An update on our trip to the Food Bank....

I was really surprised at the amount of food they gave us. They don't even ask your income just why you need help.

I've never liked the income question. A person could have a middle class income, but hospital debt could be more than they made last year. Why you need could be touchy too. Lost a job, I wouldn't mind saying, but if there was a health problem that I didn't want people to know about (think how paranoid people get around AIDs patients), I don't know if I'd appreciate that unless they just let me say I had health problems.

Thank you for best response, much appreciated.

I'm not sure if the US food banks are the same as the Canadian ones, but it's not so much surplus foods as foods/sundries that are donated by stores, private citizens, etc. Where I live, the larger grocery chains have drop off bins where you can drop in whatever non-perishables you feel inclined to purchase. During special events, people are encouraged to bring canned goods to leave for the food bank. At Christmas, there is an organization that travels across Canada, making stops at different locations, putting on shows, and asking people to bring food to donate to the food banks in those towns. During the gardening season, the food banks ask people to plant one extra row of whatever they like with the intention of giving it to the food bank. I knew a woman who, even though she was on a very limited budget, purchased $20.00 of non-perishables for the food bank each time she went grocery shopping. She believed in helping those worse off than she was in this way.

Awwwww... that was very sweet of that lady to help those more in need than herself, and I think the food bank idea is great. Now, I wonder if I could encourage that in this country? :)

Some of our churches around here do that too. With the rising cost of fuel and energy alot more people are needing a helping hand.

Sorry lightning i wasn't trying to imply that you were one of those people, and i i think its acceptable to buy a few treats for yourself! but these people would buy ALL junk and then get their staple food from the food bank. And then there were the few obese people that went there when i was going there.. how do you get obese eating at the foodbank? Does the foodbank just accept anyone?! lol

I agree that alot of people abuse these programs. It's really to bad. We buy no junk food only pop corn the kind you pop in a popper not microwave. We have cut out all pop. I bake any cookies or treats we have. We spend between 35.00 and 50.00 dollars a week on groceries and that includes laundry supplies and all paper products and health and beauty aids.

I was really shocked at how much food they gave us.

thatr will be good . and I was too at the amount ya got have a great day!

I think you can go once a month. We will be okay when winter is over and we don't have such high gas bills. I was surprised at what a great program this was.

Thank-you, if we need the help next month we will return. If things are going better I will not so that someone else who needs it more can have the help.

I was really surprised to get the shampoo and paper products. It sure was a blessing though.

We used to get those commodities when my older kids were little. I used to make awesome macaroni and cheese from that big block of cheese. I loved getting the real butter also.

Oh yes,the real butter.Thanks for reminding me.The cheese and the butter were the most special things they used to give out.