Some government employees are going to depend on food pantries and food banks for their groceries for the next few weeks. Even if Trump doesn’t have another tantrum, they’re behind in their rent, bills etc. Which means less money for groceries.
Food pantries began during the Reagan era, for families who had too much month left at the end of their money.
Instead of annual canned goods drives, which had been going on for decades, churches, put boxes and baskets by their front doors, and began asking members to bring food, and other non perishables, every week. Schools, Scout Troops, businesses, etc. will have food drives every now and then, to add to they stores.
They collect “non perishable food items”. Meaning their food comes in cans, boxes, bags and jars. The church bulletin may ask members for peanut butter, or chicken soup this month. Or toilet paper. People need it, and it costs money.
What people bring is another matter. You bought six cans of soup on sale, and the kids hated it, so you bring the rest of the cans to the food pantry. You got a two for one deal on a jar of spaghetti sauce, and the first jar wasn’t so hot. The second one goes to the food pantry. Some people would donate the remains of the first jar too, though they aren’t supposed to.
Bakeries donate leftovers at the end of the day. So there’s plenty of bread, often cakes and pastries. Volunteers who help distribute the food and stock the shelves may take home some pound cake, or some cookies at the end of the day.
Sometimes there may be day old produce too. Grocery chains may make donations. They may even collect now and then.
You will find Tuna Helper at a food pantry, it comes in a box. You will also find tuna, since tuna comes in cans. You may find Hamburger Helper there too, but probably not hamburger, since that doesn’t come in cans or boxes.
They always want cereals. Because people need breakfast cereals, and they’re fairly expensive. (When I’m flush, I will donate a box with a prize inside, just to brighten some kid’s day.) People are more likely to donate store brands, or cheap brands than the kind they advertise on TV.
Rice A Roni is popular with food banks, since that can make a meal all by itself.
Mac and cheese, the dietary staple, is also plentiful. I was in one food pantry where they had a wall full of the stuff somebody had donated.
Food pantries are busy this time of year, since people are paying some heavy utility bills. This week’s cold snap is going to mean a lot of people are going to have to pay more for gas and have less for groceries.
Which means the food pantries are going to be busy.
So, if you have a little extra cash, possibly you should find a local food pantry and make a donation. (They take money as well as food.) There’s a collection box near the entrance of just about every Protestant Church in the nation. (At least the mainline Protestant churches. I’m not sure about the Evangelicals.) There may be a box at work. If there isn’t consider setting one up.
In this land of plenty, every American should be able to afford soup, peanut butter and toilet paper, but not all of us can.