What to Give a Food Bank
Fact: in all likelihood, a given food bank does not really want your donated food.
Well, it's the truth all right; food banks don't really want food so much as they want money. Unless you're a farmer, a restauranteur, a manufacturer or run a supermarket, they'd rather you give money instead. The last thing they need from you is food, thanks all the same. And how come? After all, food banks serve as central collection and distribution points for donated food. What else could a food bank want - and why! What about the news that they're seeing a big drop in donations from producers such as those farmers, grocers, and manufacturers?
But that's only a surprise until you consider all the details involved.
The main reason food banks would rather receive monetary contributions instead of food from individual donors is because of the food banks' unique purchasing power. Yes, a lot of the food in a food bank is actually bought, not donated! But at a very great discount, one in which little if any profit is made by the sellers, such that a buck can buy six boxes of cereal (while for everyone else six dollars are needed for one single box!)!
Yes, the discounts are that steep, so steep that it makes more sense for you to just give them money instead of food.
And don't forget that operating a food bank costs money above and beyond any necessary for food. While many people volunteer their time, there has to be a small cadre of full-timers around. A food bank needs someone to administer all the paperwork, after all, not to mention someone to drive all that food around, distributing it or picking it up, never mind expenses for rent and utilities! For example, in a metropolis like New York, City Harvest handles around 57,000 pounds of food daily - that's some three million every year. This takes trucks, and truck drivers. This is how come even though you may have as much money as people like Isaac Toussie or television weatherman Al Roker, your money still helps - more than your food will!
About the Author
Paul Wise recommends sites such as http://www.isaactoussiemba.com where industry pros meet to discuss industry trends.
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