Hunger Is Not a Disease

Charity

 

RFP-Tent (1)

You won’t hear statements like these at our food pantry:

“No  one coming to our pantry gets food unless I know they really need it.  I go to their house and check.”

“We make everyone show ID.  We need proof of address, proof of your children.”

“We make everyone show their Social Security card at our pantry.”

FOR ME, THE VERY WORD “CHARITY” IS CREEPY.   I’m not in a charitable business.  I’m in the business of feeding hungry people food diverted from a landfill.

I love to multi-task and, as a pantry coordinator, I’m really in my element.  The pantry I manage feeds all manner of people a 3-day-supply of food.  This   is delicious, nutritious food, much of which is organic.

Farmers, grocers, food manufacturers, share what they cannot sell.  As I distribute all this food –  left over because it’s the wrong shape, wrong size, maybe the wrong color –  they get a tax break.

Personally, I love the idea that landfills are not getting larger so quickly, that fewer dumpsters and composters are being used.  And, at the same time…sick people, old people, unemployed people, homeless people, are not going hungry.

FOR ME, HUNGER IS OBSCENE.

At the Reservoir Food Pantry, we have  the least possible eligibility requirements.   People coming to our pantry sign their name and check off the number of household residents.  That’s it.

(When I had been a coordinator only a few months, someone complained loudly and a fancy USDA inspector drove down from Albany for the express purpose of taking me to the woodshed.  That didn’t happen.  He approved of the pantry.  He carefully explained to me what’s necessary for our sign-in procedures.  I’ve followed them ever since.)

Basically, if they’re hungry, we give them the food.  Anyone willing to stand in line an hour for food can’t be all that rich.

PANTRIES OFFERING CHARITY HAVE AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT APPROACH.    Once we get into charity, we make the shopper feel:

humiliation

shame

inadequate

powerless

desperate

wounded.

When charity and outreach become a part of the feeding, food workers become possessive of the food.  The big question then becomes:  “Are you worthy?”

Charity brokers forget the food is not owned by the coordinators, churches, volunteers, board members.  It has been entrusted to us to distribute.

OUR JOB IS TO GIVE IT AWAY.   At the Reservoir Food Pantry, we understand this concept.  We offer, whenever possible, a service preserving dignity.

In our great nation, there is no excuse for anyone to go hungry because our country is oversupplied with food.

When we feed the hungry, we strengthen the entire community.

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Peace and food for all.

Thurman Greco