Community Perspective
Grocery policy shortchanges Fairbanks-area hungry
Published Tuesday, May 13, 2008
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Stumble It!“I don’t know where my next meal is coming from.” Turn on the radio and TV news programs and hear that statement over and over. Money is tight these days, there is no job security and there are many job layoffs. The prices of everything — including food and fuel — are soaring.
The news this morning reported an increasing percentage of seniors are stretching their prescription drugs (taking half-doses) or are not refilling their prescriptions at all. We are all making choices about how we spend our diminishing dollars, and healthy, nutritious food is often at the bottom of the list.
The good news is that in Fairbanks we have a viable community food bank and extraordinarily generous people in the community who understand the importance of sharing the resources they have. Having said that, we all need to be vigilant because more than half of the food the food bank collects and shares comes from local grocery stores, who are for the most part national chains, not locally owned and operated. Though local people work in the grocery stores, they can only do what their regional and national bosses allow them to do.
Food Bank people stopped into one of these chain stores recently for our daily scheduled pick up, and there was a new policy in place. Produce can only be given in cases, not single, loose items, as had been done in the past.
Therefore, many valuable pounds of badly needed produce are being wasted (thrown in the trash). When we asked the store manager why such a wasteful policy existed, he told us it is a regional policy. Not every community has a viable local community food bank with the resources to properly handle produce, so the store’s decision was based on other communities’ inability to handle produce.
That is simply not a good enough reason. We have people in this community who do not know where their next meal is coming from. We have the food bank facilities to handle the food we are given in the safest possible ways and have at least the same stringent standards and training for food safety that are used in all other places that handle food.
The food bank is a convenience for the grocery stores because we have wonderful people like Glenn Hackney who work hard at accommodating any and all requests made by the store managers. So, why is good food being thrown away?
We hear about liability or the potential for liability for the grocery stores, but we can’t find any case history to prove it has ever been a real issue.
All the chains have different and ever-changing policies, so if there was a real food safety issue, why wouldn’t it be universal throughout the industry?
The answer to that question is that we all have to think about food safety all the time. There are so many recalled items on store shelves that it is an issue everyone in this community must educate ourselves about. I want to assure you this local community food bank follows the same stringent standards every other food service organization uses, and I do not see anything in state Department of Environmental Conservation regulations to prevent a local grocery store from giving us a few whole (uncut) tomatoes from a box instead of throwing them in the trash.
The point we all need to focus on is that a shortage of food for our seniors and children is more hazardous to their health than whatever the rationale is for only donating whole cases of produce, not partial or single items.
I ask again, why are a few leftover zucchini being thrown into the trash instead of being put into a food bank container for distribution to our needy families in the Tanana Valley?
So what can you, as community, do about this problem? Ask local store managers what their policies are for unsold food items like produce, and shop in stores that understand the high cost of getting food to Alaska and who make every effort to avoid wasteful food practices.
There are local grocers who really, truly care about the community we live in and we need to support them.
Samantha Kirstein is executive director of the Fairbanks Community Food Bank.
Community Discussion
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Instead of focusing on the few cabbages that are being thrown out - why not write a perspective that tells of all the good the stores do. The hundreds upon hundreds of pounds of food they give weekly.
The tone of this article sounds as if the writer is offended that the grocery store has to watch its liability.
Got some news for ya - the food given is a GIFT!!!!! Treat it as such - and not another entitlement!
Thanks to all the local grocery stores for all you do!
Sam, maybe you can do something to help yourselves. I know you're staffed mainly by volunteers, but have you looked at your operating hours? I often wanted to donate food, but your hours are atrocious, 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM, closed on the weekends. I live in North Pole and find it impossible to get off work to drop off items in the few short hours that you're open each day. Perhaps if you were open later or had hours on the weekend, you might be able to increase your donations from individuals.
For all the good it does, the Food Bank has done a lot of harm by promoting socialism. It gets free food which could easily be sold at a reduced price by the store. Some of you may have heard of supply-and-demand and capitalism and all that stuff. Or is that a bad concept nowadays? Instead, the store gets a big tax deduction for giving away something to a charity. Then the charity gives it away, thus training people to be dependent. There is no means test. If the food bank charged even a token amount, like 10 cents per box, it might help its recipients learn a little about how to become more successful.
Why the stores would rather waste then donate is beyond me. It's great that they donate, but this makes no sense!
I'm surprised that an organization who relies so heavily on DONATIONS would blast a retailer in their community who does make regular donations. Do you really want to "bite the hand that feeds you"? Complaining about a few miscellanious items that might go in the trash when you are receiving full cases? Yes, large retailers do have to worry about liability - it only takes one lawsuit!
Right on AKGUY!. Nicely put. You can certainly see the authors bias and the article is not objective all. But then, who want to read about good stuff.
The difficulty with the entire program is that is it a way of life for those that will not help themselves. We have programs just to manage the programs and the bleeding hearts that want to do more. I'm sick of hearing about that stuff because it is probably abused by 99% of the people out there.
This mentality :...an organization who relies so heavily on DONATIONS would "bite the hand that feeds you"? is so prevalent in our society that it frightens me. It is not about whether some folks can AFFORD food...in difficult times the foodbank is made available to individuals and families to free up cash (normally alloted for food) so that they can buy medicines, pay for fuel, move into decent housing, procure transportation, etc... why waste anything when there is a need to be fulfilled? In other states (Florida for example) they have removed the liablity off of restaurants and grocery stores so the public can be fed. (This law was iniated by a middle school student). I agree with Sam, we should be concerned, not just for the WASTE factor but for the NEED factor. The foodbank does an awesome job trying to cover the foodgroups but let me tell you...the food that I've seen in these boxes is mostly sugar, simple carbs, trans fat and processed foods...wonder why our poorest and needest are overweight, unhealty, and lacking energy? This is not a complaint Foodbank....but the fresh vegatables are GREATLY needed to give our NEEDIEST community members a healthy, balanced diet.
Let me share a statistic:
Food recovery is one creative way to help reduce hunger in America. It supplements federal food assistance programs by making better use of a food source that already exists.
Up to 1/5 of America’s food goes to waste each year, with an estimated 130 pounds of food per person ending up in landfills. The annual value of this lost food is estimated at around $31 billion. But the real story is that roughly 49 million people could have been fed by those lost resources.
Source: “A Citizen’s Guide to Food Recovery,” USDA, April, 1997.
too much to say:
In response to nobodysbusiness "For all the good it does, the Food Bank has done a lot of harm by promoting socialism. It gets free food which could easily be sold at a reduced price by the store. Some of you may have heard of supply-and-demand and capitalism and all that stuff. Or is that a bad concept nowadays? Instead, the store gets a big tax deduction for giving away something to a charity. Then the charity gives it away, thus training people to be dependent."
shew!! I hope you never have a need that you can't pull yourself up by your bootstraps...the food is given freely to the foodbank and freely given to those in need...it's based on the teachings of Jesus and love your neighbor concept...what about that dividend you get? You think you're entitled to that? HA! You rather see folks fall further into hunger and debt and depression and ultimately crime...I'm sorry but I give freely so that others might have..their are some that will abuse the system, oh well, i KNOW IN MY HEART THAT THEIR ARE ALOT THAT truly NEED AND I KNOW THE FOODBANK DELIVERS...
Bitch all you want about it, but the truth of the matterr is times are tough, people are having to choose what they can afford and what they can live w/o... children are suffering and some of you are so comfortable in your little lives that you can't see that your next door neighbor is struggling, we do not live in a vacuum folks, it ultimately affects us all...stop worrying that sombody is getting something for free and think about ways you can get involved, volunteer at Love INC, help that family down the road whose house was lost to fire, mentor a child, drive an elder to the grocery store, take a single mom out to lunch, go visit the Denali center and see who needs a friend...we are all in this together people, you may be sitting pretty in the catbird seat today, but tomorrow your wings may get clipped!
And one more thing...I saw more community involvement in saving the transfer station freeloaders rights than I see on fighting hunger...what does that say about a people?
In response to "OneVoice"... I said NOTHING about socialism - get your comments straight. And as to the comment about "not being able to see when your neighbors are struggling" - I do a considerable amount of volunteer work, including working with seniors who are not able to provide all of their meals for themselves. I'm not just sitting here "comfortable in my little life" as you suggested.
The point of my post was that it's very unfortunate that instead of being thankful for the donations that ARE received, the Food Bank is complaining about the items they aren't receiving. These are DONATIONS, retailers have no obligation to provide them.
Well put OneVoice!
I will write to my representatives to get protection for the stores who donate food in good faith!
Sorry nobodysbusiness...i meant to address JoeBtfsplk.
Thanks P3T, for a great story read on:
"If you think there's a problem in the world," said Jack Davis, "you don't wait for other people to fix it. You have to try to fix it yourself." He lives in Miami Shores.
Jack Davis is only 11, but he had a pretty grown-up idea: He was disturbed to learn that Florida restaurants throw out food that could be given to the hungry and the homeless -- because the restaurant owners could be sued if anyone who ate the food became ill or developed food poisoning.
Jack's idea was to pass a law that would give restaurant owners' some protection from lawsuits. He got his dad to float the idea to some Florida legislators.
House Bill 99 was filed by Rep. Ari Porth and has now been passed unanimously by the Committee on Constitution & Civil Law.
OneVoice is way off the mark. His/her contention that charging someone 10 cents for a box of food would cause folks to "fall further into hunger and debt and depression and ultimately crime" is laughable.
Furthermore, if he/she knew anything about liability issues, he/she would know that there's already a federal law, the Bill Emerson Food Donation Act that has been in effect since 1996.
Furthermore, OneVoice's characterization of local residents who recycle at transfer stations as "freeloaders" is meanspirited and unChristian.
Times are hard now....
Guess what - they have been hard before and will be hard again.
In my 'comfortable' life I cannot remember the last 'balanced' meal I had - mostly because I am usually driving to and from work and eating at McDonalds on the way!
This is a hand-out, pure and simple. Those comments still complaining that people like me just don't understand have STILL not thanked the stores for their contribution!
I'll bet times were tough during...say...WWII - - - people didn't have to many veggies then - so they planted VICTORY gardens!
Maybe all you people complaining can get a plot of land and use some of your energy havesting the food the Food Bank needs! Then the poor will have veggies and you will have a constructive place to put your efforts - - I guess complaining about how mean-spirited us well-to-do working folk are is much more fun!
Again I say thanks to all the stores who do give!
The Food Bank HAS thanked, over and over, the generosity of the grocery stores. They have held campaigns (in February the Food Bank staff, volunteers, and donors helped keep grocer parking lots clean by taking their carts and others back into the store, for example), they advertise on their trucks ("Thank your local grocers" and "Sam's Club donates! Thank the grocers at Sam's Club") etc. The list goes on and on. Sam has always had the attitude of THANK YOU! Her article, as I read it, is simply a reminder to this very generous community that sometimes folks outside of this community still try to bring in their ideas and keep local grocers from giving all that food. I know as a fact that we are not talking one or two tomatos being thrown away, but rather THOUSANDS of pounds of food. It is not an issue of not being thankful, it is an issue of waste verses sharing.
For folks who feel 99.9% of the 33,000 different people who needed some food assistance last year alone from the Food Bank are "free loaders" you need to come down to the Food Bank and join me in volunteering some day. I thought that, too, until I took a true look around. Most of the folks really are my neighbors - folks who work VERY hard, but have 4 kids, for example, and just switched jobs so their paycheck is delayed. Military - lots of folks served here are military and their families - we ask them to die for our country but complain when they need food assistance?!
I am sorry that so many folks are reading this article so negitively! My only suggestion is to come down and see for yourself those the Food Bank serves. Watch to see how much gets thrown away, and, yes, how much IS given. The Food Bank LOVES their grocers - just look around and see how often they thank them! But the grocery stores also have rotating managers and each new manager sometimes forgets that Fairbanks isn't like Washington - here we share our extra resources with those who need it. We don't want lower 48 mentality forced on us in their food policies any more then we want then forcing their gun laws or other laws on us. This is a great opportunity to express our individuality and take care of those in our local community.
DO thank your local grocer, but also be informed that sometimes waste still happens. The Food Bank ALWAYS thanks their grocers, and individual donors - don't forget to hear that message when you read one (the first one I have ever seen Sam write) saying that we still need to be diligent.
Thank you.
HGW
I am anonymous only because this is my first comment and they haven't called me to verify yet.
I love it.
Conservatives like to say that our government is too socialist and that private charity and donation should be in place to help the unfortunate so that government can get out of the business. Now JoeBtfsplk and others of his ilk say that too is socialism. I guess we should just regress to serfdom to make them happy.
Throwing food out that is eatable is wasteful, SMART retailers know that they can use the substandard quality foods to help those in need in the local market they serve. The Fairbanks Community Food Bank
is filing a need that would be on the tax payers back if they were not here. Policy changes when store managers change is the issue here, not the thankfulness of what is given. The local store manager of Safeway, Sam's, Wal-mart Fred Myers and military base stores can make a personal choice, be part of the solution in feeding the poor with the waste the store generates or throw it in the trash. Laws protect the companies already, the real question, are the new managers as they come and go to the local stores going to get involved and be part of the solution. The manager of the stores has more to do with this issue than the company's policy, or so called company rules.
I have seen 18 ct eggs thrown in the dumpster because 1 egg was broken, as many as 150 cartons in a 2 week period because store policy was they could not repack the eggs in a carton with out the production number stamped on it. Dog food thrown out because it had a tear in the bag, not donating these items are crimminal. I know for fact that a produce operation throws out 5% of all the sales and many stores much more, to give you and idea what I am talking about, many produce racks in this town sell 85k to 125k per week in sales per store. This long time grocery manager knows the produce can help many people that cannot afford produce off the rack. The Food Bank has a fast effective method of picking up, cleaning and repacking the product so those who need it most can use it. The way I see it, it comes down to the store manager of each unit, his/hers commitment to helping others with the waste the store generates. Store policy can be changed, the store manager has to be committed to sell the idea to the company . The Food Bank recognizes these folks in every way they can with ads, awards and signs on the trucks.
I hate to see bread, eggs, cakes, produce and even full cases of meat thrown out because they went out of date.
The store managers in most cases are doing the right thing for the community, new managers need to get on board and understand what they can do in the community to help.
Sam was right with the message about identifying waste and asking those to review the policy they are inforcing, I doubt anyone can support throwing away food when there are those that need it.
socialism? they did not mention that in the article,. what is wrong with helping those that have less than others? how is that socialism?
In response to Mark47's comment that policies change as store management changes is simply not true.
Large nationwide retailers such as WalMart Sam's Club, Costco and Fred Meyer (part of the Kroger Corporation) have to follow CORPORATE policies. They do not get to just write their own as they go. It's incorrect for you to say that it's a "personal choice" by the store management of these various companies. If you have an issue with their policies, go to their corporate offices - don't blame the folks who live in your community and are keeping their jobs by following the corporate policies that are laid out before them.
"Right on AKGUY!. Nicely put. You can certainly see the authors bias and the article is not objective all. But then, who want to read about good stuff."
Umm, it's not a newspaper article from the DNM - it's a "community perspective" column in the editorial section. Read: "opinion". Just like it's open to ANYONE, even you, who wants to address a topic they believe needs attention. Even a GOOD topic. Some of you on this list blast that, too, though.
-jen
The Food Bank is a wonderful way for people hard on their luck to get food that can last up to 3 days .
As far as someone saying all they saw was sugar in a box ~Snacks go in last
The Foodbank gives FREELY of what they have. So enjoy the snacks, if your human everyone Loves a snack or to.
Sam does a wonderful job of helping the community to free food. I know the Foodbank would never bite the hand that feeds the community!!
I know unless the Foodbank has changed their hours they are open
Mon-Fri 9-5 .
So donate some food and help out in your community !!!
If I spend all my money on alcohol this weekend do I qualify for a food box?
I might change some plans around and be irresponsible if I do!
i work at sam's club. one of my job codes there is the maintenance dept. i am one of those who would will the trash into the trash compactor. i have seen all the food that gets thrown away. i, having to have used the food bank to get by in the past myself, was disturbed by the amount of food being thrown out that could be donated. i asked a manager what the deal was. he kind of took me aside and started to explain. he said that he personally would love to donate this food to the needy. the head store manager would too. all the managers wish we could give this food to the food bank. but it's the lawsuits. i paraphrase here but the most telling statement he made was "there are people out there gunning for the walmart corporation. they just hate walmart (for whatever reason) and look for any excuse to do it damage. they will take whatever excuse they can get to sue." what can i say? i just shook my head and my estimation of humanity fell another notch. most would be grateful for the walmart corp. donating everything they possibly could.... but one bad apple (one greedy lawyer) does spoil the whole bunch. just like a whole tray of strawberries with just one flat with a bit of mold on it has to be thrown away because those strawberries that don't have mold on it soon will. (and we certainly can't sell it either) and by the time food bank gets it, stores it, and eventually gives it away, those strawberries WILL be moldy too. then one greedy walmart hater shows it to a newsminer reporter and says look what the walmart corp. tried to give me and my hungry kids. (insert a picture of a sad hungry looking kid here) and then come the lawyers along with the bad publicity.
btw, the local managers have no choice but to follow corporate policy. to do otherwise would result in their being fired and being replaced by someone who will follow national policy. guaranteed.
i have sat in employee meetings where we have brainstormed on how we can do more to help local charities like the food bank. we try, we really do. i guess the writer has forgotten the day that sam's club sent over a whole crew of workers to help work in the food bank one day. that dispite the fact that ever since i started working there over a year ago we have been chronically short of employees. we have jobs available people. come on in and apply after you get done going to the food bank to get your food box.
I see both sides of the issue. While I understand the risk management concerns, I believe that the Food Bank crew is quite capable of tossing out potentially harmful foods, and that the consumer is also capable of distinguishing a bad apple from a good apple.
I am willing to question my local store and then take it a step further by asking their management team to reconsider this policy. I am then willing to take my business to another store that supports our community, in spite of risk management concerns.
For whatever reason, it is sad to waste good food when people in our own community are hungry.
Annette- I'm supposed to thank my local retailer for donating, but not shop there because they are not donating enough?
Joe- The Food Bank is based on volunteerism, not socialism. Volunteerism is at the heart of a free market society. The tax break and incentives, make it a little muddled, but volunteerism is at the heart of free trade, and this is completely voluntary. The absence of being forced to donate or give to it takes it out of socialism. We are not being force to "socialize" in a way that breaks us away from our current system of liberty.
If it's not your food, money or time that is being used, shut your mouth, you have no right to judge. If it is, fix it.
I love what the food bank does, and I agree that it is good to be informed about things we may be able to do to fix a problem, but this letter is coming across as ungrateful. Why would you tell people to not shop at stores that don't "make every effort to avoid wasteful food practices" when they are still giving to you? It is acting entitled. You are not entitled to those single tomatoes, or zuchinis and neither are the poor old people, children, or families. I am glad they get help, it's truly wonderful, but they are not entitled to it. They wouldn't get anything if these businesses didn't put time and effort in to make it that way.
I can tell the anger in this letter came out of passion for knowing people are fed and taken care of, but don't let bitterness ruin what you have. Be grateful and find a positive way to change. I know that's what the Food Bank is really all about anyway.
Why don't you take a lesson from Chena Hot Springs Resort, they built greenhouses and grow their own veggies. This way you ensure there are fresh veggies. Find volunteers who know how to do canning. I think everyone needs to learn how to do things the old fashion way.
Like many Alaskans, I have plenty of opinions and ideas of how 'things should be'. And I continue to realize that I form some of my opinions without the benefit of knowing the whole story and then have to back peddle a bit after I learn more about the situation.
Here is what I got out of this editorial:
1) Foodbank appreciate stores that donate food vs. waste food.
2) Some chain store managers are stuck with policies of their out of state headquarters. Remember that their hands are tied.
3) Perhaps locals could write letters to the headquarters to advocate for change.
4) People are hungry for a variety of reasons. (Thank goodness Foodbank preserves the dignity of those who are facing hardship, illness or other challenges that occasionally brings them to the Foodbank.)
Here is what I know from taking time to learn how Foodbank operates
1) They look at their role in helping with immediate hunger needs as well as how agencies may work together to help people out of their current situation.
2) They have systems in place to prevent ‘misuse’ but it is not highly promoted because most people who come to the Foodbank are already self-conscious. Foodbank works hard to treat people with dignity, respect and encouragement.
3) Many former recipients of food boxes come back to volunteer when they are on the giving end instead of the receiving end. (Again, thank goodness Foodbank preserves their dignity by not drawing attention to them at the time.)
4) Stores, donors and volunteers are thanked many times and in many ways. Some prefer to be anonymous while others like public recognition. Foodbank honors both.
I’m glad people are still responding to this editorial. The diversity of opinions is a great reminder that awareness building is a never-ending job.
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