Members Ryst Posted July 16, 2012 Members Share Posted July 16, 2012 My friends and upstairs neighbors had a huge picnic this weekend. Now they are leaving town for a few days and gave us a bunch of food. Potato salad, black beans and rice. I'd love to give it to people who need food but I'm not sure how the best way to go about doing it. I'll take any and all suggestions if you were in my shoes. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members UstadKhanAli Posted July 16, 2012 Members Share Posted July 16, 2012 Take a cue from the Burrito Project. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JeffLearman Posted July 16, 2012 Members Share Posted July 16, 2012 Find out if there's a local charity that collects unused food for local soup kitchens. The Burrito Project looks like an excellent example, if there's one in your area.Google "Donate food" to find a lot of similar organizations. Also try "food bank". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Lee Flier Posted July 16, 2012 Members Share Posted July 16, 2012 Trouble with food banks and soup kitchens is they generally do not accept prepared food, as it could be tainted (whether deliberately or accidentally). They take canned goods and other food in sealed packages only. Best bet is to deliver it yourself to an area where there are known to be a lot of homeless folks. Looks like the Burrito Project does something similar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members UstadKhanAli Posted July 16, 2012 Members Share Posted July 16, 2012 Exactly. Go guerilla and just give it away. Feed and run. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members UstadKhanAli Posted July 16, 2012 Members Share Posted July 16, 2012 BTW, thank you for thinking like this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Beck Posted July 16, 2012 Members Share Posted July 16, 2012 What Lee said is the first thing I thought of. Unfortunately, prepared food doesn't keep long enough to meet certain health guidelines for a lot of organizations. Maybe the best thing in your situation would be to share it with people you know... spread it around to people in the immediate area if you know your neighbors well enough. I'm thinking it can't be that much that you couldn't unload it all to just a few people or families. Potato salad, eh? Damn, wish you lived closer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members UstadKhanAli Posted July 17, 2012 Members Share Posted July 17, 2012 Potato salad. Yeah. Better keep that stuff on ice. I love potato salad. But for picnics, unless I know for damn sure that thing was kept on ice and was never warm, I refuse to eat it. I've seen too many people go down for the count from potato salad. Anyway, if you don't go guerilla and just give it away to homeless people a la Burrito Project, do what Beck suggests and give it to a bunch of friends. That's often much easier anyway. I just thought of this idea because you said "creative". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ggm1960 Posted July 17, 2012 Members Share Posted July 17, 2012 Good grief, don't you know a few musicians?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Huh? Posted July 17, 2012 Members Share Posted July 17, 2012 Good grief, don't you know a few musicians?! LOL!! Nice one. I like your thought, but my guess the best place for it, is the trashcan. The energy you are going to burn up driving around trying to find someone to eat it, the liability factor if anything is "off", the fact that some street folks don't want your food, they want money for other stuff.....at the end of the day I believe it may be better to dispose of it. You know, in the past when I have had non-perishable foodstuffs, toys, clothing etc...I have often approached my Mexican gardener and just asked in a way like..." I'm sure you don't need these but do you know anyone who is having hard times who might like those?" and he has taken the stuff every time. On one hand I did not want to insult him by offering something that might be below him, but I'd like whatever I have to really be helpful to someone. And also I don't trust Goodwill that much.....Salvation Army is better....but if my stuff can help someone closer to home, right now.... that feels better to me. But perishables, if you don't have someone to give it to right away......a local homeless person(s) or what have you.....I'd toss it. Just me. Nice thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BlueGreene Posted July 17, 2012 Members Share Posted July 17, 2012 Don't throw it in the trash can... One of two apples finds its way into the trash in the first place. There's more perfect food in trash cans than anyone would believe. That food has already been driven across the country just to be tossed. Google a local food not bombs, food rescue or similar organization. They operate under the food industry give it directly to people who need it. Those people get a lot of it from dumpsters. {censored}, we dumpster dive, too. On any day of the week, you could fill up an entire pickup truck with food from a couple of small grocery stores. Not safe right? Wrong: nobody has been sick and we've been doing it for three years now (because we're smart about it). America is a land of disposable convenience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ryst Posted July 18, 2012 Author Members Share Posted July 18, 2012 Thanks for everyone's input. It has been harder than I thought to give away free food. People always complain about people being poor and hungry but.....well, I'm gonna stop now. Don't want to blow a gasket. Anyway, definitely appreciate the ideas. The Burrito Project, at least here in LA, is DOA. Some other ideas may pan out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members elsongs Posted July 18, 2012 Members Share Posted July 18, 2012 I just read this thread today. I also live in Hollywood and could have given you a detailed list of homeless people and their locations. I do a lot of community work and have tons of contacts with shelters and service organizations. I just assumed you lived in suburban North Carolina or something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ryst Posted July 19, 2012 Author Members Share Posted July 19, 2012 I just read this thread today. I also live in Hollywood and could have given you a detailed list of homeless people and their locations. I do a lot of community work and have tons of contacts with shelters and service organizations. I just assumed you lived in suburban North Carolina or something. Why suburban North Carolina? Was it the way I spelled out the thread title? The time of day the thread was created? The frequency in which I post here? If I were on the outside, I'd assume a cabin somewhere in Oregon, an outhouse in South Dakota, or even a clay hut in Nebraska. But definitely not suburban North Carolina. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Huh? Posted July 19, 2012 Members Share Posted July 19, 2012 {censored}, we dumpster dive, too....we've been doing it for three years now (because we're smart about it). You'll understand when I politely decline an invitation to dinner at your crib! Sorry friend, I find the thought of that disgusting and dangerous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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