Times are rough, and many people are needing help. People who have never had to seek help before, are not looking for assistance. Many of these people are not familiar with where to get help. There is free food in nonstandard places. Everyone knows about local churches and food pantries. But there are some nontraditional ideas for how to get free food .
1) The Mormon Church. Years ago, when I was between jobs and housing, the local Mormon church provided my food. I was looking for assistance for a month, but they provided help for three months. Someone from the Mormon church arrives at your house with an order form. They try to match your food needs to there list of items held in their storage houses. The list not only includes food, but includes non perishables, and cleaning products. When my food arrived the next day, the order was complete with Mormon light bulbs and a broom. The nice thing was, no one tried to recruit me to their church> They simply placed a video and brochure in the food basket, and that was it. Check with your local Mormon church to see if they offer this service in your area.
2) The Salvation Army is of course known for their bell ringing at the holidays. Many people do not realize that bigger cities have large Salvation Army centers that store food. Although I have never received assistance from this agency, I have a friend who did. She stated it worked very similar to the Mormon church’s food service. The only problem is, smaller cities and communities may not have a Salvation Army center, so check in your area via the phone book.
3) Corporations and businesses. Sometimes, local companies and businesses will collect food and give it away on a certain date. One such company in North Florida where I live is AmeriSteel with offices in both Baldwin and Jacksonville. The local Ameristeel collects food once a year near the holidays and delivers it via a convenient drive through service. Boxes are prepackaged, and donated food from employees and local food banks are included.
4) Community Action Agencies. These agencies are social service organizations with the goal of eliminating poverty. They were the Brainchild of the Lyndon Johnson Administration. Some of the local Community Action Agencies, such as the one I use to work for in Macclenny Florida, participate in Government Food giveaways, called commodities food distribution. The program is generally referred to as TEFAP or The Emergency Food Assistance Program. I am not sure how most agencies function, but our local Macclenny Florida location gave away commodity Government food every three months.
Hopefully, you will not need to call one of these locations for food. Times are tough, and soon things should begin to get better. Until then, it is nice to know that there are places to get help, such as free food, if it is needed.
