Food bank benefits from overturned turkey truck

[UglyGreed]

This is a fantastic windfall as our Food Bank heads into one of the busiest times of year," Altfest told KNTV. "Receiving this volume of meat protein is rare for us any time of year -- and a donation like this simply couldn't come at a better time. This is going to add a significant helping of holiday joy to thousands of households throughout our community."


http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2014/11/13/Food-bank-benefits-from-overturned-turkey-truck/8891415896833

Yeah!!!

[jwirr]

1. Wonderful.

[NM_Birder]

2. Seems odd, but fortunate none the less

1-not good enough to be sold to the public
2-meh...... they're OK for the homeless

[UglyGreed]

3. It's better

than nothing I guess. If it did not happen I'm sure there would be many empty bellies. But you are right sad they only get road scraping.

[SheilaT]

4. As someone who actually helps out feeding the homeless,

you should note that the article points out that the turkeys weren't actually compromised in any way, just no longer able to be sold to the public. They hadn't thawed, they hadn't had their plastic bags punctured.

We serve a LOT of right at the expiration date food to the homeless, and we're grateful to get it.

[NM_Birder]

5. why can't they be sold to the public if nothingg is wrong ?

don't get me wrong, fortunate for the homeless for sure.

just curious WHY good enough for homeless but not the public.

[SheilaT]

11. I couldn't really answer that, but I'm suspecting there are pretty rigid

laws that distinguish between food that can be sold, and food that can be given away. I've also picked up food at the local food bank, and much of what arrives there is at the very edge of usefulness.

[UglyGreed]

6. Thank you for

donating your time to help those who are down on their luck.

[SheilaT]

12. You are welcome.

I'm in Santa Fe, and we have, as do so many cities, a pretty sizeable homeless or down-on-their luck population. The shelter I volunteer with (and there are a couple of others here) feeds lunches three times a week year round, and opens overnight including a hot meal from mid-October to mid-March or April, I forget which. Each week a different faith group or organization of some kind comes in and does the evening meal.

I hang out with some Presbyterians, although I'm neither a believer nor a joiner myself -- can't you tell why I'm a Democrat? -- and of course they are great people and we do an excellent job of this. All this week I've been dictator of the kitchen, a job I promised to take on once I was no longer working and could do it. I've been able to coordinate things in the kitchen and keep track of food from day to day, and everyone tells me I'm a great help.

One big problem in trying to help the homeless is that there is just not enough money, either to help them as needed or to pay staff. I was jokingly offered the job of being the coordinator for the rest of the year, but I not so jokingly said I'd need to be paid. And that's not going to happen because there's just no money even for a minimum wage salary for what I'm doing.

We were able to get one of the homeless to be our dishwasher for the week and we are paying him.

In the past I've helped out about four times a year here, and I want to say that being at the shelter every night for a full week is very interesting.

I don't do this to remind me how relatively well off I am, but that's certainly one of the things I get from doing this.

[UglyGreed]

17. It's wonderful

you have it in your heart to help. My admiration for people like yourself is immense. When you become kitchen Dictator please just go easy on your subordinates

[SheilaT]

20. Ahh, yes.

This evening I managed to greatly irritate one of my helpers, and had to very humbly apologize for my behavior. Even though I can be dictatorial, I can generally see where I've screwed up and I'm almost always willing to apologize.

[UglyGreed]

21. sometimes

it happens. I can also be a taskmaster and I always jump to conclusions, one of my many bad traits. As long as I step back take a deep breath and realize my mistake it's all good....until the next time

[ChazII]

10. The food bank where I volunteer

would love to receive a donation like this! We assist 30+ families each week and those families are very thankful for any help they receive.

[UglyGreed]

18. Thank you for

your efforts to help these families. It feels good to help people, everyone should try every once and awhile.

[H. Cromwell]

14. Most foods

'damaged' or out of date are perfectly safe for human consumption. In this case, Common Sense prevailed.

Years ago, I worked in a supermarket chain. (ACME) During an open area roof repair, a severe thunder storm hit. The aisle containing boxed/bagged pasta, canned goods, and bagged candy were affected. ALL OF IT was tossed in the land fill. Nothing under water, just water spotted.
Another situation, the store received 'on sale' margarine real close to the sell date..what didn't sell was trashed.
In both cases...the possibility of Law Suits was the reason the food was destroyed. Go figure.

[SheilaT]

16. Stuff like that should always be donated to

the local food bank or homeless shelter.

The cost of feeding the homeless is amazing. All of you who feed yourselves and a family know this. I have so far spent over $100 of my own money (some of which will be reimbursed) this week, and I'm just one person providing a small fraction of what's needed. Donations of food and time are desperately needed, and greatly appreciated.

I'm beginning to think that one way to deal with this is to have cafeterias set up to fix the food and feed the needy. Organized correctly, it could be pretty efficient.

[pinboy3niner]

7. Oh, the humanity!

[progressoid]

8. As God is my witness...

[AtomicKitten]

9. Nice windfall.

[LeftyMom]

13. On the radio when the accident happened they said there was significant diesel spilled.

I distinctly remember that at the time because I assumed they'd have to pitch the turkeys.

But I guess slightly diesel contaminated turkey is good enough for the poors?

[H. Cromwell]

15. Rest assured

that no frozen turkeys that were given to the poor/homeless were contaminated by any fuel. If the turkey was released for human consumption it was safe to eat. The threat of a law suit would prevent any contaminated food from being offered to any human.

[UglyGreed]

19. Thank you

for the info. Good to know that sometimes the law ( and the fear of losing money ) does protect the weak.