Empty Cupboard ins Chicago Food Pantries

[Fresser]

Check this out: http://www.myfoxchicago.com/myfox/pages/Ne...TY&pageId=3.1.1

The sanctuary is at 120th and Halsted in Chicago's Pullman neighborhood.

Their cupboards were literally empty and many people in the neighborhood were going hungry. So I just drove down there today in the Fressermobile and brought oatmeal, soup, spaghetti, tomato sauce, chicken, bananas and fresh watermelon. They took some nice mugshots of me that I'll forward later.

Anyone who would like to contribute can reach Pastor Virgil Jones at the sanctuary. His phone number is 708-672-8080.

[jgm]

We all need to be doing things like this. Our local paper has recently printed stories about how donations are down and the client load is increasing.

Just yesterday, there was a story on NPR about using coupons to get food for next to nothing. It's a matter of pairing coupons with in-store specials, etc. Most of the people on this list probably have the same attitude towards that as I do; coupons usually are for highly-processed food that I'm not interested in. However, those who are hungry are very interested in it. So I've decided to become one of those couponers, but everything (or nearly so) will be donated to the local food bank. It'll be a game to see how much I can get for little actual cash.

It's only going to get worse as the economy continues to tank.

[moosnsqrl]

Bravo, Fress and jgm! I'm planning a holiday food drive at the office but perhaps we can do something with the local eG folks and have some fun in the bargain.

Any thoughts, KC folks? If so we can start a "planning" thread.

[Fresser]

Bravo, Fress and jgm!  I'm planning a holiday food drive at the office but perhaps we can do something with the local eG folks and have some fun in the bargain.

Any thoughts, KC folks?  If so we can start a "planning" thread.

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No reason to wait until the holidays, Judy. I say just invade your local grocer, fill up a cart with stapes such as oatmeal, grits, soup, canned corn and whatnot and drive the cornucopia to a food pantry.

You'd be amazed at the amount of food that five $10-donations will buy.

[moosnsqrl]

Bravo, Fress and jgm!  I'm planning a holiday food drive at the office but perhaps we can do something with the local eG folks and have some fun in the bargain.

Any thoughts, KC folks?  If so we can start a "planning" thread.

←

No reason to wait until the holidays, Judy. I say just invade your local grocer, fill up a cart with stapes such as oatmeal, grits, soup, canned corn and whatnot and drive the cornucopia to a food pantry.

You'd be amazed at the amount of food that five $10-donations will buy.

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You're right (for once!) Fresser. I am just waiting until the holidays to do an official 'drive' at the office because that is when it will be graciously sanctioned (in lieu of tacky decorations). The demand is way up and the supply way down and it really doesn't take much to make a big difference.

[Fresser]

You're right (for once!) Fresser.  I am just waiting until the holidays to do an official 'drive' at the office because that is when it will be graciously sanctioned (in lieu of tacky decorations).  The demand is way up and the supply way down and it really doesn't take much to make a big difference.

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My chicken-chomping compatriot Freddie lives about a mile from the Mother Jones food pantry referenced above. He drove by their site at 120th and Halsted this morning and saw people lined up DOWN THE BLOCK waiting for food.

Beat the holiday rush, people--feed your neighbors now.

[maggiethecat]

You're right (for once!) Fresser.  I am just waiting until the holidays to do an official 'drive' at the office because that is when it will be graciously sanctioned (in lieu of tacky decorations).  The demand is way up and the supply way down and it really doesn't take much to make a big difference.

←

My chicken-chomping compatriot Freddie lives about a mile from the Mother Jones food pantry referenced above. He drove by their site at 120th and Halsted this morning and saw people lined up DOWN THE BLOCK waiting for food.

Beat the holiday rush, people--feed your neighbors now.

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Steve, I agree. I have, literally, forty bucks to my name, but :

I have an Asian Pear tree in my back yard that's hailing down fruit two people can never eat. I'll take a couple of bushels to my local food pantry tomorrow.

I own bought on sale pantry stuff: many cans of baked beans, white beans, chick peas, tomatoes. Pasta, cornmeal and rice.

I can spend ten bucks wisely -- Jiffy cornmeal mix, on-sale peanut butter, mac and cheese, canned tomatoes and tomato sauce, jam. It's not just about need and poverty, and trying to help. It's karma too.

Hie thee to a food pantry.

[Fresser]

I have an Asian Pear tree in my back yard that's hailing down fruit two people can never eat. I'll take a couple of bushels to my local food pantry tomorrow.

I can spend ten bucks wisely -- Jiffy cornmeal mix, on-sale peanut butter, mac and cheese, canned tomatoes and tomato sauce, jam. It's not just about need and poverty, and trying to help. It's karma too.

Hie thee to a food pantry.

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Karma, shawarma. I don't do this in anticipation of some future good fortune--that wouldn't be moral in the Kantian sense. I just don't want to see people go hungry.

What's more, it's FUN to motor up in the well-stocked Fressermobile and see peoples faces light up.

Edited October 21, 2008 by Fresser (log)

[Fresser]

Anyone can contribute to local food banks by visiting the Greater Chicago Food Depository.

[nr706]

I think food donations can only come from commercial kitchens. I don't think they'll accept food donations from private individuals, no matter what the quantity.

[Fresser]

I think food donations can only come from commercial kitchens. I don't think they'll accept food donations from private individuals, no matter what the quantity.

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That depends on the site where you're donating, nr706.

At the Mother Jones Food Pantry (website coming!), they gladly accepted food donations from me, which they then hustled out the door the next day to hungry people waiting in line.

Of course, different pantries may have different needs. at The Ark in Chicago, they can only accept kosher food, but kosher donations from individuals are always welcome.

[nr706]

Glad to know there are sites that do. I had a lot of leftovers from a catered event last year, and contacted Greater Chicago Food Depository, and they wouldn't accept it.

[Fresser]

Glad to know there are sites that do. I had a lot of leftovers from a catered event last year, and contacted Greater Chicago Food Depository, and they wouldn't accept it.

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Oy, I'm becoming such a maven.

Greater Chicago Food Depository takes prepackaged, unopened donations and distributes them to local pantries. It's sort of the wholesaler of donations.

If you look in Streetwise or another local newspaper, you can find shelters or other places that probably will take cooked food. Or you could just bag and freeze the food, then take it to people selling newspapers in downtown areas. I've done this a lot and people are usually thrilled to receive some munchies.

[maggiethecat]

Yes, my daughter took the direct route when she worked at a high end caterer in Chicago -- she'd walk out to the loading dock of the Chicago Historical Society or the Shedd, saw the sleeping bags and the grocery carts and instructed her peeps to distribute the leftovers.

But can all do our private part -- clean out the pantry, spent a little money and make it a weekly part of our lives.

[Fresser]

Pastor Virgil Jones has posted a website for his community food pantry: Mother Jones Food Pantry.