Speaking of mutual aid (we were, weren't we?) there is one institution that most cities already have that fills a mutual aid gap, and that is Food Banks. I did a little digging this morning and found that the county I live in has 57 food banks/meal programs. State wide, over 300. First of all, it's criminal that we have to have that many places to serve the undernourished. Nationwide, the USDA data showed that in 2023, 13.5% of all households were food insecure, up from 2022. Yet federal spending on food assistance fell.
So it falls to nonprofits, as with most things, to fill in what the government won't provide.
That's why it's so important to donate to or volunteer with your local food bank now. For one thing, you may need it later. Food insecurity is only going to go up since groceries are fast becoming a monopolistic industry. A lot of local branches do work with food banks, at least, but there are always gaps. I know my neighborhood food bank is always seeking pet food and hygiene products, but every food bank is different.
I used to volunteer there to help sort the deliveries and donations, but I fell out of the practice during the pandemic. Maybe it's time to start that up again, or at the very least add a new donation spot to my list.
Tomorrow is a holiday here, so I will likely not post. But be kind to your neighbors even still.
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