Food
banks generally provide food to less privileged and disadvantaged individuals
in our communities. Food banks were first initiated in the United States of
America, however, food banks have grown to become a household name in many
communities around the world. The primary purpose of a food bank is to receive and
distribute food to reduce or prevent hunger. These fixed ideas were imprinted
in my mind after my first exposure to the concept of food banks. Imprinted by
whom? Why did I perceive food banks as only a food storage and distribution
concept? At the time, there was a dearth in my knowledge about food security
and food sovereignty. I only understood food security from the viewpoint of
poverty and lack thereof of knowledge which can improve access to nutritious quality
meals. After all, why will an individual need to go to a physical location to access
free food.
I
had moved from Ghana, to this new location which I was excited
to integrate into as soon as possible. During my period living in the United States
as an international student, I never visited a food bank. However, I would often
hear about a call from food banks, for food from community members and students,
specifically cans of food and less perishable foods. I would think that this
was a well-meaning cause for those who needed food and yet, I was not sold on
the idea of eating canned food. I must admit that growing up, I was spoiled by
easy access to fresh cooked meals, hot from the pot with no use of a microwave.
This was just the norm in my community and my country and it was not because of
riches or access to cheap food. I recalled the smell of fresh “light soup” with
bay leaves, tomatoes and peppers, and pounded cassava and yams (fufu). I
believe I would have almost starved if I had to choose canned food instead of a
nice cooked meal. I was still adjusting to life in America and little did I know
that on one chilly night in the near future, I would rely on a nice bowl of
chicken noodle soup and crackers to help me get over my flu. Since that day, I occasionally
purchased some canned soup from the grocery store. Some years down the line, I
found that comparable grocery store items could be found in both grocery stores
and food banks.
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| Canned and packed foods |
Fast
forward into the future, I arrived in Canada a few years later, once again an
international student trying to familiarize myself with a North American
country. After days of orientations, I learned that a food bank was located
somewhere on the university campus. To my surprise, a food bank charge was
listed on my student bill. I wondered and said out loud to myself, “why are
students paying for the food?” I knew very little about food banks and all I
knew were the words “needed” and “free”. A month had gone by and I had still not
been to the food bank to see what it was all about. I kept hearing people talk
about the food bank but this only surprised me as I expected cans of soup and
beans. As an international student, I needed to budget wisely and ensure that I
had enough food without breaking the bank. After a few months of spending scarce
dollars on food and the thought of shame often accompanied by visits to food
banks, I weighed my options. I cared very little about what it meant to visit a
food bank. I thought to myself, “why am I spending the salary of one adult person
(in Ghana) on just food?” The idea haunted me anytime I went grocery shopping.
Also, I never had enough to buy the food products I needed, or access the
products I needed. I relied heavily on specific vegetables, fruits and rice,
the cheaper ones of course. Even though any choice of food produce was
expensive, I was too far away from an “African store” to purchase anything
familiar or cheaper. As a matter of fact, food from African stores cost more
because of export and storage requirements. As a result, I improvised with the
basic and common foods like onions, tomatoes and oranges.
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| Carrots |
Finally,
I decided to visit the food bank to save money and access food. I was dumfounded
when I arrived at the food bank provided by the university. Mind you the food bank was a smaller version
of what one could find in any Canadian community food bank. I was met by warm
greetings from fellow students. One student was stacking both fresh and
non-perishable foods, while the other asked if this was my first time so she
could sign me up with a membership card. I was expecting to find only
pre-packaged bags of canned food ready to hand off to the needy. This was often
the condescending and shaming thoughts I had associated with food banks. To my
surprise, I found a lively room busy with students (single or with families) from
diverse backgrounds, and storage bins filled with a large variety of food
produce. In a walk-in room to my left there were two freezers and one fridge
filled to the brim with milk and crates of eggs. The freezers contained, fish,
chicken, frozen pancakes, frozen vegetables, hamburgers, and the list
continuous. In the main open space, bins had been filled with onions, eggplant,
coloured peppers, carrots, bananas, apples, oranges potatoes and other fruits
and vegetables.
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| Frozen Beef |
There
was a second room with non-perishable breakfast foods, oatmeal and cereal bars.
Rice, lentils, cans of soup, tuna, beans, chicken, tomatoes spaghetti, flour
and sugar were all available for the taking. I felt as though I was in the
wrong place. This was not a food bank, but a mini grocery store that cost
almost nothing. Of course, portion sizes had been conveniently provided to
ensure that everyone had equal access to the food provided. When I finally recovered
from my surprise about the food bank, I noticed a message board with a list of
ingredients and recipes provided for interested individuals and families. I
wondered to myself “why would someone take the time to make this recipe board and
why is it necessary?” Most importantly,
all the ingredients listed could be found in the food bank so the meals were
achievable. Contrary to my previous beliefs, my first rational thought about
the food bank was that distribution was not the primary goal of this food bank.
The administrators set out to provide access to a variety of nutritious meals
to all and to ensure that quality food was provided. Two things happened to me that
day, first I redefined my conception of food banks and secondly, I wanted to learn
more about food banks.
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| Lentils and Cereals |
I
set out to do some research on my own and found that even though Canada is a
wealthy country, people are still living in poverty and they still have little
access to food. For every 6 individuals supported in Canada by food
banks, 1 person has a job. This means that not having a stable source of income
is not the only reason for a person to visit a food bank. Food banks provide
much more than food related support. Corporate and local food bank partners encourage
support from able organizations and individuals, collect and provide safe
quality food, raise funds to support the cause, provide household products,
general skill training and build capacity for community members to make the
most of their access to food, while reducing hunger and improving the quality of
lives (examples include starting community gardens and developing cooking
skills). Food banks are bringing community members together to share a meal and
fight for a common worthy cause. So, there is more to food banks! I have
benefited from a visit to the food bank! Now, how can I as an individual contribute
to this idea that appears to be bigger than just access to food. I had so much more to learn on this new
journey.
Antonia Abena Ofosu, Graduate
Student, ECVOntario, Canada