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What are community food banks?

One of the topics of my heart.

It was my happy experience to actually be involved in the development of the 'Food Bank' phenomenon. My mother was instrumental in starting our local food bank. The food bank is basically a place where there is ample food for the needy in the community. These include both working and out of work. Handicapped and non-handicapped. They simply don't care just as long as you are hamstrung economically over the issue of food. You've heard of the idea of having to choose to pay a bill or buy food. This is the type family we were made for. Virtually anyone with a limited income. These individual can once certified and given reference come to the food bank totally free and get adequate food for their family for up to a month. And they can do this once every month, usually.

This is a fantastic answer to the problem of families having food shortages and does work and in most cases without any government money. Believe it or not the food comes from the super markets in the area which only a few years ago were throwing out this food as un-salable as the sell-by date was coming up. That is the date on the packaging that the federal government requires so that food can be guaranteed to be fresh and safe for the customers. That's right the food is the very same as the food on the shelves in the stores, only dated, and as long as it is still 'under the wire' so to speak, that is to say that it must be given out before the date on the packaging has come and gone just as the government law requires. At this point of course there is a chance the food can have gone bad. It is surprising that there was so much food being simply thrown away to guarantee that the food on the shelves was safe. And this is indeed a major goal of the retail food industry.
That's right there was a truly massive quantity of food simply thrown out every week by all the major super markets and even the lessor's. I know this first because my mother was the one in my area that had the law changed so it was possible for the large chains of super markets to give this food away and suffer no liability. Previously these markets were open to criminal liability for any of this food being eaten out of the dumpster.
This was a wonderful thing beyond imagining to the poor that had to send their children to school early for the free breakfast needed food when the money ran-out in the house-hold-budget. In all 'the Food Bank' has since been a revolution in community involvement is these peoples lives and to most a vast improvement in health and stamina as well the happiness of the young as well as old. And because they cost the government nothing Food Banks have spread across the country like wild fire. Like the free meals the 'Food Banks' have had a spectacular influence on the lives of people with limited income.
These charitable organizations are fully funded not by the government but other means, most frequently by the Church's or are non-profit organizations within themselves. They must be diligent and responsible in the picking up of the donated food-stuffs and seeing to it that it gets to someone before the date on the wrapper. For this the need large trucks and drivers and of course an office with large storage space. All work at least five days a week and some even more. These individuals are seemingly tireless workers and are deserved of our utmost praise and thank you!

Learn more about this author, G. C. Langley.
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