August 08, 2012
Banking On It
Our church missions group is suggesting that we participate in
year-round contributions to the local food bank. Each month we will be
encouraged to donate specific items listed on a food-wheel. I have to tell you I’m
somewhat agitated by the list. For August, September and October the items are
laundry soap, hygiene products and paper products (toilet paper, napkins). How
did we go from feeding the hungry to handing out boxes of Kleenex? No doubt
there are good intentions behind the suggested donations, but I now feel there
is a stigma attached to the food bank. I suppose it would be different if we
were taking up donations for a laundry soap bank, a hygiene bank or a paper
products bank.
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2 comments:
Gail;
-----Nothing is homogenous. I know you’ve heard that before. It applies here, too. When people need, they just need. When money is short they might buy a can of beans but not a bar of soap. Or they might buy a bar of soap, but won’t be able to afford a roll of toilet paper. And if they don’t consider soap and toilet paper a need, I will feel really hard pressed to regard getting close to them as a need. But then you are right. A food bank is a food bank, not a soap bank. And wouldn’t there be a message about some kind of all encompassing care in distributing both food and toilet paper? But honestly, maybe they should. Generosity is generosity. It takes many forms because it comes from many hearts. I’m just glad it is there.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
There is a very practical reason why the items you list are given out at the food bank.
Food stamps do NOT cover those things. Food stamps follow your rules and only cover food, hence people who have limited means may have some of their food covered, but none of the other things that those of us who are blessed with funds often buy at the grocery store.
If it's generally bought when you buy food, it can be handed out at a food bank.
However, God likes a cheerful giver. So... you may want to donate only that which does not cause you resentment.
Deb
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