Food Pantries – Storing and Preserving Food for The Food Banks
Posted on 29. Jun, 2011 by Admin in Food Banks, Food Poverty
Food pantry in Washington DC is a warehouse that stores the food being supplied to the Food Banks. Pantries are located wherever food banks are set up. These groups are non profitable organizations that are recognized by the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) and are tax exempt. These charitable organizations get their food from other companies or establishments. Is the Food Offered by these Pantries safe for Consumption?
As mentioned earlier, these pantries usually receive food from Hotels and retailers in form of donations, over-ordered and over produced food. Some food products which are available at these banks are past their expiration. However, the pantries and the banks conduct appropriate tests with the help of the food industry on the food products. It is only after these products get the approval from the food industry, that they are made available for distribution.
The sanitation and hygiene levels at these centers are quite high. The pantries have to register at the Food Bank to get their food. The pantries have to pass stringent tests and adequate measures need to be undertaken to main hygiene before they are granted registration.
How do these Pantries Function? The basic purpose of these pantries is to store food for the food banks. However, people on low income can come to the pantry and select the food which they need from the shelves. These shelves usually display non perishable products.
A lot of these food panties are also dependent on the cash donations made by the government or the public. These cash donations are meant solely for the upgrade or improvements in the pantry. Projects undertaken by thee groups are given restricted grants which can be used only for the projects and nothing else.
The number of people living well below the poverty line in Washington DC is very high. Efforts of trying to eradicate poverty needs considerable time as humans have let the gap between the rich and the poor widen so much that to bridge the gap and provide for the poor is an uphill task. Food pantry Washington DC contributes to the efforts made by other organizations by providing free food for the poor and also providing them with shelter.
Food Pantry in Washington DC also helps the community by giving job skills training to the needy, thereby reducing the chances of these people turning towards criminal activities for help.