Going to FOOD BANKS!! When and Why I Started!

You don't always hear the best of people when they think you "steal" from a community resource. I'm here to tell you it's OK to go to the food bank! Going to my local one changed my life and here's why!

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RESOURCES IF YOU NEED THEM!!

b) Txt 1-800-548-6479 with your zip code for free food locations
e) Call 211, in many states they can help you find shelter, food, and clothing,
g) Check with your local churches and schools. Many of them know about food resources.
h) If you have a school-aged child in need of breakfast and lunch this summer, simply text “FOOD” to 304304, and receive a message back with a location closest to where they can get free meals

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[mamabairds]

RESOURCES IF YOU NEED THEM!!

a) www.FoodPantries.org
b) Txt 1-800-548-6479 with your zip code for free food locations
c) www.FreeFood.org (enter your location)
e) Call 211, in many states they can help you find shelter, food, and clothing,
f) www.FindHelp.org
g) Check with your local churches and schools. Many of them know about food resources.
h) If you have a school-aged child in need of breakfast and lunch this summer, simply text “FOOD” to 304304, and receive a message back with a location closest to where they can get free meals

[jodiebanner]

I went to the food bank when my kids were younger. I remember going once and they only gave me a small ham and 4 cases of canned cubed potatoes. I always felt like such a failure because everyday for 3 months after preschool I would bake my 3 yr old son fried potatoes for lunch. He is 19 and one of his best memories is eating fried potatoes after preschool. Anything given with love ….. ❤

[pennynickels]

WOW, some of the comments!!! I have SO many thoughts. First, Carolina, thank you for your ongoing outreach. I volunteer at a small church food pantry. We rely on parishioner donations, usable but unsaleable produce from an upscale market, fresh organic veggies from the garden on church grounds and day old bread from Panera. We do not give out expired or moldy food! I'm sad some of you hve experienced this.

Hunger is real and continues. We are very busy every Thursday. We can only give what we get, and despite giving our donors a detailed list of requested and needed items, we don't get them. These days we don't get enough. We have NO control, ZERO, over the donations we receive. Today, we got a case of broken eggs from an upscale market, 24 dozen, only 4 usable eggs. After we closed, a doctor, who is QUITE generous, brought 4 big boxes: 1 of frozen meat 😊 and 3 full of junk (minus 6 lbs of oats). He asked for our wish list, and refuses to shop from it.

If and when you are able, please donate healthy foods. Make a pot of soup and homemade bread and feed someone. Give the guy on the corner applesauce, a banana, a sandwich and a reusable water bottle full of h2o. Help a neighbor. Someone you know is hungry. Do you know rich folks? Call them and ask them to donate food and or money. Ask your store mgr if they donate (here they do not!). Collect food at work, in your bldg, at your church, gym, salon, from family, friends and neighbors. Volunteer. DO SOMETHING to feed someone!!! Be the change you want to see in the world. KINDNESSMATTERS!

[bettyviera]

I was embarrassed to go, but now I’m very grateful and it really helps us get by and they’ve started giving paper plates and feminine products, which is awesome because I have 3 daughters, God is so Good

[JeriFortune]

We have a food bank here that provides breakfast and lunch during the week and you can get groceries there. They do free hair cuts every year. They do holiday food pickup. They do holiday stuff and back to school stuff. They don't ask where you're from family size nothing. No questions at all

[goodenough]

Dear Mama Bird - Thank you for sharing your food bank experience. I am elderly, receive food stamps but I still go to the local food pantry occasionally. It does help me to supplement my grocery budget. Seems the food stamps don't go as far as they used to. I am grateful that I did stock up when the food stamps went further. But, in spite of that, and I do eat out of my pantry, I still need the occasional boost of food bank food. Bless you and your family and best wishes on your goal of owning your own homestead. Love, Love, Love, your channel and your food preparations. Keep up the great channel.

[lindaholliday]

I remember after my son was born I could no longer work my husband was in college and we needed help.
As you said I swallowed my pride went to get food stamps they made me feel more worthless then I already felt. Do yo have a car? Sell it, it was broken and had money to fix. Then sell it. Do you have a house phone? Than get rid of it and save that money, this would leave me as a new mother without reaching out for help.
I did however get rid of the broke down car which cost me $40.00 to have then get. They told me however that my child could have formula but as his parents we were out of luck. First and last time going for food stamps.
After my second child I was introduced to food bank what a difference, they were a life saver. Bless food banks.

[Dawn-nw]

I love your name. I am disabled and visually impaired.
I can't drive so I can't go to food banks. One of the food banks in my town will deliver if you call ahead every week.
I'm so thankful for the help.
I know some people look down on it but, I can't worry about that. I do want I need to get by.

[marilynbeebe]

I remember our first time at the food bank.The elementary school my kids went to had a Christmas food pick up for those who used free or reduced lunch. My husband and I decided to try it out. However we did not discuss who would go. After I put the kids on the bus I went down. As I waited in line one of the volunteers shouted oh My someone just brought a school bus. I looked out the window there was my husband getting off the bus to get the food.( He just got a job as a school bus driver )
We where so pleased in what we got that I continued to go. However that was the last time my husband brought the bus

[ozarkfamilyhomestead]

New subscriber!! I had to pause the video because I got excited when you said you used to live in the Farmington area. We're in the Poplar Bluff area of Missouri, so I thought that was super-neat! Ok...back to the video! 💕

[sallygordin]

I don't go to the food bank because I have a friend who goes all the time and gives me what she doesn't want. So between what I can and what she shares with me our household will never go hungry. Blessings sweet lady!!

[carolynmills]

I have never used a food bank. My parents never used a food bank, but they put out a huge garden every year and mom would can, freeze and preserve all summer. She bartered homemade noodles for eggs, etc. Probably hundreds of quarts every year. Daddy always bought sides or whole beef and they would cut and package. Dad also would buy carts of dented cans and we kids got pretty good at figuring out what was in them. We only ate out a few times a year. Not much in the way of snacks or treats, but we never went hungry. Some nights it was fried squirrel or lake fish or rabbits, but we had our fill. Daddy worked hard to keep his family fed.

Now...I donate to food banks and homeless missions for meals. There are not the opportunities to hunt, forage, and even fish like when I grew up. More people live in urban areas than not. I donate so that others less fortunate than I, don't go hungry. It's a crime that children especially go hungry in the most developed country in the world. I DONATE SO OTHERS CAN THRIVE. No judgements here!!!

[pattic.]

I'll forever be grateful to you for sharing your ideas, views, wonderful recipes and awesome personality. Not to mention the fact that you're so helpful about taking the stigma of going to food banks, getting help, in our case, EBT. Anyway thank you Carolina !🥰🥰☕☕☕

[glimmagma]

We have some very generous food banks here in the city now and in the past I have had some experiences where the food they give you isn’t helpful too. It’s so hard to admit that you need help and then to be given a few tins of vegetables and frozen bread, just breaks your heart because by the time you reach out for help you need so much more, like drinks, sauces, spices, cleaning stuff, toilet paper/ toothpaste because you have gone so long with out to stretch your budget so I agree, now is the time to use the food bank, support them too when you can by donating useful things for families, even pet food would be great, it really saves so much from going to waste, I’m a huge advocate for this and that’s why when I found you, mumma, speaking about this and getting rid of the guilt people feel, I start to follow and share your videos, keep up the great work. Hope ya cook soon (live) so I can get some sleep down here in Australia 🇦🇺 I’m enjoying a day off tomorrow for the first time in a while and will be cleaning and thrift shopping with my kids ❤❤

[cynthiahamilton]

I have never used a food bank, but I have volunteered at one. It focused on helping people until they got food stamps or people who had a short time emergency like grandparents taking care of grandkids suddenly. It was not for repeat customers. I do remember as a child some times supper was cabbage with a tiny bit of meat only for flavor. There were tomato and macaroni nights too. I did learn to share food at church dinners, too. In college I always looked for the free food events to make ends meet, too.
Anyone can hit hard times. We all should work together so every one can at least have enough to eat.

[kathrynm]

First time I went to food bank was probably 25 years ago when I had a young child. Back then they didn't give you a lot of choices - just a box of random stuff- take it or else. It was hard to make meals out of stuff. I like that now more places let you pick what your family will eat.

I even remember one volunteer got mad when I handed back the zuchinni because I already had tons of that from the plants in my yard and didn't need it. I ate zuchinni everyday that summer - stirfried, stuffed and baked, zuchinni bread, fritters, tempura, in soups. I have learned to not plant so much zuchinni and do more squash varieties now....

@Carolina. You will get hooked on volunteering. I have so much fun at my food rescue. We always have a circle before distribution and share roses and thorns in our lives. It is so fun to get to know the other volunteers better.

[NinjaLmissO]

Thanks for sharing your story. I have loved finding your channel and the light you shine.

[kathysorensen]

Yes sometimes food box handed out is already spoiled., food is in poor condition, mold on beets & sweet potatoes, cans of sardines in tomato sauce. Tuna that looked like crumbles of moist wheat bread, more liquid than tuna. Horrible. I told my husband I felt so sorry for the families with children. Not any thing received would be good for an adul or children. This in Southwest Iowa.

[RaisingMyWildflowers]

Food banks in my area have improved so much. Twenty years ago I remember receiving cake mix that was 15 years expired and whipped topping that had dried out into almost a Styrofoam disk. 😂. We'd just eat any of it that we weren't afraid would send us to the hospital. lol. My family was able to do without any assistance for many years (and gave quite a bit to charities at the time) but a lay-off and increasing living costs have brought us back. I honestly have cried over the amazing items my family has received. I don't know what we'd do without the assistance.

[roadtriptovegas]

Almost all of the items at food banks were destined for the landfill before they were donated. I used to volunteer at one. Now, I use them often to supplement our groceries and they really help us live a better life. Please do not be ashamed if using them. So much of the food gets thrown out at the end of the donation day.