Food drives and donations

[princesasabia]

Originally Posted by OpenD

I read an extensive study of these canned good drives, and the conclusion was that half of the food donated actually gets thrown away by recipients who won't eat anything unfamiliar. It's a "feel good" gesture which doesn't do nearly as much good as people think it does.

Since then I give cash donations to the charities I support, and I donate my time. The pantries can buy three cans of tuna fish for the same dollar and change I spend for one, so I empower them to do that.

I had no idea! I guess its better to give money then.

[oaktonite]

Modern food banks are like grocery stores. Clients walk the aisles and choose the foods they want. The days of handing out standardized bags of groceries are long gone. Food banks need both cash and canned goods (and personal hygiene items too). It's true that food banks can make a dollar go farther than an ordinary consumer can, but it's often easier to get people to donate food than cash, so there isn't any food bank out there that is going to complain. Indeed they actively support individual food drives by the dozen. The important thing is to give something. Whatever works for you will work for them.

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by oaktonite

Modern food banks are like grocery stores. Clients walk the aisles and choose the foods they want. The days of handing out standardized bags of groceries are long gone.

Sorry, but in my experience that simply is not true everywhere. As recently as Wednesday this week I was in a community pantry that was handing out food boxes, made up in advance, with random items inside. You are talking about an ideal situation, which unfortunately isn't replicated everywhere.

Food banks need both cash and canned goods (and personal hygiene items too).

Thanks for mentioning the personal hygiene items, because people need those too, and they are often in short supply. Even those little bottles of shampoo and conditioner and bars of soap from hotels are useful.

It's true that food banks can make a dollar go farther than an ordinary consumer can, but it's often easier to get people to donate food than cash, so there isn't any food bank out there that is going to complain. Indeed they actively support individual food drives by the dozen. The important thing is to give something. Whatever works for you will work for them.

Yes, it helps more to give canned goods than to give nothing. And I recognize that canned good drives are popular with people because they feel they are doing something tangible... AND I think it is important for people to know that going out and buying canned goods to donate is not as helpful as donating the cash directly.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by princesasabia

I had no idea! I guess its better to give money then.

everyone has his/her own ideas. I will continue to support our local food panties and give food. For those who want to give money, that is great. A lot of meals can be bought and a lot of supplies with donations. We can all read articles that claim all kinds of things. Of course some of the food goes to waste, but most is appreciated.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by oaktonite

Modern food banks are like grocery stores. Clients walk the aisles and choose the foods they want. The days of handing out standardized bags of groceries are long gone. Food banks need both cash and canned goods (and personal hygiene items too). It's true that food banks can make a dollar go farther than an ordinary consumer can, but it's often easier to get people to donate food than cash, so there isn't any food bank out there that is going to complain. Indeed they actively support individual food drives by the dozen. The important thing is to give something. Whatever works for you will work for them.

That may be true in some cases and sounds like a great plan but the ones I have worked at do not do this. We do hand out bags, but we also have tables with extra items the recepient can choose.