With food prices rising, hunger is on the rise, and families are struggling to get by. In response, organizations such as soup kitchens have been popping up in communities around the world. However, it can be difficult for these nonprofit organizations to provide enough time and resources without help from other organizations. By collaborating with local companies, Food Bank for Monterey County has come up with a new way of supporting food banks- the “Pantry” project. This innovative project combines grocery stores with food bank donations to get more people involved in donating their food to those in need. Read on to learn more about this initiative that is changing how we think about giving back.
How the Pantry Project Works
The Pantry program differs from traditional food bank operations in that the food donations received do not go to people who are struggling to pay for food. Instead, the daily donations of donated food come straight from one of three Monterey grocery stores that in turn give a 5th or 6th of their patrons’ purchases to local food pantries and shelters multiple times per week. Food boxes would normally be picked up by an organization such as a food bank and redistribution. By combining this with visits from grocery store employees, they are able to eliminate an organization altogether which is beneficial for all participants in this project. ©Pantry Project/
Features That Make the Pantry Project Successful
To make up for shortages of time and resources with operating kitchen programs by food banks, companies such as Cirbicades (Food bank)to provide donated fresh foods to soup kitchens on their premises throughout the week rather than attending permanent catered meal programs at soup kitchens during months when they are not available. Their goal is simple: if you don’t feed people, they can not feed them—the idea being that too many people do not receive assistance because of living situations that make it difficult for a non-profit or charity involved in helping families out of hunger conditions provide sustenance without outside help and collaboration—and as noted earlier, offering any kind of assistance can be tough when running multi-million dollar companies by volunteers means staff stints and donating plenty of free labor. With food insecurity becoming a nationwide issue (and one with simple solutions), this increased supply available anonymously to numerous families is what a soup kitchen program by doeeders but also can eliminate long wait-lists.
What the agencies feel they get out of the idea is that people who may wind up without help now have yet another way to receive assistance without having to search for that person, for organizations or for more donations. For example, the Monterey market identifies an itemizable price per ounce and then dedicates it by paying 4 percent of it, thereby able banks and food pantries these donations direct from the stores gives them an oversight every time
