Food pantry rant

[dogluva]

Ghee. I give a lot to charity. Always do it quietly and usually prefer no attention to be drawn to me when I do it. I would NEVER donate stained clothes or expired food. I really have a problem with your comment.

If you have nothing, what is wrong with a stain or two. I just don't understand what is wrong with a child wearing a shirt with a stain. Maybe not to church or school (my kids would) but to hang out on the weekend in? Maybe because I have six kids, a stain her and there doesn't bother me much. I can't be the only one who's kids wear stained clothes once and a while. Where are you mothers who don't sweat the small stuff and don't care if their four year old matches????

 

[dogluva]

You reminded me of the problem our food bank had (maybe still has), too much tomato sauce and paste donations. It seems around here that is the thing most people donate. Last years fall drive they had to ask folks to please NOT donate tomato sauce or paste.

This is so funny because when my Girl Scout trooph helped organize our food pantry (at the church we met at), there was tons of pasta but never any Spagetti sause. Maybe we should combine the pantries together. Just need somwhere to get the meatballs.

 

[Mkrop]

If you have nothing, what is wrong with a stain or two. I just don't understand what is wrong with a child wearing a shirt with a stain. Maybe not to church or school (my kids would) but to hang out on the weekend in? Maybe because I have six kids, a stain her and there doesn't bother me much. I can't be the only one who's kids wear stained clothes once and a while. Where are you mothers who don't sweat the small stuff and don't care if their four year old matches????

Or can these clothes be donated overseas? I mean I dont know if I am watching too much TV but those families really seem to have nothing

ETA And I am not talking about clothing that should be in the rag pile just slighty worn/stained stuff.

 

[jipsy]

Understanding the facts is always a good thing. There really is no such thing as an "expriration" date. As long as the can is not damaged or swollen, the food inside it is fine. Rice and beans never expire As long as they don't have any weevils in them, they can be stored for years and years. You are throwing away good food that could be eaten by needy people.

Here is what the USDA says about dates:

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Food_Product_Dating/index.asp

 

[Poohnatic]

There's almost always a sale at the grocery store - 5 cans for 2.00 or whatever. That's what we do. We buy the sale items and send some to the drive.

I do that when they have 10 for 10 specials at Publix and Winn Dixie. I load up on Campbell's Soups, Chef Boyardee Raviolis and Hamburger Helper.

Fortunately, those specials seem to happen right before we do the cub scout canned good drive.

Suzanne

 

[dogluva]

Has anyone gone to Niagara Falls and done Cave of the Winds? With your admission price they give you sandals so you don't slip (they have traction on the botton). They ask you to donate you sandals at the end so they can send them to some country (sorry don't remember where). It says that by doing so, you could actually save a life. So all of us did except my four year old who would not part with her new green and blue sandals. She wore them for about a half an hour before they fell apart. So I wondered afterwards how long these last for the people they donate them to. But I guess broken sandals are better than no sandals. It is either that or get glass in your foot and have it become infected.

Am I even spelling sandal right? Sorry, I don't think too well on weekends.

 

[Chattyaholic]

It's too bad some food pantries are taken advantage of. I used to be a church secretary and it was my job to give food out to people from the pantry.

They could come once a month, and they were given 2-3 grocery bags of food. For years I saw many of the same people, month after month after month. Occasionally, and I do mean occasionally, there was someone who came who truly needed the help (lost their job, divorce, etc.) but those people rarely came and if they did it was only once or twice. There was one elderly woman and her mentally challenged daughter who came quite often and she was so embarrassed, I tried to make it easier for her as she was one who was truly in need.

But the rest? They needed to get a job and support themselves. I had to bite my tongue so often after hearing comments from some of them about the "free" food they were getting. One woman asked about toilet tissue and I told her "I'm sorry, but we're out of that right now." She rolled her eyes and said "it figures!" I wanted to smack her. Be THANKFUL for what you ARE getting, don't get mad because we don't have something you want! Go out, get a job, and buy your own toilet tissue!!

There was one family who came month after month after month, year after year after year...they had a seasonal campsite at the local campground! If you can afford a seasonal campsite, you can afford your own food!!!

I rarely donate food to pantries anymore, because of the abuse of them. I prefer to donate $$ to Christian Children's Fund.

 

[Glenn]

Lots of different ideas out there. My aunt is in a smaller community. Theyve had church volunteers that garden put in a few extra things to donate, tomatoes, cabbage, fresh beans. Whatever had a good year ended up at the food pantry. They also had a box of coupons for people to look thru to see if any were helpfull. One elderly lady also made up little simple receipe card how to make simple things since so many younger people had no idea how to cook from scratch. A big pot of soup can be made cheaply & last a long time if you know how.I now how picky some places are about "damaged things". When closing my moms apartment the salvation army guys wouldnt take a dresser & mirror because of circle stains on part of the top! It was circuit 1950 & walnut. A family next door got that, the lady was very happy with it saying all she would need was a doyly over the one end.

 

[dogluva]

It's too bad some food pantries are taken advantage of. I used to be a church secretary and it was my job to give food out to people from the pantry.

They could come once a month, and they were given 2-3 grocery bags of food. For years I saw many of the same people, month after month after month. Occasionally, and I do mean occasionally, there was someone who came who truly needed the help (lost their job, divorce, etc.) but those people rarely came and if they did it was only once or twice. There was one elderly woman and her mentally challenged daughter who came quite often and she was so embarrassed, I tried to make it easier for her as she was one who was truly in need.

But the rest? They needed to get a job and support themselves. I had to bite my tongue so often after hearing comments from some of them about the "free" food they were getting. One woman asked about toilet tissue and I told her "I'm sorry, but we're out of that right now." She rolled her eyes and said "it figures!" I wanted to smack her. Be THANKFUL for what you ARE getting, don't get mad because we don't have something you want! Go out, get a job, and buy your own toilet tissue!!

There was one family who came month after month after month, year after year after year...they had a seasonal campsite at the local campground! If you can afford a seasonal campsite, you can afford your own food!!!

I rarely donate food to pantries anymore, because of the abuse of them. I prefer to donate $$ to Christian Children's Fund.

I am bothered by this post. How do you know that these families didn't need the food? Obviously they did because they were there! And I am sure some probably had jobs, too! did you ever hear of working poor?

I am glad you don't work there anymore. Nothing is worse than judging those you are supposed to be helping (and to think you actually wanted to slap her!-I hope you don't work in a church anymore). I am sorry that toilet paper lady was rude but I am sure most were very grateful.

I am glad you are no longer handing out food-obviously you resented it. However, I still don't understand why you would donate your money to a Christian's children fund because it doesn't sound like you were very christian like when you worked at the church.


Do you actually know for a fact what they are doing with your donated money?

 

[Freyja]

If you have nothing, what is wrong with a stain or two. I just don't understand what is wrong with a child wearing a shirt with a stain. Maybe not to church or school (my kids would) but to hang out on the weekend in? Maybe because I have six kids, a stain her and there doesn't bother me much. I can't be the only one who's kids wear stained clothes once and a while. Where are you mothers who don't sweat the small stuff and don't care if their four year old matches????

There´s nothing wrong with wearing stained clothes if you literally have nothing. I don´t want my kids to wear stained clothes though and therefore I don´t donate them. I´m able to donate huge amounts of clothes without them being stained and that´s what I choose to do. I don´t really see anything wrong with wearing clothes with one little stain in a not so obvious place. However, I have seen some of the clothes that people donate and many of them have huge stains on them or even so many stains that their are almost more stains than clean spots.

In my opinion a stained garment looks dirty. I don´t want my kids, or myself for that matter, to wear clothes that look dirty. I´d rather have them wear clothes with holes, which are and appear clean than stained clothes. But that´s just me.

 

[fabshelly]

I shop at a place called Freight Outlet, it's a grocery liquidator. Everything there's in good condition and not expired, but the labels have things like sweepstakes or seasonal packaging that's not appropriate for the supermarket any more. Like Halloween packaging in December, that kind of thing.
I got a case of Dinty Moore Beef Stew because the sweepstakes was over, and donated it. I'm sure that was appreciated, and it was about 60 cents a can.

 

[Hannathy]

A lot of the bigger places like Goodwill do make use of the stained clothes, so you can still donate to those kind of places. They bundle them and sell them to companies that use them for rags or to sell them to places that use scraps. So yes don't donate them to a local clothes closet but the bigger places will utilize them,just not as clothes.

I also agree with what's wrong with a small stain or two, sometimes folks are just too particular instead of being thankful. My kids wear clothes with stains, I'd be at the food bank myself if I got rid of every shirt the first time it got a stain on it.

I agree with you Chattyaholic about the food bank. If you live in a smaller town you do get to know the people and are aware of things that people who have never lived in a small area can't understand you knowing. And there are many levels of "needing". I'm sure they thought they needed it but that doesn't mean they really did.

 

[Green Tea]

goodwill is a tremendous recycler of items. If it does not sell in a month, it is shipped overseas for use by poor in third world countries.

 

[Freyja]

A lot of the bigger places like Goodwill do make use of the stained clothes, so you can still donate to those kind of places. They bundle them and sell them to companies that use them for rags or to sell them to places that use scraps. So yes don't donate them to a local clothes closet but the bigger places will utilize them,just not as clothes.

I also agree with what's wrong with a small stain or two, sometimes folks are just too particular instead of being thankful. My kids wear clothes with stains, I'd be at the food bank myself if I got rid of every shirt the first time it got a stain on it.

I agree with you Chattyaholic about the food bank. If you live in a smaller town you do get to know the people and are aware of things that people who have never lived in a small area can't understand you knowing. And there are many levels of "needing". I'm sure they thought they needed it but that doesn't mean they really did.

Who should be the one to decide who really needs something and who onlys "thinks" he needs something?

 

[Hannathy]

Who should be the one to decide who really needs something and who onlys "thinks" he needs something?

I'm not getting into this argument but in some cases it is pretty obvious is all I'll say and if you can't figure that out then keep looking through your rose colored glasses. Some people have very different priorities.

 

[Freyja]

Hannathy: "I'm not getting into this argument but in some cases it is pretty obvious is all I'll say and if you can't figure that out then keep looking through your rose colored glasses. Some people have very different priorities."

Not getting into this arguement???

 

[Mkrop]

goodwill is a tremendous recycler of items. If it does not sell in a month, it is shipped overseas for use by poor in third world countries.

That's good info to know.

I think we would all like to think that the food/funds etc are really getting to people in need but we all know that there are people who abuse the system and take away from those who need. I certanily dont want to be the one who judges but I think we can all agree that there are some who take advantage of charity.

 

[Carly_Roach]

I certanily dont want to be the one who judges but I think we can all agree that there are some who take advantage of charity.

And I'm not going to let that stop me from donating. I'm totally, unapologetically selfish when it comes to giving. I give because it enriches my life. If I can drop stuff off in the middle of the night when no one will know it was me who did it, I will. Tax deduction be damned.

IMO, if you're expecting thanks, or you're judging those who are requesting the help, then you're not giving - you're just buying personal feelings of gratification that come from someone else being grateful to you.

That's not charity. That's a purchase.

 

[mickeyfan2]

My DH did not believe me when I told them our local food pantry wanted sauerkraut. I had to show them the write up. Then he asked me why. I guess when you live in Amish country you love sauerkraut!!!

 

[mickeyfan2]

You do know that a canned good is good for 1 year after the expiration. I was watching a show during Katrina and the UDSA spokesperson.