If only there were organizations that could collect wasted food and hand it out to people who need it… oh wait, there are! Food banks and food pantries are a great way to get food to the masses who need it. But… there’s always a but…
Roughly 1 in 12 people rely on SNAP monthly. 1 in 7 people use a food bank at some point each year. This means people you know are food insecure. Let me say it again – people you know are food insecure. Studies on the USDA website say it’s around 18% of households with children that have food insecurity, and the parents are more likely to go hungry because the adults don’t eat so that their kids can.
Pennsylvania ranks better than most of the US as far as food insecurity goes. Our state has a number of programs to support people in food insecure homes. For example, universal free breakfast is available at all public schools in Pa, giving students the opportunity to learn with a full belly. They also provide a number of state grants to counties to support food charities, known as the State Food Purchase Program (Pa is the leader in this program!). But even with all of this help, food pantries really are just a supplement and don’t provide enough food for a family that is hungry.
You can find food pantries near you by visiting 211.org or feedingamerica.org. Some of these organizations are able to work with grocery stores that would otherwise have to throw the food away. In Pa, at least, it is legal for food pantries to give away food that is past its best buy date, as long as it appears to still be good. The exceptions are baby food and formula, vitamins, or medicine.
But don’t just go raid your pantry for last year’s somewhat smashed box of taco shells. If it isn’t appetizing to you, why on earth would you expect someone that is food insecure to eat it? Don’t they deserve the dignity of good food, too?
And while some people truthfully enjoy shopping for others, the absolute best way to support a food pantry usually is to give your cash. Somehow, a lot of people feel better about handing out a few cans of black beans when your $20 would go much further in the hands of a food pantry.
The reality is that a food pantry has significantly better purchasing power than a single person. So putting the cash in their hands gives them the opportunity to buy in bulk, buy at wholesale prices, or get special deals that normal people aren’t eligible for. People who work or volunteer regularly at food pantries have a better pulse on what’s really needed rather than what the average joe thinks someone else should eat.
And when people donate random items, it’s harder for food pantries to put together usable meals. One influencer spent $25 on a mystery box at his food pantry (yes he had to pay for this one) and ended up with 30 pounds of croutons. This is what happens when food pantries can’t make decisions for themselves about what to purchase and distribute.
If you do have miscellaneous food to move from your pantry, consider offering it in your local buy nothing group. Often times, people who are in immediate need will post looking for specific items or any items available and you can offer what’s in your pantry to them.
If you really want to get grassroots and boots on the ground, offer to drive for your local food pantry. They sometimes need people willing to go to the grocery store to collect items and then deliver it to the pantry where it can be distributed. Or perhaps you want to box items or be someone who actually hands it off to people who are in need.
At this moment in time, it looks like only 50% of the SNAP funds will be delivered in the month of November. Gov. Shapiro has made an emergency order to get more funding to food banks. But food pantries are going to be overrun and probably still won’t be able to fulfill the needs. So if you’ve got more than enough, consider calling up your local food pantry and seeing what they need.
Thanksgiving is around the corner and Christmas and Hannukah are not far away. Now is the time to share not just your old leftovers, but your cash.
Real people are in real need and it’s going to get worse as the month goes on.
So if you want to help – and I hope you do- call up your local food pantry and ask what they need. And while you’re out there dropping it off, check on your neighbor. You never know who might be going hungry today.