I’m not feeling up to researching this statement for a broader audience (in this moment), but I can attest to what I learned many, many years ago while I was volunteering at my local food bank. I was informed by the gal who ran the food bank warehouse that monetary donations are by far the best thing you can give a food bank. You touched on it, that money doesn’t expire. So they don’t have to deal with the influx of food donations as often or as drastically.
Just like @JoshuaFalken@lemmy.world shared, an established food bank can easily stretch that same dollar for more food. I recall the gal at my local food bank informing me one day that she can buy food for 2/3rds of the store price with no sweat. I think she said the best she ever scored was 2/5ths of the store price on meat, as it was going to go bad in a week or so. And thankfully, they had plenty of county based food pantries that were able to distribute that meat to a lot of people in need. So not only could they save on purchasing, but they were also in the loop on overstock, near expiration food pushes, and also, farmers would donate whatever small amount of leftover food they had. Not to mention elderly people would had grown some squash, cucumbers, and even green onions in their garden, to be donated to the county food bank.
Sharing this actually has me remembering that there are plenty of unsung local heroes. Plenty of people who do good and don’t ask for recognition. So while the world seems like it’s all going to hell, there are plenty of good doers out there still. We just don’t hear about them. Fighting the good fight to keep us all progressing forward.
I’m not feeling up to researching this statement for a broader audience (in this moment), but I can attest to what I learned many, many years ago while I was volunteering at my local food bank. I was informed by the gal who ran the food bank warehouse that monetary donations are by far the best thing you can give a food bank. You touched on it, that money doesn’t expire. So they don’t have to deal with the influx of food donations as often or as drastically.
Just like @JoshuaFalken@lemmy.world shared, an established food bank can easily stretch that same dollar for more food. I recall the gal at my local food bank informing me one day that she can buy food for 2/3rds of the store price with no sweat. I think she said the best she ever scored was 2/5ths of the store price on meat, as it was going to go bad in a week or so. And thankfully, they had plenty of county based food pantries that were able to distribute that meat to a lot of people in need. So not only could they save on purchasing, but they were also in the loop on overstock, near expiration food pushes, and also, farmers would donate whatever small amount of leftover food they had. Not to mention elderly people would had grown some squash, cucumbers, and even green onions in their garden, to be donated to the county food bank.
Sharing this actually has me remembering that there are plenty of unsung local heroes. Plenty of people who do good and don’t ask for recognition. So while the world seems like it’s all going to hell, there are plenty of good doers out there still. We just don’t hear about them. Fighting the good fight to keep us all progressing forward.