Why Pay. More?

It's weird using the food bank/pantry even though I keep telling myself I don't need to. I have enough funding to shop at the market across the street but I like using the food bank next door. Using the food bank for me is kind of a treat. Living at Plymouth View is the first time I've used a food bank. I really kind of thought I make too much money to use the food bank with what I had coming in monthly but then I started thinking about my funding and the fact that eligibility for the food bank is done on what is called “adjusted income” the money left over after all the bills have been paid. And I pay every month $300 off the top of my Medicare/retirement for home health services. And this payment drops me below poverty level. Unbelievable. Again, I could still make it without food bank but since it is across the street from my front door and I'm eligible or not?

I often sent people to the food pantries when I worked at Access Utah. After all, 99% of my calls came from people with disabilities, living on fixed incomes, below the poverty line. I don't know how many went to food pantry but a lot of them should have taken advantage of the program. I think it's a hoot. Using my local food bank has been quite an inspiration. I understand a lot of the comments made by some of the folks I used to counsel. I had a couple of chronic callers who, seriously, but not accept any food unless it came from Whole Foods or some other high-end store. These callers would actually turn down food if it that food, came from the food pantry. I can somewhat sympathize with these callers now that I use the pantry up to three times a month. Many times the food provided his past the use date, and canned goods are usually items folks wanted out of their pantries during the food drives. Not very much fun food that's for sure.

February weather returned this morning. The temperature was in the 40s low 40s. My food pantry is open on Saturdays from 10 to 12. The process is you must bring your own bag or box or receptacle for the food you get. After you are registered as a recipient, I show up at the pantry during the hours the pantry is open and stand in line until the door chime rings and then am I allowed into the pantry to get my food. Mind you this is in good weather and bad weather, cold weather, hot weather dry weather and let weather. Today there was no – – not much snow – – the wind was cold. And wish I had dressed warmer. Their old ladies in line, old guys with walker's, mothers with babes in arms and gang bangers with the their pants almost falling off. We're all in line waiting for the chime. I'm sure they think I'm kind of weird because I kind of cherry pick but I want and turn back, much of the food they offer to put in my box. I do not want any cold cereal, canned fruit, and usually not in the great products i.e. white bread, high caloric dark bread, cookies, cakes, donuts tortillas, Eastern Indian pocket breads etc., etc. I do choose their frozen meats everything from pork chops, hamburger, ham slices, chicken, turkey's (in season) one person I know got three turkeys unbelievable, today I got hot italian sausage. There is also the opportunity to go around the back of the building where there another room where you can get fresh vegetables/fruit and more great stuff. Today I got eggplant, Kiwis and oranges. These are all kinds things I could've gotten from the market across the street but because I have the food pantry I didn't have to go to the market. I do not have to pay for these items nor do I have to go across the street to fetch them.

Right now I use the food bank/entry, because I want to not because I have to. I once had a line of home that I wrote about how I used public transit because I want to not because I had to. Now I use public transit because I have to and it's okay. I assume the same will be for food pantries of the time comes.