There is a surprising truth about food banks in general, and that is that they would rather not take any food donations from you.

That’s right; most, or at least a great very many, food banks would much rather have monetary contributions instead of food.  Now it’s not that they are turning away restaurants, supermarkets, farmers, or manufacturers; it’s just that individual members of the public are more appreciated for their dollars (or even their time volunteering) than just about anything else.  They would rather not have your food, thank you very much.  And how come?  Food banks are obviously places where food is deposited.  What else could a food bank want - and why!  Moreover, haven’t their traditional donors been cutting back in this recession?

But that’s only a surprise until you consider all the details involved.

The main reason food banks would rather receive monetary contributions instead of food from individual donors is because of the food banks’ unique purchasing power.  Yes, a lot of the food in a food bank is actually bought, not donated!  But very little profit, if any, is made by the sellers, such that a four-dollar box of morning cereal is a four-dollar dozen boxes of breakfast cereal when the food bank does the shopping!

Fact: food banks receive dramatic discounts, so they can really make every dollar stretch.

And don’t forget that operating a food bank costs money above and beyond any necessary for food.  While many people volunteer their time, there has to be a small cadre of full-timers around.  A food bank needs someone to administer all the paperwork, after all, not to mention someone to drive all that food around, distributing it or picking it up, never mind expenses for rent and utilities!  For example, in a metropolis like New York, City Harvest handles around 57,000 pounds of food daily - that’s some three million every year.  Then there is all the equipment needed, vehicles and whatnot.  That’s why even though you may not be as rich as donors such as real estate developer Isaac Toussie or Al Roker your money is still good - and far better than any food you donate!