Say It Ain't So Already

What Not to Do if You Donate Food to a Food Bank

March 25, 2011 at 4:57 PM Leave a comment

I worked at my local food bank today.  The place was apparently swamped yesterday so the volunteers didn’t have time to restock the shelves.  Thus we had plenty to do from the moment we got there.  (Not complaining.  I like being busy.)

About an hour in, two ladies from a local church arrived with a trunk-load of food — canned goods, pastas, rice, shampoo and a few miscellaneous items like canned smoked oysters and salad dressing.  Their donation totaled 224 pounds and of course, we were thrilled to get it.  We love it when people bring food and other items  in because they tend to bring in things that are different from what we regularly stock.  It’s nice when the clients have a wider selection, even if it’s only a marginally wider selection and, unfortunately, only temporary.

After the ladies left and we began to distribute what they dropped off, we noticed that several of the canned goods were expired.  I mean, really, really expired — as in six and seven years expired.

Folks, food banks have standards, or at least, the one where I work does.  We respect our clients.  They may be poor but we don’t just throw food at them — be it rotten or expired or opened or ripped — and expect them to be grateful.   Two, we certainly don’t want to jeopardize their health.  All packaging has to have retained its integrity, nothing (like a box of crackers) can be half-eaten (yes, we get that too), and we check expiration dates.

So if you decide to donate to a food bank, check the dates on the food you’re donating.  I think it’s so disrespectful to pass your old stuff off on them.  It disrespects the food bank, the volunteers who work there, and the clients who depend on it.

Thank you.

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