A pantry can feel like a lifeline, especially if you dont have much money or time to cook.
Members of marginalized groups are especially likely tolack consistent accessto nourishing food.
Engelhard says kids who grow up without enough food to eat face a host of challenges as a result.
Sabrena Khadija
Here are a few ways to redistribute food to those who need it.
If that doesnt turn anything up, though, dont throw in the towel just yet!
This can help you understand the larger issues causing hunger and how they impact your community specifically.
Cathy Moore is the director ofSt.
James Food Pantryin Chicago, where she was once a client and later a volunteer.
When in doubt, dont donate anything you wouldnt want to eat yourself.
For the same reason, her pantry does not accept frozen food from individual donors.
This might differ from pantry to pantry, so again, just check with your local one.
reach out to the pantry youre donating to and ask what they accept.
With the basics of donating food established, lets talk variety.
Staples are beautiful things to receive, but theyre not the only things, Moore says.
When donating food, its especially useful to consider what the people eating it want and need.
We have a go at encourage people to give us what our population likes to eat.
Our clients suggested growing bok choy in our community garden, which we never wouldve thought of.
When youre taking food to donate, bag it like you would your own groceries.
That means not letting the milk crush the bread or putting bruisable fruit at the bottom of the bag.
Keep in mind that a lot of food pantries are also always in need of nonfood items.
A clean, fresh pair of socks makes you feel human, Moore says.
Other ways to help
Food pantries are time-tested ways of getting food to those who need it.
But there are lots of other ways to get involved too.
Food rescued in the morning can be eaten for lunch that same day, Paul says.
you might knock on your neighbors door (we suggest wearing a mask!)
or leave a note introducing yourself and sharing contact info.
Many pantries, like St. James, deliver food to seniors and people who cant easily leave their homes.
Volunteering for programs like these is a way to both help people out and build relationships in your neighborhood.
But wages, pensions, and benefits should be enough to feed everyone.
These changes will leave even more people hungry.
Working to fight this issue on both fronts can help us help our neighbors in the short- and long-term.
Talk to your neighbors, says Grant.
Talk to your elected officials, and keep this issue at the forefront.
We also donated the unopened items from our photoshoot for this project toNew York Common Pantry.
