Moose Jaw & District Food Bank Grateful After 1700 Lbs Donation
The Moose Jaw and District Food Bank are jumping for joy after a massive donation from an area farm.
The Huron Hutterite Farming Company donated over 1,700 pounds of fresh produce earlier this week. Included in the donation were carrots, zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes, beets, corn, and much more.
It was very nice to see with our non-perishable food items really going down this year due to a lack of food drives, says Moose Jaw and District Food Bank Operation Manager Terri Smith. Its really nice to get that fresh produce so we could add that to our hampers and also help out a lot of non-profits as well.
Smith explains that due to donations like this with one, their weekly food hampers are stocked nice and full for their clients.
Its nice to see your client’s faces when you can give them that fresh produce that they cant afford right now,” says Smith
This larger donation was part of many that the food bank has received this summer, which Smith says is unusual.
A lot of colonies have been dropping off a lot of produce, their gardens have been very lucrative this year. A lot of local gardeners bringing in their excess of tomatoes, cucumbers, you name it thats whats been coming in and were trying to hand it out in a timely fashion so we dont have any wastage.
As we head into the cooler months, the food bank does expect those fresh donations to slow down, but they have a plan in place to hold them over through the fall and winter.
Distributing Food Where Its Needed Most
With the help of farmers, wholesalers, restaurants, community members, and others, we source the food for over 45 million meals each year. And thanks to our hundreds of partners in the community, were able to get that food to the individuals and families who need it most.
450+ Food Assistance Partners
Donation Drive To Support Lethbridge Food Banks As Demand Rises
LETHBRIDGE, AB The Alberta Motor Association wants to do its part to help out local food banks.
AMA Vice-President of Corporate Purpose Jane Flower says the company is partnering with Food Banks Alberta and select grocery stores across the province to collect non-perishable food for vulnerable families.
We saw the urgent need across the provinceespecially in rural areasand reached out to Food Banks Alberta to see how we could help, says Flower. Nobody should have to choose between putting food on the table or keeping a roof over their familys head.
Drop-off donation bins will be placed at the following grocery stores in Lethbridge between Friday, September 16-30, 2022:
- Safeway South, 2750 Fairway Plaza
- Safeway West, 1-550 University Dr.
- Kens No Frills, 425 13 St. N
- Troys No Frills, 4 Aquitania Blvd.
- Real Canadian Wholesale Club, 1706 Mayor Magrath Dr. SW
- Save-On-Foods North, 45-1240 2 A Ave. N
- Save-On-Foods West, 401 Highlands Blvd. W
- Real Canadian Superstore, 3515 Mayor Magrath Dr. S
- Sobeys Uplands, 327 Bluefox Blvd. N
All proceeds from the Lethbridge food drive will go to the Interfaith Food Bank and the Lethbridge Food Bank.
Interfaith Food Bank Executive Director Danielle McIntyre says they need all the help they can get this year.
We are still struggling with some supply chain issues, sometimes our food orders are shorted or we dont quite get everything we asked for, and we certainly have a lot more clients right now, says McIntyre.
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Shred Event Offers Chance To De
If you have personal documents you are ready to part with, you can shred them safely and help the Newmarket Food Pantry as part of an upcoming Shred-it for charity event this October.
The event is hosted by Andrea Bartley of IPC Securities. She held a similar event last year to help people dispose of personal documents they had been holding on to and said it was a big hit.
“People over the last few years have been at home and had nothing else to do, cleaning out their closets and all their personal documents. So it’s been great to give people an outlet for donation, they can come in, drop off all their stuff, and it’s all secure and they can see it being shredded at that moment and not have to worry about it,” she said.
Bartley thought it would be good as an annual event to help people de-clutter and also protect them from identity theft or fraud.
“There’s been a lot of fraud out there. Whether it’s people going through people’s garbage, there’s spam and the emails,” she said.
You should be careful when disposing of any documents that contain personal information that could be used to steal your identity. This includes bank statements, investment account statements, old credit cards, old ID cards, tax statements. Bartley said the consensus is you can part with anything older than seven years.
“They may be cleaning out or moving an elderly parent out of a home. This may be a great opportunity to go through all those documents and get rid of things,” Bartley said.
Ner Insight: How Local Delivery Through Project Dash Expanded Hunger
Especially during times of high inflation, seniors depend on access to nutritious food from food banks and food pantries but transportation and other barriers often stop them from getting the food they need. Food insecurity remains high among seniors, and although food assistance programs exist, seniors often face barriers to access them because of transportation, mobility, and technology challenges. Unable to carry heavy food boxes on their own, many seniors are under-serviced by existing charitable food programs.
In Pennsylvania, more than 337,000 older Pennsylvanians are eligible for the Senior Food Box Program which provides nutritious food packages to low-income residents through the USDAs Commodity Supplemental Food Program but only 10% of those eligible for the program benefits are enrolled to receive the food box in 2022.
To remove barriers and increase enrollment in the underutilized Senior Food Box Program, DoorDash and Hunger-Free Pennsylvania, the states partner in administering the federally funded Senior Food Box Program, launched an innovative partnership to deliver healthy, nutritious groceries to homebound seniors. By delivering charitable food directly to seniors in their home as part of DoorDashs Project DASH social impact initiative, this partnership alleviates transportation and other barriers for seniors like managing a 25- to 35-pound food box while emphasizing convenience and dignity.
This article is a sponsored post provided by DoorDash.
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Anyone Can Be A Food Donor
Anyone can donate food, including farmers, distributors, wholesalers, retailers, restaurants, cafeterias, hotels, cruise ships, and households, just to name a few.
- EPAs Excess Food Opportunities Map is an interactive tool that displays the locations of nearly 1.2 million potential industrial, commercial and institutional excess food generators and more than 4,000 potential recipients.
- Gleaning is the collection of excess fresh foods from farms, gardens, farmers markets, and other sources to provide it to those in need. Typically, volunteers partner with a farm to glean excess fresh produce and deliver it to a food bank or food pantry. Learn how to develop a successful gleaning program with this USDA toolkit .
If You Want To Make A Food Donation Give Nutritious Non
Your local food bank will likely accept almost any non-perishable food item, but here are the items that food banks want the most:
If youre donating canned goods, look for cans labeled “low-sodium” or “no added salt.”Too much sodium increases a persons risk for heart disease and stroke, and food insecure individuals may already be at higher risk. Also, stick to fruits and vegetables that are canned in water instead of syrup, or that are labeled “no added sugar.” As too much sugar increases a persons risk of type 2 diabetes, and makes it harder for people with type 2 diabetes to manage their blood sugar. And, again, people who are food insecure may already be at a higher risk.
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Where Can I Donate Food Locally
There are many places to donate food locally. Some places include food banks, soup kitchens, and pantries. You can also contact your local government or community organizations to see where they recommend donating food.
If youre moving, youll need to find a safe place to donate food. Feeding America is one of the largest non-profit organizations in the United States. There are Second Harvest Food Banks all over the country. The Central Texas Food Bank provides food to over 16,000 people in 21 counties each month, distributing over 3.1 million pounds of food. Through its government advocacy program, the Central Texas Food Bank encourages members of Congress to take action to end hunger. The North Country Food Bank has a significant impact on Minnesota and North Dakota. The Northeast Iowa Food Bank serves 16 counties in the region, with an estimated population of 47,000 people who are poor and unable to afford adequate food.
What Not To Donate
Although the items food banks accept can differ, there are a few set rules. If you try to donate any of the below, food banks cant accept them: Items that need refrigeration
Your local food bank may not have the freezer or refrigeration space needed to properly store these items. They may be working with retailers and other organizations in order to source fresh food. Expired food
Even if youre donating canned food, make sure it hasnt gone past the use by or sell by date. Food with packaging concerns
Food banks cant accept donations when there are concerns about the packaging and how fresh the food is inside. For instance, if the packaging is ripped or a can is severely dented, its better not to donate it as the food could be spoiled or tainted.
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Help Us Stop Mass Homelessness
The UKs food poverty rate is already among the highest in Europe. Despite being the sixth richest country in the world, millions are struggling to access the food they need.
But anyone can donate to a food bank and it is one of the most direct ways of helping local people at their most desperate time.
Never donated to a food bank before? Dont know where to find the local collection centre near you? Not sure why they exist in the first place? Heres everything you need to know.
What Are Other Ways To Support Your Local Food Bank
Before collecting items to donate, it is best to reach out to your local food bank to see what they need. Feeding America has a registry that makes it easy to locate and contact the food bank closest to you.
Do not attempt to donate home cooked or baked goods, though. Food pantries can only accept items in their original packaging.
When browsing your pantry at home or making a shopping list, remember that food banks can accept unopened, non-perishable items, so skip the refrigerator and freezer aisles. Instead, check out this list of essential foods to donatetheyre always appreciated.
Food banks in some communities also need volunteers, especially as older volunteers choose to stay home. Contact your local food bank to see how you can volunteerand dont forget to be patient. The staff is thankful for your help, even if they arent able to respond right away.
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Is Food The Answer
Food banks hand out emergency parcels to meet an immediate need: the thousands of people across the country who would not have anything to eat that day otherwise.
But many food banks agree: food poverty cant be separated from poverty, and food handouts are not the answer to the UKs poverty problem. They want the government to strengthen the benefits system and improve low pay across the country to make sure people can afford food in the first place.
Sabine Goodwin, coordinator for IFAN, told The Big Issue: The buck cannot stop at the doors of food banks.
Some could be forced into the unthinkable position of not even being able to offer reduced parcels to people unable to afford the bare essentials, she added.
This is never going to be resolved by food, Goodwin said.
Food banks are also receiving fewer donations from the public compared to recent months, Goodwin added, and are operating with fewer and fewer volunteers. Those remaining are exhausted.
People are going back to work. That moment of Blitz spirit has passed, she said. Some food banks might be alright now but the system is so fragile, when the expected surge in demand comes they wont be prepared.
This impossible scenario cannot be imposed on charitable food aid providers when the solution is so clear, she added
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What To Donate To Food Banks And Food Pantries
Is it better to donate food or money to a food bank? If you can afford to do so, the food banks we spoke with provided a unanimous answer: Money is better. Food banks have incredible buying power because they are making bulk purchases, and they can stretch a single dollar into multiple meals.
If you look at the food bank model and what a food bank can do with a dollar, the amount of food it can acquire for a dollar is way better than what you and I can do at a grocery store, explained Scott. In most cases, a food bank can provide up to 4-5 meals with a single dollar.”
However, if youd prefer to donate food or supplies, Scott and Jeff both strongly recommended checking in with your local food bank before heading out to the grocery store. Food banks needs can vary widely based on the season, the needs of the community theyre serving and what types of donations theyve recently received. For example, during harvest season, they might get a sudden influx of fresh produce, but have very little fresh fruit and vegetables during colder winter months.
In general, the following are almost always in high demand and should be at the top of your food bank items list:
- Shelf-stable proteins, especially peanut butter, nut butter and canned meats
- Low-sodium canned foods, such as low/no-salt soups and vegetables
- Cleaning supplies and sanitation items
- Personal hygiene items
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Food Banks Feed Millions
We checked in with Scott Baker, the state director of Feeding Missouri, and Jeff Ambroz, grants and research manager at Second Harvest Heartland, for their tips and insights on how you can best support local food banks and food pantries.
Feeding Missouri works with a statewide network that includes the states six food banks, which in turn serve over 1,500 food pantries, community feeding organizations and emergency food assistance programs. Each year, Feeding Missouri helps these groups distribute over 120 million pounds of food. The organization also works to raise awareness, funding and resources for combatting food insecurity. Scott has been working with Feeding Missouri for over 11 years.
Second Harvest Heartland is a food bank that serves 59 counties in Minnesota and western Wisconsin. Its distribution center supplies over 1,000 different program sites, such as food pantries, meal programs and after-school programs. In a single year, they distribute enough food for 97 million meals! As part of their mission to end hunger, Second Harvest Heartland also works to help sustain the environment. Jeff has been with the organization for over seven years.
Both Feeding Missouri and Second Harvest Heartland are part of Feeding America, a national network of food banks and nonprofit organizations all working together to end hunger in America. The Feeding America network provides over 4.3 billion meals annually, reaching over 40 million people in need.
How To Volunteer For A Food Bank
With over 30% of food bank project managers over 65 years old and therefore classed as at-risk, food banks are struggling with a lack of personnel to help deliver parcels due to Covid restrictions. Speaking to the Guardian, Emma Revie said, We are definitely in need of additional volunteers. One of our biggest threats is people becoming unwell and unable to volunteer.
Your local council website is likely to have a page on volunteering in your area, specifying any food banks local to you and if there are roles and jobs available. You can also search using The Trussell Trust website .
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How You Can Donate Fresh Food To Food Banks
Food banks are a critical resource for many people in the United States who struggle to put food on the table. One way to support food banks is by donating food. However, you may be wondering if you can donate fresh food to food banks. The answer is yes! Fresh food is always welcome at food banks. In fact, fresh food is often in high demand because it is perishable and difficult for food banks to obtain. There are a few things to keep in mind when donating fresh food to food banks. First, make sure the food is properly packaged. Second, donate food that is in season and will not spoil quickly. Third, consider donating fresh food that is grown locally. By following these guidelines, you can help ensure that your fresh food donation will be used to help those in need.
Homemade items, for example, are not typically accepted as donations by food banks. Consider the products and supplies youd find at your local grocery store, such as feminine hygiene products and cleaning supplies. Food Rescue US, Feed the Children, and Meals on Wheels are all excellent places to turn for assistance. If youre throwing out leftover food, instead of throwing it away, consider donating it to Food Rescue US for conversion into delicious meals. There are ways to help No Kid Hungry in addition to raising money and organizing donation drives at work.