Comments on: Without agency: My first food bank experience http://briarpatchmagazine.com/2006/01/30/without-agency-my-first-food-bank-experience/ Fiercely independent (and often irreverent) news & views. Wed, 07 Jan 2009 17:56:26 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Herne Hunter http://briarpatchmagazine.com/2006/01/30/without-agency-my-first-food-bank-experience/#comment-70 Herne Hunter Thu, 02 Feb 2006 10:49:25 +0000 http://briarpatchmagazine.com/test/?p=156#comment-70 Although unemployed, I have made a concious decision never to use the foodbank system in the community where I live. I've seen the stuff the foodbank hands out, from neighbours that are forced by necessity to go there. (I don't have kids, I can choose to starve--they and their kids do not have that option.) A friend in another community tells of how the foodbank in their community freezes submarine sandwiches donated after their best-before date has passed; she told me that she unwisely used one of these sandwiches and got food poisoning as a result. The food bank appeared unconcerned about this; apparently it did not want to turn away donations of any kind. She actually had to approach the mayor of her community and threaten to involve the local health department before this practise was stopped. Although unemployed, I have made a concious decision never to use the foodbank system in the community where I live. I’ve seen the stuff the foodbank hands out, from neighbours that are forced by necessity to go there. (I don’t have kids, I can choose to starve–they and their kids do not have that option.) A friend in another community tells of how the foodbank in their community freezes submarine sandwiches donated after their best-before date has passed; she told me that she unwisely used one of these sandwiches and got food poisoning as a result. The food bank appeared unconcerned about this; apparently it did not want to turn away donations of any kind.

She actually had to approach the mayor of her community and threaten to involve the local health department before this practise was stopped.

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