No more food pantry at the library

[debodun]

I stop in once a week to check what was brought in. There hasn't been any new items in for 2 weeks. Today there was a sign on the cooler "NO MORE FOOD DELIVERIES STARTING IN JULY". I asked the librarian why and she just shrugged. The senior center has also been deficient in their usual offerings. I wonder what's going on?

 

[Imogene]

It is likely all part of the big beautiful bill plan to cut back on “waste”

Federal funding of food pantries is part of that cut back. You can Google it and get several hits.

Nashville Tennessee’s food pantry was a piece of the news this morning as they lost 30% of their funding, which means a a big loss of revenue to provide meals for the needy. They are now asking folks who can afford it to give $10. I forget how many meals that will provide, but it was quite a few.

The subject really can’t be talked about without getting political so that is all I am going to say. Just google it.——-

 

[Teacher Terry]

The Feds quit delivering food to our local pantry’s also a few months ago .

 

[Aunt Bea]

It’s probably more work than it’s worth for a small group of volunteers to manage safely.

In this area there are still several large professionally managed food pantries that are able to follow the local food safety ordinances and manage a larger volume of food with the regional food assistance program.

My Mother’s old church quietly made the switch to small grocery gift and gas cards years ago to provide emergency assistance without the headaches of maintaining a small food pantry.

 

[Babs2u]

There were two really nice ones that closed about a year ago because of greed. It was "on your honor" and there are always a few without honor. One had a giant refrigerator and people would replenish the meat several times a day. I would drive a neighbor there and wait in the car. There always seemed to be a big van waiting for deliveries. As soon as new food arrived they would rush out and grab a large portion of it. Of course I don't know their story but it looked suspicious and they didn't look hungry.

 

[katlupe]

Our food pantry at a local church is still open. My building gets a food delivery from The Food Bank of Central NY. Two boxes once a month that they deliver to our building and other senior living buildings in the area.

 

[CallMeKate]

Our food pantries are still operating well as always. There's been talk for a while now, though, about people who do NOT need "free food" coming in to stock up with freebies... that amounts to stealing from folks who seriously need it. I mean how low can ya get? I learned this because I've often donated cash to one of the local places, so kind of on the inside to hear what's going on.

 

[Della]

There's nothing surer, the rich get rich and the poor get poorer.

 

[katlupe]

Our food pantries are still operating well as always. There's been talk for a while now, though, about people who do NOT need "free food" coming in to stock up with freebies... that amounts to stealing from folks who seriously need it. I mean how low can ya get? I learned this because I've often donated cash to one of the local places, so kind of on the inside to hear what's going on.

Our food pantries make you fill out paper work. And the food bank that delivers knows everyone who lives here is either a senior citizen or disabled. I see our homeless people pushing carts with the food from the food pantry at the church. I keep thinking the food pantry might change the type of food they have by making it healthier choices and not outdated hand outs from the stores. I never get it because I don't eat any of that stuff.

 

[hawkdon]

Local kansas city "meals on wheels" are being reduced due
to lack of funding, hey it benefits the poor, no problem!!

 

[Della]

At the food pantry where my husband volunteers, people sign in and can only come twice a month. Then choose food from a list (so many cereals, so many canned vegetables, etc.)

Some people complain about having to sign in, but it's the number of names on the list that determines how much food they get from Ohio Food Bank.

The pantry often gets truck of food that were turned away from the grocery stores for various reasons, maybe slightly outdated, maybe the store was already over-stocked for the item, or just not "first pick" quality.

No one is forced to take anything, but people who are truly hungry, with children to feed, aren't always picky.

 

[debodun]

At the food pantry where my husband volunteers, people sign in and can only come twice a month. Then choose food from a list (so many cereals, so many canned vegetables, etc.)

That was the beauty the the library food pantry - no questions asked. Anyone could take as much as they wanted (with one exception). The only thing to mark down was how many people in the household. And I only took what I could use. After a while they put a sign on the cooler that only one carton of eggs per household. Perhaps some were getting greedy, or taking for others, or taking to sell. I usually just got some fresh fruit and veggies.

There's a church food pantry and also one at the civic center in the next town, but I hear that those are very strict. People can't just walk in and take. You have to fill out a questionnaire to see if you qualify - probably asks how many in the household and yearly income. I didn't even bother. I wonder if applicants get fingerprinted.

 

[Della]

There's a church food pantry and also one at the civic center in the next town, but I hear that those are very strict. People can't just walk in and take. You have to fill out a questionnaire to see if you qualify - probably asks how many in the household and yearly income. I didn't even bother. I wonder if applicants get fingerprinted.

That's the way many food pantries in Ohio work. The ones the churches run don't ask anyone to fill out paperwork right there at the church pantry, but instead ask everyone to go to Family Services to get a "voucher." This is so Family Services has a chance to offer them food stamps, subsidized housing and other free services of which they may not be aware.

Family Services will want to know the number in the household and the income in order to figure out how much money they should get in Aid to Dependent Children and the size of house for which they might qualify.

As far as I know nobody gets fingerprinted.

 

[Oldeagle66]

The government reduced the funding and many things like this. Just been all over the news for quite awhile now.

 

[Lilac]

There are always people who take advantage of things that are meant to help those who really need it.

Some smaller communities may know who is legit & who isn't because they have a better chance to know the people who live in their area. Larger places don't have this advantage & there is nothing wrong in trying to make sure the people getting food are the folks who are in need, IMO.