Its a major problem in my area, both for the homeless and for the scammers and you can't tell the difference. An undercover investigation learned that some of the scammers were pulling down $100M a year begging on the streets. Yup, a lot of soft-hearted suckers out there. The majority of the homeless are there by choice and/or mentally unbalanced that laws don't allow us to confine. A few years back there was a story of a homeless person dying (well known for years on skidrow) that turned out to been very weathy and had relatives.

I had a local shelter that had business cards printed that was also an invite for free food, clothing and shelter. The community was told to never give money or food directly to a begger, but give them this card instead. After 10 years of doing that I'm not aware of more than one or two out of hundreds that actually followed through. Most just cussed me out and throw the card on the ground.

My entire career has been in giving serving to people in need, including my volunteer organizations, but its truly sad how times and people have changed.

Did you ever go to the food bank? I took in food to donate. I was sick with what I saw.
Of course, little children, dirty, hungry and waiting for their names to be called so mommy could get food for them to eat.
What did they get?

(this is what p.i.s.s.e.d. me off completely) -
OLD AND OUTDATED FOODS.
Bread that was a week or more past expiration date.
Canned goods and bottled goods that were 2 to 3 years past the expiration date.
boxes of cereal - past date.
whatever fresh produce they had you would have placed in the garbage a week ago.

Just because they are in need doesn't mean they should be fed TRASH. These people are human - they deserve decent food. They don't deserve donated items that sat in someone's basement for 2 years. They don't deserve foods that have seen flood waters (bottoms of boxes showed signs).

Too lazy to throw out their garbage and they donate it to those that are so hungry and needy that they (the needy) take it and are thankful for it.

To me - that is not helping anyone, nor is it a donation. If you can't give something decent - don't give at all.

Not everyone out there lives on handouts because they are too lazy to work. Bad things also happen to good people - and it can happen right in your own family.

These people that donate garbage (including these big stores that donate foods to write-off as donations and aren't worth giving to anyone) should have to sit and eat what they have donated - see if they like it.


Sorry - but it bothers me to no end seeing something like this going on.

I've never been to a food bank where they sat around waiting for their name to be called. I only see that at the Health Clinic I go to.

At the food bank(s) I go to we stand in line, long lines now, and get food on a first come first served basis, though the elderly and handicapped get served first.....which is interesting to watch the young and "healthy" try to cheat into that line.

You may object to the old and outdated foods, bread that is a week old (seldom), and canned/bottled goods that are 2-3 years past their expiration (seldom) and produce that is very ripe (often), but it is food that can and is being put to good use and there is nothing wrong with most of it. I'm not aware of too many stores or agencies that use up space holding outdated stuff for 2-3 years.

Lots of such food is donated by stores because they can no longer sell it to people with money wanting to spend it. The bread is a few days old and the other goods are nearly at or have reached their "use by" or "sell by" dates. I've seen vitamins, however, a year or more beyond their dates but they are perfectly fine.

Fresh produce is a problem and everyone knows it and the food banks have to toss a lot of it because it goes bad even before they can get it distributed, but that's probably less than 10% of the total. Yes, it is ripe and has to be eaten immediately, but many of us are very thankful for having it. I 'can' or dehydrate much of it so that the life of the food is extended and I don't waste anything.

The volunteers that run the many (actually too few) food banks do their best to get the best food and selection possible and it is a challenge for them. They are also inspected regularly by various agencies to make sure certain standards are maintained. I'm sorry you feel the food is TRASH. I don't. I lived 50+ years supporting the agencies and now I've reached the point where I have to be a recipient and I consider myself BLESSED to have that kind of TRASH food available to me.

If one is bothered by something, then it is your responsibility to do something to change it for the better.

[Sorry for the rant but I have to defend my food banks and what they do]

CanMan - it's the people that are donating foods they won't throw out - using the food bank as a garbage bag. The big stores cut it very close with staples - I've seen that. I have found that those that are not well-off are the ones that will actually purchase staples to donate. Around here - the well-to-do are the ones that can't put their hands in their pockets for anything.

I'm not rich at all - but I will pick up additional staples at the store or warehouse and take them to the food bank. And the ones donating are the ones that haven't got much themselves. And around here - there are many more well-to-do than poor. And there are MANY poor.

Too bad those that have so much cannot recognize those that don't have.

And to the volunteers that work at these food banks - they try their very best to do the best they can with what they have.

Yes Mama I have been to the food bank here in Columbus and I'm really sorry you had that experience but ours isn't remotely like that. We have to look at the dates and throw out anything that is past it's sell by date. They are so picky in fact they threw away some stuff that I thought was still fine and would eat! I agree fresh produce is a real problem. There isn't alot of it. I wish there was more but if they can get their staples at the food bank maybe they can at least afford some grocery budget to buy fresh veg at Aldi.