Help feed the poor... with expensive cereal and junk foods

[Rollin]

C'mon man, give them a break- they're poor, their life sucks enough- let 'em have a damn box of off brand cereal.  Giving people too much ready to eat cereal is neither bankrupting society or keeping them poor.

So you suggest "provide" sugar, processed foods, empty calories (mostly), and a super high load of carbs.? No wonder we are so sick!

[Metalcat]

C'mon man, give them a break- they're poor, their life sucks enough- let 'em have a damn box of off brand cereal.  Giving people too much ready to eat cereal is neither bankrupting society or keeping them poor.

So you suggest "provide" sugar, processed foods, empty calories (mostly), and a super high load of carbs.? No wonder we are so sick!

Oof, this gets into a whole philosophical debate about food policies for the poor amounting to policing how they're allowed to eat.

It can get very intense. The debates around sugar taxes on soft drinks being discriminatory against the poor illustrate this kind of argument.


Note, I am NOT making the argument, so no need to argue with me if you feel so inclined, but I'm just letting you know that there's a whole world of advocates out there who will defend tooth and nail the right of the poor to eat like everyone else does. It just so happens that everyone else eats like shit.

[GuitarStv]

C'mon man, give them a break- they're poor, their life sucks enough- let 'em have a damn box of off brand cereal.  Giving people too much ready to eat cereal is neither bankrupting society or keeping them poor.

So you suggest "provide" sugar, processed foods, empty calories (mostly), and a super high load of carbs.? No wonder we are so sick!

Oof, this gets into a whole philosophical debate about food policies for the poor amounting to policing how they're allowed to eat.

It can get very intense. The debates around sugar taxes on soft drinks being discriminatory against the poor illustrate this kind of argument.


Note, I am NOT making the argument, so no need to argue with me if you feel so inclined, but I'm just letting you know that there's a whole world of advocates out there who will defend tooth and nail the right of the poor to eat like everyone else does. It just so happens that everyone else eats like shit.

I grew up in a northern community where fresh vegetables were way more expensive than boxes of cookies.  Buying a couple liters of milk was eight times the cost of a couple liters of coke.  So quite a few families bought coke and cookies for their kids instead of milk and vegetables.  There are a huge number of knock on negative impacts beyond obesity and heart disease . . . low energy, trouble concentrating/thinking, lack of micronutrients, becoming entrenched in poor eating habits, increased risks of cancer, diabetes, headaches, etc.

But trying to force people to eat a certain way will always lead to poor outcomes.  They'll hate you for it.  It's combining the personal nature of what you choose to put in your own body, with the big brother "I know best" attitude that everyone finds grating from those in power.  It's just not a battle worth fighting.  Better to try to educate and hope they'll make the right decisions.

[Metalcat]

C'mon man, give them a break- they're poor, their life sucks enough- let 'em have a damn box of off brand cereal.  Giving people too much ready to eat cereal is neither bankrupting society or keeping them poor.

So you suggest "provide" sugar, processed foods, empty calories (mostly), and a super high load of carbs.? No wonder we are so sick!

Oof, this gets into a whole philosophical debate about food policies for the poor amounting to policing how they're allowed to eat.

It can get very intense. The debates around sugar taxes on soft drinks being discriminatory against the poor illustrate this kind of argument.


Note, I am NOT making the argument, so no need to argue with me if you feel so inclined, but I'm just letting you know that there's a whole world of advocates out there who will defend tooth and nail the right of the poor to eat like everyone else does. It just so happens that everyone else eats like shit.

I grew up in a northern community where fresh vegetables were way more expensive than boxes of cookies.  Buying a couple liters of milk was eight times the cost of a couple liters of coke.  So quite a few families bought coke and cookies for their kids instead of milk and vegetables.  There are a huge number of knock on negative impacts beyond obesity and heart disease . . . low energy, trouble concentrating/thinking, lack of micronutrients, becoming entrenched in poor eating habits, increased risks of cancer, diabetes, headaches, etc.

But trying to force people to eat a certain way will always lead to poor outcomes.  They'll hate you for it.  It's combining the personal nature of what you choose to put in your own body, with the big brother "I know best" attitude that everyone finds grating from those in power.  It's just not a battle worth fighting.  Better to try to educate and hope they'll make the right decisions.

I mean, it's worked well so far...oh wait.

Lol, I'm not actually arguing with you, I just couldn't resist that one little point.

[GuitarStv]

C'mon man, give them a break- they're poor, their life sucks enough- let 'em have a damn box of off brand cereal.  Giving people too much ready to eat cereal is neither bankrupting society or keeping them poor.

So you suggest "provide" sugar, processed foods, empty calories (mostly), and a super high load of carbs.? No wonder we are so sick!

Oof, this gets into a whole philosophical debate about food policies for the poor amounting to policing how they're allowed to eat.

It can get very intense. The debates around sugar taxes on soft drinks being discriminatory against the poor illustrate this kind of argument.


Note, I am NOT making the argument, so no need to argue with me if you feel so inclined, but I'm just letting you know that there's a whole world of advocates out there who will defend tooth and nail the right of the poor to eat like everyone else does. It just so happens that everyone else eats like shit.

I grew up in a northern community where fresh vegetables were way more expensive than boxes of cookies.  Buying a couple liters of milk was eight times the cost of a couple liters of coke.  So quite a few families bought coke and cookies for their kids instead of milk and vegetables.  There are a huge number of knock on negative impacts beyond obesity and heart disease . . . low energy, trouble concentrating/thinking, lack of micronutrients, becoming entrenched in poor eating habits, increased risks of cancer, diabetes, headaches, etc.

But trying to force people to eat a certain way will always lead to poor outcomes.  They'll hate you for it.  It's combining the personal nature of what you choose to put in your own body, with the big brother "I know best" attitude that everyone finds grating from those in power.  It's just not a battle worth fighting.  Better to try to educate and hope they'll make the right decisions.

I mean, it's worked well so far...oh wait.

Lol, I'm not actually arguing with you, I just couldn't resist that one little point.

Least worst solution.  :P

[YttriumNitrate]

I didn't assume the receipt was for an actual client- I assumed they were trying to show the middle class folks they wanted to donate a relatable example in order to get over the "$75 for a  week!  Are they feeding them filet mignon?" attitudes.  So they picked some relatable items that a middle class family would typically have (including some treats and show how $75 doesn't typically go that far.

The picture of the food matches up with the receipt (e.g. two boxes of milk and corn flakes) which leads me to believe that they actually did give away this specific combination of food. That being said, I doubt they paid the amounts that were listed in the receipt.

[ixtap]

I didn't assume the receipt was for an actual client- I assumed they were trying to show the middle class folks they wanted to donate a relatable example in order to get over the "$75 for a  week!  Are they feeding them filet mignon?" attitudes.  So they picked some relatable items that a middle class family would typically have (including some treats and show how $75 doesn't typically go that far.

The picture of the food matches up with the receipt (e.g. two boxes of milk and corn flakes) which leads me to believe that they actually did give away this specific combination of food. That being said, I doubt they paid the amounts that were listed in the receipt.

Food deserts often have convenience store prices.

[YttriumNitrate]

The picture of the food matches up with the receipt (e.g. two boxes of milk and corn flakes) which leads me to believe that they actually did give away this specific combination of food. That being said, I doubt they paid the amounts that were listed in the receipt.

Food deserts often have convenience store prices.

That may be true, but within 2000 feet of their location there is a Whole Foods, Sixth Avenue Market, Fairway Market of Chelsea, H Mart, Target Grocery, Ideal Market, and Gristedes market.

[The Guru]

This food bank needs to fire their PR person.  Any food bank that is actually paying these kinds of prices to secure a diverse range of healthy foods is incredibly poorly managed. 

I volunteered at our local food bank for several months.  Almost ALL of their food came from local stores (including Trader Joe's) that pulled and donated as things neared their sell-by date. They had a multi-person volunteer team and at least two vans doing "grocery rescue" runs five days/week.  When they did buy things to supplement, it was typically direct from distributors/warehouses.  They would NEVER waste their resources paying retail prices on things, esp. not at NYC prices.

If you actually volunteer at a food bank you may find what I did -- most clients were eager to get as much of the healthier stuff as they could.  We often ran out of fresh produce the most quickly.  Good quality meat also went quickly.

Which also explains what is available on any given week. It's not as if the local food pantries have access to all products, in the same proportions as a retail grocery. They often have a lack of certain products and a surplus of others based on what their suppliers are clearing out, and that influences what's available to the ultimate recipient.

[lhamo]

This food bank needs to fire their PR person.  Any food bank that is actually paying these kinds of prices to secure a diverse range of healthy foods is incredibly poorly managed. 

I volunteered at our local food bank for several months.  Almost ALL of their food came from local stores (including Trader Joe's) that pulled and donated as things neared their sell-by date. They had a multi-person volunteer team and at least two vans doing "grocery rescue" runs five days/week.  When they did buy things to supplement, it was typically direct from distributors/warehouses.  They would NEVER waste their resources paying retail prices on things, esp. not at NYC prices.

If you actually volunteer at a food bank you may find what I did -- most clients were eager to get as much of the healthier stuff as they could.  We often ran out of fresh produce the most quickly.  Good quality meat also went quickly.

Which also explains what is available on any given week. It's not as if the local food pantries have access to all products, in the same proportions as a retail grocery. They often have a lack of certain products and a surplus of others based on what their suppliers are clearing out, and that influences what's available to the ultimate recipient.

I'm not sure exactly what you are trying to say here, but my food bank is very local and also very well managed with a diverse range of different types of foods available every week.  With very rare exceptions a client could depend on getting roughly the following per household per week:

1  dozen eggs

1-2 lbs/frozen meat per person (mostly chicken and pork but sometimes beef and seafood as well)

1 gallon milk

2-3 lbs shelf-stable staples like flour, rice, other grains and legumes

5-10 items of canned or jarred foods like canned fruits and veg, beans, peanut butter

5-10 lbs of an assortment of fresh fruits and vegetables.  We do our best to ration out cases so that even the people at the end of the line could get enough fresh greens for at least 2-3 meals/week

As much day old bread and pastries as they wanted -- this included things like pies and cakes.  We always had way more than we could give away.

[Fomerly known as something]

My parents spend their Tuesdays “working” at their local Feeding America Warehouse.  Food banks get name brand food and sugary stuff because feeding America gets these things donated by the company or by places like Walmart.  And that doesn’t count the cookies donated.  And by donated I mean via the semi load.  They are then “sold” to local food banks like the one you show for $0.06/lb.  So yeah, there is a lot of supply of these items.

[onward19]

I was also solicited for donations by a church-run collection of household goods for single mothers - like laundry detergent, diapers, toddler clothes and the like. The thing that really got me? Under laundry detergent ONLY TIDE and ALL brands are accepted. Um, really? We make over 100k/year and yet I buy Target brand laundry detergent when it's on sale and use that just fine. Yet stuff for free to those in need has to be brand name? Soap is soap. You can buy a lot more ounces of store-brand soap for your money than you can name brand!

[PDXTabs]

I was also solicited for donations by a church-run collection of household goods for single mothers - like laundry detergent, diapers, toddler clothes and the like. The thing that really got me? Under laundry detergent ONLY TIDE and ALL brands are accepted. Um, really? We make over 100k/year and yet I buy Target brand laundry detergent when it's on sale and use that just fine. Yet stuff for free to those in need has to be brand name? Soap is soap. You can buy a lot more ounces of store-brand soap for your money than you can name brand!

That would really irk me. I'm in the same financial boat and get either Trader Joe's or Costco brands.

[Imma]

My parents spend their Tuesdays “working” at their local Feeding America Warehouse.  Food banks get name brand food and sugary stuff because feeding America gets these things donated by the company or by places like Walmart.  And that doesn’t count the cookies donated.  And by donated I mean via the semi load.  They are then “sold” to local food banks like the one you show for $0.06/lb.  So yeah, there is a lot of supply of these items.

I'm guilty of this as well. Here the foodbank has a donation point at the supermarket and I'll always throw in something like a carton of plant-based milk (my friend is dependent on the foodbank and has allergies, I know from her experience that any allergen-free products are always in short supply). But last week I got a jar of nutella for free in a supermarket promo and I threw that in as well. I know I'm not going to eat it for health reasons so I'm giving it to the foodbank.

I'm pretty sure we've had this discussion dozens of times before but I can see both sides. Obviously it would be better if everyone ate a healthy diet. No one is going to argue that name brand sugary cereal is healthy or that it offers the best value for money. It would be better if poor and rich people would both eat more veggies and less crap.

On the other hand, from my personal experience with being low-income, the worst part of poverty is relative deprivation. If everyone is as poor as you, you'll feel a lot less bad than when you're the only kid who doesn't get X or Y snack in their lunch box. I think the kids with the hippie parents who eat only organic, sugar free vegan snacks will feel the same as a low-income kid when they see other kids with name brand candy bars. My parents were part hippie and part poor, and I knew rationally they were feeding us lots of veggies and homemade food but my mum's homemade burgers and fries didn't mean I didn't want to go to MacDonalds anymore. I went there only a few times in my entire childhood, I still remember clear as day how excited we were to go to that magical place.

Obviously, looking back, my mum's burgers, made from home baked buns, patties that she made herself from ground beef, and lettuce and tomato from the garden, with her handcut fries, were way better than anything McD has ever made. But it didn't feel like that at the time.

[StarBright]

I have seen a couple of people comment on what a person could expect per week from their food pantry. And I wonder if it is a regional thing?

In two areas where I have lived and volunteered (midwest and southeast US) clients are only allowed to get food once a month and it is considered supplemental only.  So two boxes of cereal, two boxes of milk, two spaghettis, etc. are supposed to be stretched as long as possible. The package of cookies and juice are considered a treat for the whole month.

It might "cost" $75 a week - but we only hand out one week of food per month. And where I am now service areas are very specific and addresses are checked every single month so that people can't pantry hop.

For what it is worth - I don't like that it is done like this, and I would rather give people food if they need it and not parse it out once a month.  But I have never volunteered for a pantry that gave people food weekly or allowed just anyone to come and get food. 

In my experience the foods given are picked out very carefully to be a balance of staples that will help people get through, produce, things they would likely buy at the store anyway (but that we can get cheaper - like cereal or juice), and a treat.  The list in the original post is very similar to what we try to offer clients at my current pantry (except we do a $10 gift card instead of a meat).

[ATtiny85]

I was also solicited for donations by a church-run collection of household goods for single mothers - like laundry detergent, diapers, toddler clothes and the like. The thing that really got me? Under laundry detergent ONLY TIDE and ALL brands are accepted. Um, really? We make over 100k/year and yet I buy Target brand laundry detergent when it's on sale and use that just fine. Yet stuff for free to those in need has to be brand name? Soap is soap. You can buy a lot more ounces of store-brand soap for your money than you can name brand!

One area I do make an exception is when donating items to a women's shelter here in town. I just feel like getting the highest quality items I can for that cause is worth it. (Not that the name brand / most expensive is always what I settle on). Sure, crappy $1.99 a dozen socks is better than nothing, but I like to think a nice plush pair just, I don’t know, ups the morale just a tad?

[Dictionary Time]

I was also solicited for donations by a church-run collection of household goods for single mothers - like laundry detergent, diapers, toddler clothes and the like. The thing that really got me? Under laundry detergent ONLY TIDE and ALL brands are accepted. Um, really? We make over 100k/year and yet I buy Target brand laundry detergent when it's on sale and use that just fine. Yet stuff for free to those in need has to be brand name? Soap is soap. You can buy a lot more ounces of store-brand soap for your money than you can name brand!

Now I have no idea what they were actually thinking….

And I am 100% Kirkland detergent all the way…

But, have you ever bought the really crappy detergent? Like dollar tree stuff? It is awful and almost worse than nothing, because you’re still going to be spending your quarters, but your clothes will not be clean. Maybe they are trying to avoid getting that.

Of course, they could have included more than two brands if that was the goal. 

[herbgeek]

Under laundry detergent ONLY TIDE and ALL brands are accepted. Um, really?

I'd read a story a few years back how this is a status thing among certain populations of low income people.  Tide has a distinctive smell.  Kids get teased for their folks using the poor (store brand) detergent instead of Tide.  And conversely,  there is a source of pride, that even though they may not have things other people have, at least they are clean and the smell of the Tide proves that.

So perhaps not as evil as y'all were thinking. 

[GuitarStv]

Under laundry detergent ONLY TIDE and ALL brands are accepted. Um, really?

I'd read a story a few years back how this is a status thing among certain populations of low income people.  Tide has a distinctive smell.  Kids get teased for their folks using the poor (store brand) detergent instead of Tide.  And conversely,  there is a source of pride, that even though they may not have things other people have, at least they are clean and the smell of the Tide proves that.

So perhaps not as evil as y'all were thinking.

Having never purchased Tide and always gone with the discount brand detergent, I'll have to take your word for that.

[YttriumNitrate]

Under laundry detergent ONLY TIDE and ALL brands are accepted. Um, really?

I'd read a story a few years back how this is a status thing among certain populations of low income people.  Tide has a distinctive smell.  Kids get teased for their folks using the poor (store brand) detergent instead of Tide.  And conversely,  there is a source of pride, that even though they may not have things other people have, at least they are clean and the smell of the Tide proves that.
So perhaps not as evil as y'all were thinking.

From what I could find, these are the most likely articles you were thinking of:
https://nymag.com/news/features/tide-detergent-drugs-2013-1/
https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2013/01/14/why-would-drug-dealers-use-tide-as-a-currency/tide-is-an-affordable-status-symbol

While apparently a status symbol in some circles, wide spread bullying based on laundry detergent brand seems a bit more far fetched. Maybe my sense of smell isn't that good, but I've never been able to tell what another person's laundry detergent was based on smell. Also, by the time kids are actively doing their own laundry they probably are using other things that would mask the subtle smell of laundry detergent. I remember freshmen year in high school a few people reeking of lotion.

On the other hand, teasing based on unwashed clothes is definitely a thing:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2018/08/20/new-jersey-students-were-bullied-online-for-wearing-dirty-clothes-their-principal-just-installed-washers-and-dryers/

[RetiredAt63]

Under laundry detergent ONLY TIDE and ALL brands are accepted. Um, really?

I'd read a story a few years back how this is a status thing among certain populations of low income people.  Tide has a distinctive smell.  Kids get teased for their folks using the poor (store brand) detergent instead of Tide.  And conversely,  there is a source of pride, that even though they may not have things other people have, at least they are clean and the smell of the Tide proves that.

So perhaps not as evil as y'all were thinking.

Having never purchased Tide and always gone with the discount brand detergent, I'll have to take your word for that.

To me clothes smelling of laundry detergent means they were not rinsed enough, or too much detergent was used for the amount of rinse water available.  But then I am really sensitive to artificial fragrances in a bunch of things (don't react, but definitely smell them) so I make sure everything is really well rinsed.  No-one is going to know what brand I use!

[Morning Glory]

Under laundry detergent ONLY TIDE and ALL brands are accepted. Um, really?

I'd read a story a few years back how this is a status thing among certain populations of low income people.  Tide has a distinctive smell.  Kids get teased for their folks using the poor (store brand) detergent instead of Tide.  And conversely,  there is a source of pride, that even though they may not have things other people have, at least they are clean and the smell of the Tide proves that.

So perhaps not as evil as y'all were thinking.

Having never purchased Tide and always gone with the discount brand detergent, I'll have to take your word for that.

To me clothes smelling of laundry detergent means they were not rinsed enough, or too much detergent was used for the amount of rinse water available.  But then I am really sensitive to artificial fragrances in a bunch of things (don't react, but definitely smell them) so I make sure everything is really well rinsed.  No-one is going to know what brand I use!

The tide as status symbol thing smells like a marketing trick to me.

 I saw a comment (can't remember if it was on this forum or elsewhere) from someone in Europe that they could identify groups of Americans from across the street just by the smell of fabric softener, and I was not surprised. 

[RetiredAt63]

Under laundry detergent ONLY TIDE and ALL brands are accepted. Um, really?

I'd read a story a few years back how this is a status thing among certain populations of low income people.  Tide has a distinctive smell.  Kids get teased for their folks using the poor (store brand) detergent instead of Tide.  And conversely,  there is a source of pride, that even though they may not have things other people have, at least they are clean and the smell of the Tide proves that.

So perhaps not as evil as y'all were thinking.

Having never purchased Tide and always gone with the discount brand detergent, I'll have to take your word for that.

To me clothes smelling of laundry detergent means they were not rinsed enough, or too much detergent was used for the amount of rinse water available.  But then I am really sensitive to artificial fragrances in a bunch of things (don't react, but definitely smell them) so I make sure everything is really well rinsed.  No-one is going to know what brand I use!

The tide as status symbol thing smells like a marketing trick to me.

 I saw a comment (can't remember if it was on this forum or elsewhere) from someone in Europe that they could identify groups of Americans from across the street just by the smell of fabric softener, and I was not surprised.

Fabric softener, another marketing miracle. 

[GuitarStv]

Under laundry detergent ONLY TIDE and ALL brands are accepted. Um, really?

I'd read a story a few years back how this is a status thing among certain populations of low income people.  Tide has a distinctive smell.  Kids get teased for their folks using the poor (store brand) detergent instead of Tide.  And conversely,  there is a source of pride, that even though they may not have things other people have, at least they are clean and the smell of the Tide proves that.

So perhaps not as evil as y'all were thinking.

Having never purchased Tide and always gone with the discount brand detergent, I'll have to take your word for that.

To me clothes smelling of laundry detergent means they were not rinsed enough, or too much detergent was used for the amount of rinse water available.  But then I am really sensitive to artificial fragrances in a bunch of things (don't react, but definitely smell them) so I make sure everything is really well rinsed.  No-one is going to know what brand I use!

The tide as status symbol thing smells like a marketing trick to me.

 I saw a comment (can't remember if it was on this forum or elsewhere) from someone in Europe that they could identify groups of Americans from across the street just by the smell of fabric softener, and I was not surprised.

Fabric softener, another marketing miracle.

Yep.  What a ridiculous waste of money and energy.

[ChickenStash]

I've never heard of a detergent brand being a status symbol. My first thought was about allergies and Tide and All perhaps being a "known quantity" that makes things easier to work with. I don't have much in the way of allergies so maybe I'm way off base.

[onward19]

Under laundry detergent ONLY TIDE and ALL brands are accepted. Um, really?

I'd read a story a few years back how this is a status thing among certain populations of low income people.  Tide has a distinctive smell.  Kids get teased for their folks using the poor (store brand) detergent instead of Tide.  And conversely,  there is a source of pride, that even though they may not have things other people have, at least they are clean and the smell of the Tide proves that.

So perhaps not as evil as y'all were thinking.

This is a good point. Tide DOES have a distinct smell. I grew up with a mom that only bought Tide. And then I learned to hate scented laundry detergent. We use free & clear now, so our clothes just smell like......... nothing. And boy, does scented laundry ever smell gross when you get used to the smell of nothing. It smells like someone dumped a whole bottle of perfume on your clothes (which is what scented detergent does!).
 Anyway that's a tangent, but I could totally see it being a status thing because that perfume smell is so crazy strong. Yuck.

[PDXTabs]

Under laundry detergent ONLY TIDE and ALL brands are accepted. Um, really?

I'd read a story a few years back how this is a status thing among certain populations of low income people.  Tide has a distinctive smell.  Kids get teased for their folks using the poor (store brand) detergent instead of Tide.  And conversely,  there is a source of pride, that even though they may not have things other people have, at least they are clean and the smell of the Tide proves that.

So perhaps not as evil as y'all were thinking.

This is a good point. Tide DOES have a distinct smell. I grew up with a mom that only bought Tide. And then I learned to hate scented laundry detergent. We use free & clear now, so our clothes just smell like......... nothing. And boy, does scented laundry ever smell gross when you get used to the smell of nothing. It smells like someone dumped a whole bottle of perfume on your clothes (which is what scented detergent does!).
 Anyway that's a tangent, but I could totally see it being a status thing because that perfume smell is so crazy strong. Yuck.

I grew up poor without Tide. Then I married a woman who could not stand scented laundry detergent. We are no longer married but I still buy scent free detergents and soaps. There must be a poor person somewhere that has migraines triggered by perfumes. I guess that they get to buy their own laundry soap.

[Fomerly known as something]

My Dad says they are having a difficult time getting meet into their food pantry at his church.  Same with veggies to a lesser extent, they have a ton of cereal though.

[LaineyAZ]

My Dad says they are having a difficult time getting meet into their food pantry at his church.  Same with veggies to a lesser extent, they have a ton of cereal though.

This is why I usually donate cans of beef stew, or tuna or chicken pouches, or the spaghetti sauce with meat.  I figured every little bit counts.

[StarBright]

Thought I'd post here since I just got back from a board meeting from our food pantry.  Our board doesn't meet in the summer so this was the first meeting we've had since May. While it is just a snapshot into a rustbelt, small town food pantry, a lot of the info felt pertinent to this thread:

Long Story Short - Huge supply chain issues.

Manufacturers don't have as much excess stock and aren't donating products to food banks.

When they do donate things they are older and in worse condition than they were a year ago (We're dealing with a moth infestation this month because of a bad batch of rice - we may have to toss all of our dry goods).

Food banks don't have enough to stock pantries.

Pantries are having to go out and buy at stores like everyone else.

And because of supply chain issues we aren't allowed to buy in bulk so we are making quadruple the visits to the grocery store. The money we've spent on gas in the last 3 months is crazy!

When we are limited to what we can purchase on generics, then we have to switch to name brand just to keep things in stock.

Basically between having to shop commercially, and buying more expensive brands, and gas, we are spending twice what we were a year ago on food.

We talked tonight about changing our strategy to ask for food instead of dollars because it will actually help not burden our volunteers as much.

[ATtiny85]

Interesting, and distressing. StarBright, thanks for sharing.

eta: I'll have to check our local pantry and see if they are requesting more food rather than cash.

[eyesonthehorizon]

Under laundry detergent ONLY TIDE and ALL brands are accepted. Um, really?

I'd read a story a few years back how this is a status thing among certain populations of low income people.  Tide has a distinctive smell.  Kids get teased for their folks using the poor (store brand) detergent instead of Tide.  And conversely,  there is a source of pride, that even though they may not have things other people have, at least they are clean and the smell of the Tide proves that.
So perhaps not as evil as y'all were thinking.

From what I could find, these are the most likely articles you were thinking of:
https://nymag.com/news/features/tide-detergent-drugs-2013-1/
https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2013/01/14/why-would-drug-dealers-use-tide-as-a-currency/tide-is-an-affordable-status-symbol

While apparently a status symbol in some circles, wide spread bullying based on laundry detergent brand seems a bit more far fetched. Maybe my sense of smell isn't that good, but I've never been able to tell what another person's laundry detergent was based on smell. Also, by the time kids are actively doing their own laundry they probably are using other things that would mask the subtle smell of laundry detergent. I remember freshmen year in high school a few people reeking of lotion.

On the other hand, teasing based on unwashed clothes is definitely a thing:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2018/08/20/new-jersey-students-were-bullied-online-for-wearing-dirty-clothes-their-principal-just-installed-washers-and-dryers/

The fact that the second article includes a quote from a student who explicitly calls out Tide...

“With the laundromat, it’ll be a benefit to students because they’re still getting their education and they’re getting their clothes cleaned,” student Kalim Harvey-Belcher told NJ.com, adding that he missed a few days last year because of an unclean uniform. “You can come to school smelling like Tide every day.”

...really lends weight to the status associated with Tide specifically. It sounds particularly weird if you're outside the (sometimes regional) subculture but remember what a massive status statement it was to have the right sneakers or monogram bag. Kids are very cruel, a sense of belonging feels like a survival-level issue (plus in violent places it might actually be), so assigning an almost magical meaning to a brand is easily an act of desperation rather than mindless consumerism.

Personally I can't stand the smell of Tide, but I was bullied mercilessly in school & remember how much more kindly I was treated when I wore (gifted) brand-label clothing the first few days of class vs. when I had to revert to hand-me-downs before the gifted clothes were laundered. Schools can be a torture chamber; the arbitrary rules & politics are even starker than adult society.

Starbright, thanks for the information on this year's needs where you are - well worth asking about locally.

[Jtrey17]

C'mon man, give them a break- they're poor, their life sucks enough- let 'em have a damn box of off brand cereal.  Giving people too much ready to eat cereal is neither bankrupting society or keeping them poor.

Agree 💯

[iris lily]

I was also solicited for donations by a church-run collection of household goods for single mothers - like laundry detergent, diapers, toddler clothes and the like. The thing that really got me? Under laundry detergent ONLY TIDE and ALL brands are accepted. Um, really? We make over 100k/year and yet I buy Target brand laundry detergent when it's on sale and use that just fine. Yet stuff for free to those in need has to be brand name? Soap is soap. You can buy a lot more ounces of store-brand soap for your money than you can name brand!

Tide is an aspirational thing in urban St. Louis. Gotta have Tide. Your clothes need that specific smell.

Yesterday I learned from a friend who works at an Illinois food bank that the state of Illinois awards double SNAP benefits for purchases at the farmers market. That is great. Perhaps my state does the same thing I don’t know.

I lived less than a mile from our country‘s oldest farmers’ market. Decades ago, before there  were farmers’  markets in every community, I would see new immigrants there  spending their food stamp money. I always thought that was great. How did I know they were new immigrants? From their native dress and their language. People from those countries know how to cook vegetables in interesting ways. This is why I love ethnic restaurants.

My friend also said that SNAP pays for sugary sodas. I had no idea. I thought SNAP was limited to food stuffs, and I mean actual food stuffs not empty calorie crap like soda. Just string me up in the food police arena because yeah I think that’s stupid waste of everyone’s money.

[Rollin]

Under laundry detergent ONLY TIDE and ALL brands are accepted. Um, really?

I'd read a story a few years back how this is a status thing among certain populations of low income people.  Tide has a distinctive smell.  Kids get teased for their folks using the poor (store brand) detergent instead of Tide.  And conversely,  there is a source of pride, that even though they may not have things other people have, at least they are clean and the smell of the Tide proves that.

So perhaps not as evil as y'all were thinking.

Rode my bicycle by a few kids waiting for their school bus (every one staring at their phones with necks craned (another story)) and I could smell their scented soap or shampoo from 30 feet away. Hormone disruptors always smell so good!

This is a good point. Tide DOES have a distinct smell. I grew up with a mom that only bought Tide. And then I learned to hate scented laundry detergent. We use free & clear now, so our clothes just smell like......... nothing. And boy, does scented laundry ever smell gross when you get used to the smell of nothing. It smells like someone dumped a whole bottle of perfume on your clothes (which is what scented detergent does!).
 Anyway that's a tangent, but I could totally see it being a status thing because that perfume smell is so crazy strong. Yuck.

[iris lily]

Under laundry detergent ONLY TIDE and ALL brands are accepted. Um, really?

I'd read a story a few years back how this is a status thing among certain populations of low income people.  Tide has a distinctive smell.  Kids get teased for their folks using the poor (store brand) detergent instead of Tide.  And conversely,  there is a source of pride, that even though they may not have things other people have, at least they are clean and the smell of the Tide proves that.

So perhaps not as evil as y'all were thinking.

Rode my bicycle by a few kids waiting for their school bus (every one staring at their phones with necks craned (another story)) and I could smell their scented soap or shampoo from 30 feet away. Hormone disruptors always smell so good!

This is a good point. Tide DOES have a distinct smell. I grew up with a mom that only bought Tide. And then I learned to hate scented laundry detergent. We use free & clear now, so our clothes just smell like......... nothing. And boy, does scented laundry ever smell gross when you get used to the smell of nothing. It smells like someone dumped a whole bottle of perfume on your clothes (which is what scented detergent does!).
 Anyway that's a tangent, but I could totally see it being a status thing because that perfume smell is so crazy strong. Yuck.

I always wonder what the sticky sweet smell is in the Goodwill I go to. What is the product that supplies that smell? I don’t know. I think it’s some sort of clothing laundry smell.

[Morning Glory]

Under laundry detergent ONLY TIDE and ALL brands are accepted. Um, really?

I'd read a story a few years back how this is a status thing among certain populations of low income people.  Tide has a distinctive smell.  Kids get teased for their folks using the poor (store brand) detergent instead of Tide.  And conversely,  there is a source of pride, that even though they may not have things other people have, at least they are clean and the smell of the Tide proves that.

So perhaps not as evil as y'all were thinking.

Rode my bicycle by a few kids waiting for their school bus (every one staring at their phones with necks craned (another story)) and I could smell their scented soap or shampoo from 30 feet away. Hormone disruptors always smell so good!

This is a good point. Tide DOES have a distinct smell. I grew up with a mom that only bought Tide. And then I learned to hate scented laundry detergent. We use free & clear now, so our clothes just smell like......... nothing. And boy, does scented laundry ever smell gross when you get used to the smell of nothing. It smells like someone dumped a whole bottle of perfume on your clothes (which is what scented detergent does!).
 Anyway that's a tangent, but I could totally see it being a status thing because that perfume smell is so crazy strong. Yuck.

I always wonder what the sticky sweet smell is in the Goodwill I go to. What is the product that supplies that smell? I don’t know. I think it’s some sort of clothing laundry smell.

It is the main reason I rewash clothes from the thrift store. Im always sneezing in there. My sil worked In a thrift store and she says bounce is the worst. I think that's fabric softener.  I don't know what that's for because my clothes seem soft enough without it.

[Cassie]

Thrift stores don’t wash the donations locally as they have no way to do it. I hate fabric softener and dryer sheets. I have a ton of allergies and asthma so need fragrance free detergent.

[Morning Glory]

Thrift stores don’t wash the donations locally as they have no way to do it. I hate fabric softener and dryer sheets. I have a ton of allergies and asthma so need fragrance free detergent.

A funny memory just popped up. One of my high-school boyfriends thought hs mom put perfume on the clothes after washing them and I took his word for it because they were from another country so I just assumed it was a cultural difference. (I can't remember  the context but i must have asked or commented about the smell). My guess now is that she probably just used Tide or similar and he had no clue.

My mom still uses dryer sheets. MIL used liquid fabric softener.  I remember having both at different times but stopped years ago. 

[jinga nation]

Our kids' pediatrician office, last few annual checkups, ask if we use scented detergent and fabric softener, what soap, any room/bathroom fragrance/odor products, etc. Parents are also asked if they use cologne/fragrances daily or occasionally. Doc/PA/ARNP recommended the use of fragrance and dye-free products if possible, due to allergies developing and/or allergic reactions. They want less kids coming to the office, which means less kids put on medications. They also encourage parents to let kids play outside all year round, let them swim in cooler weather (this is SW Florida), run around barefoot in grass, get daily exposure to sun and nature.
For food, they recommend buying dye-free cereals and processed foods, but prefer parents reduce the amount of prepared/pre-processed foods. They also want to see less overweight kids in the office.
Doc said he thought most of this is common sense, but apparently isn't, so he made a checklist and gave to parents.

[YttriumNitrate]

Doc/PA/ARNP recommended the use of fragrance and dye-free products if possible, due to allergies developing and/or allergic reactions. They want less kids coming to the office, which means less kids put on medications.

Would shielding kids from fragrance and dyed products reduce -- or increase -- allergies developing? Shielding kids from peanuts may not have been the best idea. https://www.vox.com/2015/2/24/8103419/babies-peanut-allergies

[GuitarStv]

Doc/PA/ARNP recommended the use of fragrance and dye-free products if possible, due to allergies developing and/or allergic reactions. They want less kids coming to the office, which means less kids put on medications.

Would shielding kids from fragrance and dyed products reduce -- or increase -- allergies developing? Shielding kids from peanuts may not have been the best idea. https://www.vox.com/2015/2/24/8103419/babies-peanut-allergies

My understanding is that there are two ways that allergies can develop - some allergies develop due to lack of exposure early on in life (like peanuts) and some allergies develop due to too much exposure over your life (many woodworkers develop allergies to sawdust).

If it's otherwise safe and healthy to be exposed to, then I'd tend towards exposure early on.  But these unnaturally created fragrance and dyes aren't particularly good for anyone, so I think it makes sense to limit exposure early on.

[Metalcat]

Doc/PA/ARNP recommended the use of fragrance and dye-free products if possible, due to allergies developing and/or allergic reactions. They want less kids coming to the office, which means less kids put on medications.

Would shielding kids from fragrance and dyed products reduce -- or increase -- allergies developing? Shielding kids from peanuts may not have been the best idea. https://www.vox.com/2015/2/24/8103419/babies-peanut-allergies

The thing is that peanuts are generally benign for those who don't have a peanut allergy. So exposure isn't harmful.

Scents are pretty universal irritants, so there's no benign level of exposure. And allergies to them are usually acquired from exposure because they cause damage to the tissues they touch and the body starts over reacting to them.

They're known or suspected to have pretty negative impacts on child development. Allergies are just a sign and symptom of the effect they have, but nowhere near the whole story of the impact.

Scents in particular are often hormone disruptors, many of which are obesogens. So that coveted Tide Scent could be fucking with kids' hormones and making them obese.