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Thread: Food Banks and Grocery Stores

  1. #1
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    5
    You probably have noticed that somewhere near the front of your local grocery store there are bags or boxes of food that you can buy, that will then be sent to your local food bank.

    Now it is a sad, but unfortunate, reality, that in a country as wealthy as ours, people need food banks to get through the week or month. Nevertheless, it is a fact.

    We just returned from our local Sobey's and saw the bank of bags that one could buy to be sent to the local food bank. Here is what was in them for $10:

    - one can of chunk light tuna
    - 1 box of mac and cheese
    - 5 cans of chunky soup

    Now if you shopped for these items, you would probably find that they would cost you no more, but maybe less, than the $10 that you are being charged for the bag.

    This means that the store is making its normal profit from your charity!

    I don't want to pick on Sobey's. In fact our other local store, Fortino's, (owned by Loblaws) is in some ways worse. They put so much stuff like crackers and other boxed goods in their bags, that the local food bank ships it to another adjacent food bank because they are inundated with the stuff.

    How do I know this? My wife volunteers at our local food bank.

    So, you say, what can I do?

    In this case there is an answer.

    We do NOT buy food for our local food bank. We do regularly give CASH!

    Food banks can take the cash, and buy WHOLESALE the actual items that are needed by families. Healthy items like fruits and vegetables and fish and chicken, and staples.

    So for that $10 you pay at the grocery store the food bank can buy roughly:

    - 2 cans of tuna
    - 10 cans of soup
    - some fresh fruit and vegetables.

    And

    YOU get a TAX DEDUCTION if you ask for it.

    Win for the food bank. Win for you. 'Dommage' not as big a win for Loblaws or Sobey's or whichever big grocery store you shop at.

    For once you can actually make a difference by your actions.

    (Please note - we have no axe to grind with the big grocery chains; we shop regularly at one or the other. We just don't EVER buy their food bank bags)
    This thread is currently associated with: Apple, Fortinos, Loblaws, MAC Cosmetics, Staples


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    Canadian Guru macw1960's Avatar
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    I don't buy their bags either as I prefer to donate from my stockpile for special holidays and events or when I am grocery shopping.





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    Are these brand name products or store brand?

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    I used to run a neighbourhood food bank so I know a lot of these tricks. Those bags are actually a contract between the charity, store and food companies for example one store has a contract to support one food bank charity and not the others. Food companies will give discounts to the store to feature their foods and will provide exclusive contracts to charities for discounts as well. You will see this in Christmas hampers when all your items are generic brands from one company vs a mish mash of various donated items.
    Food banks have become big business now with both private and public funding. It is up to the consumer to decide where their hard earned money is used.
    Social enterprises is the newest phase rolling out. This is micro loans for charities to provide job training skills by creating sellable crafts (they need a contract for purchasing supplies), environmental services (need contract to buy supplies to plant trees and community gardens).
    I remember spending my Christmas holidays asking and begging for donations and any leftovers. We left no stone unturned. We had a very eager volunteer who gave everything out on our first day back in January. The rest of the winter was very lean and the people were very lucky to even get one item from us. So contracts for the bigger food banks help with keeping the shelves full even when donations are down. Our neighbourhood ended up trading clothing with other neighbourhoods just to keep the clothing supplies fresh. One neighbourhood became the last donation spot because they converted the clothes in quilts and sweaters were pulled apart and made into reusable yarn.
    Last edited by sirandrewr; Sun, Apr 26th, 2015 at 05:52 PM.

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    The one thing that bothers me about donating cash is that I don't want to be paying salaries, I want to be helping hungry people. I believe the executive director of Feed NS earns several times what I make, and that just bugs me.

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    Canadian Guru dededi's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Zonny View Post
    The one thing that bothers me about donating cash is that I don't want to be paying salaries, I want to be helping hungry people. I believe the executive director of Feed NS earns several times what I make, and that just bugs me.
    There is always the big wigs getting large wages from most charities, I try to find out the percentage that actually goes to the people it was intended for.

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    Mastermind Natalka's Avatar
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    ^ That's why it's good to check with your local foodbank to see what's on their most-needed list.

    What ours requests right now, but that changes - often on the list they have things like peanut butter, as well. They take anything and everything - and I know it's all used.



    I've never gotten the pre-packaged bags from the grocery stores, nor do we give cash.
    It's usually pretty easy to figure out what type of items to donate.

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    Those bags are designed for convenience. It is much more cost efficient to purchase things on sale to donate or using stuff in your house hold.

    I agree with Natalka on checking with the food bank. I used to volunteer and then worked as a summer student during high school at my local food bank. We always had a list of things that we were in need of and things that we were overwhelmed with. Couple of things that I found we were always in need of was feminine hygiene products, adult diapers and toiletries like shampoos and conditioners, and rice. Check with your food bank to see if they will take large bags of rice. Many will just put the rice in smaller bags to give out. Also, please don't give dented or unlabeled cans. We often couldn't actually give them out as we couldn't guarantee safety of the product or the actual contents. We usually had a cart of unlabeled and dented cans that was a free for all but had a sign about choose at your own discretion. We had someone come back and yell at us because the can he had was dog food.

    One thing that I think a lot of people, both users and non-users of food banks, seem to forget or don't realise, is that food banks are not designed to be the sole source of food for a person or family. Clients had complained that the food we gave them was not enough but what we give out are staples. We rarely had fresh/frozen foods or fruits or vegetables because we just couldn't store them. We gave out staples so that their money for food could be used for vegetables and proteins.

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    I agree with Natalka and Trishka about checking with your local food bank. My local food bank accepts perishables at their central location (during weekday working hours only), so juice, bread, yogurt, etc. can be donated too.
    Natalka, Angela273 and macw1960 like this.

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    I find the attitude of some workers when you drop off food items is off putting.. I used to donate lots, long before I started couponing.. I've found people seem put out having to spend time unloading my car instead of showing a tiny bit of appreciation for what i've brought in.. An appreciative attitude encourages people to want to do more.. indifference and treating you like you are messing up their day for showing up dampens the giving attitude.. I just give to people, someone knows who need a helping hand now.. I have some physical challenges and couponing is actually hard work for me.. the appreciation helps me feel I can still make a difference. With regards to donating the money.. I can certainly triple or at the least double the value of those $$ and sometimes the ratio is much higher.. I think this post is not really valid for couponers.. we wouldn't spend $5 for a bag of food we could get free or near free.
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    Thanks for the post dirtdog. That was interesting and informative to me. I would never have thought of giving money. For some reason I just thought people gave food. Thus the name "foodbank".
    It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness.

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    Senior Canuck GracieAnne's Avatar
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    I never ever give money to charity, there's always another way to help. The thought of donating money to go to someone's $500,000 yearly salary is just sickening.

    I regularly donate to the local Humane Society, I try to at least once a month take a bag of cat food and anything else in my stockpile that's in their most needed list. Also not as often, but once or twice a year I'll take a few bags of extra food from my stockpile to the foodbank. At least you know your donations are going to the needy and not to someone's third vacation home.
    Angela273, Zonny, macw1960 and 3 others like this.

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    Sometimes I look through my pantry, see something I thought I was going to use and never did. Or we're going to an event and they ask for food bank donations. I always have extra canned/dry goods to donate.

    I'm not sure if any food bank executive is making $500K, but almost certainly over $100K.

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    Quote Originally Posted by dirtdog View Post
    Here is what was in them for $10:

    - one can of chunk light tuna
    - 1 box of mac and cheese
    - 5 cans of chunky soup

    Now if you shopped for these items, you would probably find that they would cost you no more, but maybe less, than the $10 that you are being charged for the bag.
    I wish I could get that for $10.
    Ciel, macw1960 and Durham Couponer like this.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Cake View Post
    I wish I could get that for $10.
    Where are you in the country? Ontario's Giant Tiger:

    Tuna .88
    KD $1
    5 cans "chunky" Primo soup .88 each, or $4.40
    = $6.28
    Join the Ajax Coupon Group: https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/119179048289492/

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