I did not know it was this bad, are you doing more to help?

Look what I found online:

Food Bank

As the largest single contributor to food banks in Western Canada, Safeway actively supports this important community initiative with financial and food donations throughout the year in cash and food donations.

Since the inception of our Because We Care program, more than $11 million has been contributed to these organizations, where approximately 50% of all users are children.

We support local food banks by sending them fresh and healthy perishables from our stores each week. Also, non-perishables are regularly replaced with newer or alternative stock.

Each of our stores features pre-packaged food bundles containing the most needed food items according to the local food banks. Awareness for food bank issues and needs is promoted throughout the stores by placing appropriate signage right next to the most needed items.

Safeway also funds annual public food drives, working with local officials, organizations and media to ensure that the campaign is successful in raising awareness and food for this community issue.

THEY don't make any mention about all the food thrown away.

That is a sad story. It is terrible that things can seem so desperate at times for some people.

Other than the supermarket I mentioned to you, I'm not sure whether the other large supermarkets near me do or do not donate food. The one I mentioned is a local supermarket chain and, in all their advertising, they stress their commitment to the local communities in this area. And they have signs in the store, in their bakery department for instance, that you can be sure of freshness with fresh baked items because they are all replaced daily with all unsold items donated to the local food bank every night, and I've seen the food packed up at night. I've never seen signs like that in the other supermarkets near me, which are part of a multi-state chain. Maybe they also donate and I'm just not aware of it.
The food network around here is pretty good about strong arming restaurants and stores to donate to them and about publicizing their need for donations from the public. So I'd be surprised if they weren't getting some sort of food from most of the supermarkets.

It does sound like Safeway is doing quite a bit in the way of donating. Maybe the food banks can only use certain types of foods--things soup kitchens can use immediately in preparing meals, or non perishables they can store for later, and items the food banks can offer to people to take home and use in their own meal preparations. Something like already prepared sandwiches, or already prepared individual entrées, that supermarkets have, might not fit into either category, and those things need refrigeration and are very perishable. Things like that might wind up getting tossed out because it's already prepared food and I'm not sure whether the food banks would give that to people to take home, and soup kitchens might not be able to use it either. I just don't know.

What sort of stuff do you see being thrown away? Do you have any suggestions about how it could be used instead of wasted? Would the local food bank want to know about it?

Once a year the U.S. Postal Service sponsors a food drive and the mail carriers will pick up any non perishable items you leave near your mailbox and they give it to the local food banks. Once a year is a drop in the bucket, but it reminds people of the problem of hunger and the need to donate.

I agree. The desperation in that tragic story is heart-wrenching.

As I've said before, the Safeway stores in our area has always collected for food banks, and they leave barrels in their stores for collecting them. That's been going on for so long, I forgot when they started doing that.

This is an ambivalent situation. If the authorities had given in
and had given her the demanded money, or stamps,
then that 'd set a precedent, a new protocol for success
in applying for charity (not to be unsympathetic about it).

That was not very good journalism in this account.
I 'd have liked to know what kind of gun she used
(at least revolver or automatic) and its ammunition
(at least caliber, if not bullet configuration)
That 's an integral part of the event and not too much to ask.
If it was only a .22, the victims have a better chance to survive.
I wish them a painless recovery of their good health.





David