In light of receiving expired food donations, Parkdale Community Food Bank took to social media to call out those handing in goods, in some cases, over 20 years past the sell-by date.
According to their instagram bio, the food bank serves over 3000 individuals each month. But, in the last year due to COVID-19, demand for both monetary and food donations as well as the overall work load for volunteers has risen sharply.
Aside from the additional workload being taken on during COVID, having to sort through expired items creates an unnecessarily laborious task for those overseeing quality control. Secondly, food donations shouldn't be an after thought, food banks aren't places to dispose unwanted items for convenience. People rely on donations to eat, so it's crucial that they are edible.
In their post, the food bank urged people bringing in donations to check the expiry date on the label and reiterated the importance of the food bank as a reliable place for food insecure citizens to pick up supplies, whilst highlighting that it is not their responsibility to sort through people's rubbish.
“I honestly don’t know how people hold on to these items for such a significant amount of time, it is like 20-plus years," Kathleen Raman Costa, the food bank's operations manager, told CP24. "But I think a lot of the time people use donating to the food bank as a way to like clear out their cupboards and make space for other things in their home and it is definitely an issue for us because it takes up a lot of time for our volunteers in terms of sorting."
Whilst peoples' intentions are in the right place, as they would rather their un-eaten stock go to good use, there is a certain carelessness involved in donating as a form of de-cluttering. Donating food is a great way to help the community, especially now. But, if you intend to do so, please carry out your responsibility to check expiry dates first in order to relieve the burden from hard-working volunteers.
There is a perpetual demand for donations and the Parkdale Community Food Bank accepts a vast range of products, including meat and dairy and fruit and vegetables, as long as they are all in date.
Alternatively, you can donate money via their website, or make a call in advance to make a drop off at their location. To do so, you can visit their website.
