Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Skip Peel - Mineral Consultant on April 1, 2020 at 11:40

Want to do something to help?  I suggest that you consider making a donation to your local food bank.  I just did.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Skip Peel - Mineral Consultant on April 2, 2020 at 2:37

How You Can Help Food Banks Serve People in Need Amid Coronavirus Crisis

Food banks are struggling with a surge in demand and a decline in resources and volunteers

wsj.com  By Michelle Ma April 1, 2020

Food banks are strained, as the economic shutdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic threatens to overwhelm cities’ social safety nets.

With canceled food drives, reduced grocery and retail supply sources, shut-down pantries and older volunteers stuck at home, the remaining food pantries are serving more people with fewer hands.

Feeding America, a network of 200 food banks nationwide, for example, said 92% of its food banks reported an increased demand from people seeking help, according to results from a member survey.

The Food Pantry of New Orleans, operated by nonprofit Giving Hope NOLA, went from serving 3,300 households a month to 300 a day, according to Betty Thomas, the pantry’s chief operations director.

“I’ve never seen it this bad before, and I was here after Katrina,” said Ms. Thomas.

Florida’s food banks typically make 5,000 pickups a week from grocery stores and other retail sources, according to Robin Safley, the executive director of Feeding Florida, a network of 12 food banks across the state. Those pickups have decreased by 90%. “Now you might get two pallets instead of a truckful,” she said.

Some food banks are resorting to purchasing food to fill in the gap, and are confronted with higher wholesale food costs. New York’s Met Council, which runs the country’s largest kosher food pantry network, typically pays $1 for a dozen eggs and has found itself paying $3 a dozen this week, according to CEO David Greenfield.

How to find your local food bank

Many organizations have created Covid-19 resource pages on their websites listing their needs and guidance for volunteers. Consult your local food bank’s website for what support it needs.

For example, Food Bank for New York City is not accepting volunteers, instead using a temporary paid workforce as a safety precaution, according to Erin Hill, the organization’s vice president of giving and engagement.

You can find your local food bank by entering your ZIP Code in Feeding America’s database, which covers most of the food banks in the nation.

Should I donate food or money?

The best way for people to support food banks now is to donate money, said Mr. Greenfield, a point echoed by food bank leaders across the country. Donations of food, while helpful, are also time-intensive to sort, organize and repack with diminished staff.

While most food banks wouldn’t turn away any donation of food, particularly non-perishables, it would take a lot to match the amount that food banks are able to procure cheaply for themselves.

“Think how much you would have to do to get 3 million pounds of food through food drives,” said Natalie Jayroe, president and CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank, which operates in southern Louisiana and typically keeps 3.5 million pounds of food on hand.

Monetary donations would also go toward defraying increased transportation costs. According to Ms. Jayroe, freight companies are charging more, anywhere from 10% to almost double pre-pandemic prices.

Can I still volunteer?

Another crucial need for many food banks: volunteers. Most rely on an older volunteer base who are now encouraged, if not ordered, to stay at home, according to Andrew Cheyne, director of government affairs for the California Association of Food Banks.

Businesses and schools that usually help organize drives have also canceled events. As a result, many food banks, which are considered an essential service, are encouraging young and healthy people to step up and help.

Food banks are changing how they distribute food to safeguard against spreading infection. The New York City-based City Harvest has redesigned its mobile markets to prevent lines from forming and to make sure people are maintaining a safe social distance, according to Jennifer McLean, the nonprofit’s chief operating officer.

Many food pantries typically operate grocery-store style, allowing people to pick what they want. Now, they are offering premade boxes or bags of food, distributed drive-through style, according to Mr. Cheyne, with the food placed directly into a car’s trunk. Some places ask people to schedule their food pickups to prevent overcrowding.

Many pantries are also following social-distancing guidelines and providing workers with supplies like gloves and hand sanitizer when they can, although the specific protections available will differ depending on location.

 

• ▶ Reply