOOD BANKS

libbyannE — Wed, 23 Nov 2016 01:10:01 GMT

Most food banks are open year-round. We take food to one regularly. Everyone, please donate, and don't forget pet food! If in doubt about what to give, call the local food bank and ask what they especially need.

Re: FOOD BANKS

jlkz — Wed, 23 Nov 2016 01:12:44 GMT

Years ago my church had a container for donations to a larger township food bank. Whenever I dropped items off, I noticed only canned goods and detergents.

I visited the larger bank to ask what they did for meats like chicken, turkey,etc. They said they use check and cash donations to purchase those items.

So, every other month, I mail them a nice check for meats and refrigerated protein items.

I feel better donating to local folks in my small community who need help. I am sure it helps them out.

Over time it is amazing how losing or changing jobs and health issues can impact a family.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Re: FOOD BANKS

Noel7 — Wed, 23 Nov 2016 01:12:55 GMT

Hi @ShowMe

I think it's more that people who are poor can't afford the extravagance of a Thanksgiving dinner so they tend to do without the turkey and trimmings.

This is a way of making sure they too can have a holiday.

Our small 15 lb turkey cost $58. Prices around here are terrible and there are a lot of people barely getting by.

Re: FOOD BANKS

happycat — Wed, 23 Nov 2016 01:19:34 GMT

I don't know where these folks get their food, but where my daughter does to church, they have an early morning breakfast and feed mainly homeless folks every Sunday.

She texted me last Sunday and told me that she had just got to the church and there was an old baby stroller with a sleeping bag, a blanket and what looked to be possibly all of someones earthly possessions right there at the front steps.

I'm afraid that some of the churches we attended when she was young wouldn't have been so welcoming.

Re: FOOD BANKS

Stray — Wed, 23 Nov 2016 01:24:38 GMT

In our area, there are many organizations that serve meals and deliver food daily including all of our senior centers. In NYC, St Francis of Assisi still has the bread line and it's always long....the breadline has been in existence since 1930 and starts everyday at 7 am. Some older people who need food who can't get to the line receive food from the Friars and volunteers at home.

Re: FOOD BANKS

DiAnne — Wed, 23 Nov 2016 01:25:23 GMT

I volunteer every Monday in a food bank that is open four days a week. We have amazing volunteers. We get donations from Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, Safeway, PCC (local co-op), Costco. Volunteer drivers pick it up every day. They send us all the deli (Pre-made salads and sandwiches), produce, bakery items. We also get large donations from Amazon but they deliver.

We get the food from the Post Office food drive also. That is where we get all the expired food. You would not believe the amount of food we throw away.

Re: FOOD BANKS

cherry — Wed, 23 Nov 2016 01:32:19 GMT

I have heard the first soup kitchen was started in Detroit (during the depression)by Fr Solanus Casey, a Capuchin Friar. Men would line up looking for work and Fr Solanus pitied them in the cold with nothing to eat. So he orgnized a hot bowl of soup and sandwich and a cup of coffee. Humble fare but greatly appreciated

It took off like widfire and soon other places followed suit. Fr Solanus was a very humble man, but is in line for sainthood

It just goes to show, any idea to help the poor, is an important one

Re: FOOD BANKS

Noel7 — Wed, 23 Nov 2016 01:38:25 GMT

San Francisco is blessed to have GLIDE MEMORIAL CHURCH. It has been serving the poor and anyone who needs help for decades.

"GLIDE's program is the only one in San Francisco to provide 3 nutritious meals a day, 364 days a year, to the city's poor, homeless and hungry."

787,395 meals served in fiscal year 2014.

Daily Meals

We began serving meals in 1969 as a volunteer-run potluck for 50, and now serve on average 2,163 meals a day with the help of 30 kitchen and security staff and thousands of volunteers each year. In 2014, GLIDE served 108,511 meals to seniors, 93,481 Coffee House meals, and 2,481 meals to families with children.

Breakfast: 8am - 9am

Lunch: Noon - 1:30pm

Dinner: 4pm - 5:30pm (Monday - Friday) and bagged lunches served Noon - 1:30pm (Saturday & Sunday)

Senior Meals

The dining hall is reserved for seniors each morning from 7:30am - 8am.

Holiday Meals

GLIDE invites the community to special meal services during the Holidays, including Thanksgiving and Christmas.

We are so grateful to have Rev. Cecil Williams, age 87, who began this wonderful work and his wife Janice.

Re: FOOD BANKS

happycat — Wed, 23 Nov 2016 02:28:23 GMT

@Noel7 Wow, that is amazing! Too bad there aren't more places like that.

Re: FOOD BANKS

Zernia Rose — Wed, 23 Nov 2016 05:46:52 GMT

Noel7:

Glide Memorial Church is a beacon of hope in San Francisco! On visits to San Fran, I've seen people lining up for the services provided.

Also, thanks to all of those that posted comments on this topic that are reminders that many caring people are helping to fill the voids in their communities.

Re: FOOD BANKS

151949 — Wed, 23 Nov 2016 06:12:21 GMT

Ok - first of all , most of our clients at our food bank are not the homeless and totally broke -- they are the working poor. They make less than livable wages, many are single Moms who have deadbeat husbands and a huge chunk of their income goes to pay for child care so they can go to work. The food we give them every 2 weeks would barely feed a woman and a child for about 3 days - They must still shop at the grocery store. We got in many Thanks giving turkeys this year and we did make our clients a Thanksgiving box which was basically a turkey, gravy,cranberry sauce, instant potatoes and stovetop stuffing and fruit for dessert.

For those homeless who are actually & totally without funds we do provide them with a small tent when we can get them, and toiletries and a bag of food that doesn't need to be cooked. Mostly cereal , powdered milk, ramen noodles, crackers and peanut butter & jelly, graham crackers, tuna and canned chicken, canned sausage, and as many protien bars as we have to give.Sadly, they don't get much in the way of fruit & veggies. People tend to donate a lot of bicycles to us and we do give them out to certain homeless who we know get day work whenever they can to help them get to a job.Lack of ability to get to a job is a big problem for some folks.They don't have enough money to ride the bus.

It is amazing how little some people exist on.

Re: FOOD BANKS

itiswhatitis — Wed, 23 Nov 2016 07:38:25 GMT

@cherry wrote:
I have heard the first soup kitchen was started in Detroit (during the depression)by Fr Solanus Casey, a Capuchin Friar. Men would line up looking for work and Fr Solanus pitied them in the cold with nothing to eat. So he orgnized a hot bowl of soup and sandwich and a cup of coffee. Humble fare but greatly appreciated

It took off like widfire and soon other places followed suit. Fr Solanus was a very humble man, but is in line for sainthood

It just goes to show, any idea to help the poor, is an important one

@cherry, yes. Even Al Capone began one....