Desperate People, So Sad

[blondietink]

I live in a rural area (closest neighbor 1/4 mile away). Today was garbage day and I decided to clean out the pantry, a catch all for all kinds of junk besides canned food. We usually put our garbage out in plastic garbage cans because of the coyotes. The regular garbage went out in these. The garbage from the pantry went out in regular garbage bags. I threw out a lot of old expired canned goods, along with some stuff in boxes like old cake mixes, hamburger helper, etc. After setting the bags of garbage out this morning, at least 3 cars stopped by to pick over the garbage. We are used to this. Usually they take stuff like metal, non-working electronics or other recycleable stuff. Today they were ripping open the bags, but neatly, and sorting through the old food and taking it! This is stuff I wouldn't even donate to a food pantry it was so old. People are really getting desperate in this economy, for sure. We have never seen this behavior in regards to the garbage here before. It makes me want to cry thinking people are so hungry as to take old, old, food. Next week I feel like putting out some real food for these people to take.

 

[junebug]

very sad times indeed.

 

[babyrich]

I live in a rural area (closest neighbor 1/4 mile away). Today was garbage day and I decided to clean out the pantry, a catch all for all kinds of junk besides canned food. We usually put our garbage out in plastic garbage cans because of the coyotes. The regular garbage went out in these. The garbage from the pantry went out in regular garbage bags. I threw out a lot of old expired canned goods, along with some stuff in boxes like old cake mixes, hamburger helper, etc. After setting the bags of garbage out this morning, at least 3 cars stopped by to pick over the garbage. We are used to this. Usually they take stuff like metal, non-working electronics or other recycleable stuff. Today they were ripping open the bags, but neatly, and sorting through the old food and taking it! This is stuff I wouldn't even donate to a food pantry it was so old. People are really getting desperate in this economy, for sure. We have never seen this behavior in regards to the garbage here before. It makes me want to cry thinking people are so hungry as to take old, old, food. Next week I feel like putting out some real food for these people to take.

Although it is very sad you may not want to put out real food because what happens when you cant or dont want to put out real food. It may be anticipated that something will be there for them or word will get out and more people will show. Donate to a local food pantry. If there isnt one in the area than maybe a local church. My DH and I have donating items to the church and the pastor has given them families he knows needs them.

 

[ilovemk76]

Canned food is good well past the expiration date (a year or maybe more). The head of FEMA reaffirmed that during Katrina.

Stuff like hamburger helper has an expiration date for the spices. It is not spoiled after the expiration date but it will have very little taste.

I agree with a PP, don't leave food for them but donate to a local food bank.

 

[figment3258]

Very sad times indeed.

 

[bettymae1121]

My DH worked at KFC for a time in his early 20's. At the end of the night, any cooked food that hadn't been sold was put outside into the dumpsters. DH noticed some homeless men would then come and take the food out of the trash. So DH started putting the food into proper containers and then placing them nicely in the dumpters, so it wouldn't get mixed in with the really icky trash. His boss got mad at him, but DH didn't care, he just kept doing it for as long as he worked there. He figured anyone desperate enough to pick food out of a dumpster deserved to have it.

 

[mistysue]

They might not be desperate, they might just be cheap... I've met some of my local garbage pickers. Many aren't needy at all, they just won't spend their money on what they can get free.
My sister used to take from people's trash and found some amazing things.

 

[KS Dis Mom]

Our food pantry will NOT take expired food, they will throw it out......check with your local food pantry before taking expired food. Many pancake/bread/cake mixes can make you very sick past if used past their expire dates.

 

[pampam]

It's a shame you didn't clean our your cupboards before so you could have donated to the food bank. My heart goes out to some people trying to get by in this economy.

 

[Leshaface]

So incredibly sad

 

[daraddg]

Our food pantry will NOT take expired food, they will throw it out......check with your local food pantry before taking expired food. Many pancake/bread/cake mixes can make you very sick past if used past their expire dates.

I dont think she was talking about donating expired food to the pantry that is why she put it in the trash

 

[disykat]

Many people are saying the OP should have donated the expired food - the point is, you can't.

As for being sad she was too late, sure, but how many of us haven't found expired food in our pantry? I'm pretty organized, but I know I have.

 

[let'sgo]

One of our local charities asked for any canned food you may have, even expired. They said that the farmers take the expired stuff as feed for the pigs.

 

[Marionnette]

Many people are saying the OP should have donated the expired food - the point is, you can't.

As for being sad she was too late, sure, but how many of us haven't found expired food in our pantry? I'm pretty organized, but I know I have.

I think the OP was going to put good, unexpired food out next time. People are telling her to just donate THAT food to a food pantry instead of encouraging the garbage rumaging.

 

[blondietink]

OP here - Yes, I do donate food and usually to the post office food drive they have every year. But, this expired food was hidden behind some other stuff. There is a local food pantry run by the churches but they won't take expired food. Yes, the garbage pickers are out every week, but this is the first time I hae seen anybody actually taking food out of the garbage in front of the house. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

 

[a1tinkfans]

One of our local charities asked for any canned food you may have, even expired. They said that the farmers take the expired stuff as feed for the pigs.

wow, thats interesting...and what a great idea to support local farmers...

 

[mpls_mm]

A lady here was fired for taking a container of 2 day old soup that the convenience store she worked out had thrown in the dumpster. Unemployment upheld the "stealing" charge. How bad is it for you that you wait until you get off work to get a container of soup out of the trash for food (she did claim it was for her dog, but who knows) and then you get fired for stealing?

http://www.radioiowa.com/2011/08/24/court-says-woman-fired-for-taking-soup-cant-get-unemployment/

 

[bdcp]

They might not be desperate, they might just be cheap... I've met some of my local garbage pickers. Many aren't needy at all, they just won't spend their money on what they can get free.
My sister used to take from people's trash and found some amazing things.

That's what I was going to say. People do things like that even when the economy is good. Don't assume they're desperate.

I have family members in another state who made very good money, but stood in line when the gov gave away surplus cheese years back. It was really meant for the poor, but no one checked. But, in their mind, it was free and it saved them some money.

There are people who dumpster dive as a hobby and others because they are so unbelievably cheap.

 

[waltslostnephew]

Yes We Can!

 

[babyrich]

We have people who take the trash too; but they have taken lamps, a printer, an old bench; but never have I seen anyone come and rummage through the old food even when we have thrown out expired cans or boxes. There is a big difference. We have a regular guy around town who rides around every night before trash pick up and takes anything metal and sells it for scrap.

It is so sad now, our church food pantry get calls every day from families needed assistance; but donations are so low now that they cant help all the families that call.