What's in the bag?

Well most will offer you one or two of the items below (quantity may depend on family size)

1. bagged or boxed rice
2. pasta; macaroni, spaghetti or zitti
3. canned spaghetti sauce
4. canned corn and yams
5. canned chicken, pork or tuna
6. box of cereal - rice chex, crisps, flakes, or oat ooo's
7. oat meal
8. peanut butter
9. box of mac and cheese
10. bags or cans of beans... black beans, black eyed beans and more beans

Occasional: sausage, fish sticks, pork strips

Treats: chocolate, pie or cookies.

Extras: fresh produce, carrots, lettuce, greens or potatoes
Most will have fresh produce and fruits and meat, but not always - meat often is canned tuna, chicken or pork, sorry fresh poultry or beef is a rarity.

Beverages: a can of juice or juice-packs may be offered, more often a carton 1% white or chocolate milk is given.

What can I make?

One day I was pondering what to do with all those peaches and pears …

Last summer I decided to cut down on starches, so with no flour, baking powder or sugar in the house I was hard pressed to come up with something… just then my daughter brought home a box of instance pancake mix, I was inspired with a creative idea.

Here’s the recipe for “Sort of a Fruit Torte”

Ingredients

1 Cup of Instant Pancake Mix
¼ water (fruit juice from can substitute)
1 Can of fruit

Utensils Spoon - pie pan and mixing bowl

Oven Temperature - 350o degrees

Baking Time - 30 minutes or until brown

Directions

Open a can of fruit and drain ¼ of the juice into mixing bowl.

Next, pour 1 cup of instant pancake mix into a pie pan, or enough to cover the bottom of the pan as if making a pie shell.

Slowly pour about ¼ of water, milk or the fruit juice (use only one) into the powdered mix –add just enough liquid to make a tick paste-like batter and make sure its enough to cover the bottom of your pie pan – if not adjust the flower or liquid accordingly.

Next, add the remaining fruit on top of the pancake batter in the pie shell (if you used milk or water include about ¼ of the fruit juice).

Bake for 30 minutes and check to see if it has browned, continue until golden brown in color or to your preference.

Alternatives:

After baking 20 minutes - use a few chips of butter for browning the crust

Extras, a sprinkle of sugar, nuts, oats and spices like cinnamon and nutmeg are optional alternatives.

For Pantry Baking – it’s a cheap Tort of sorts.

For other ideas see Aunt Jemima and Betty Crocker for recipes.

Introduction

Today’s economy has many families visiting food pantries for the first time in their lives.

Recently when my unemployment ran out, I found myself among them. The shock that my college-bound children who are eating me out of house and home can be dependents on my fed taxes until 21, but don’t make me qualify for food stamps or that my rent allotment excludes me and my toddler son from them too… Suddenly, I found myself standing in line for the first time too.

How wonderful it would be if I could say I had a childlike curiosity and innocence about my first pantry experience, but when you are forty-something and the mother a three with a Masters degree, a food pantry line is the last destination you ever dreamed of being… I would rather be in my former life when I was making clothing donations of my designer rags, posh children clothing and toys outgrown by my college-bound children that I am desperately trying to feed this summer.

Quickly pride gave way to necessity and compassion for the other women in line who are facing challenges more severe than my own transformed my pride into gratitude that food pantries exist.

In creating this blog I hope I encourage you to humble yourself too, at least enough to get in line and get what you need – turn this temporary situation into one that will fill your heart and your cupboard at the same time…

In the end I encourage readers to share recipes, coupon sources, and locations of food-banks with those befuddled about of this current reality.

10 Pantry Pointers - What do I need?

1. Bring I.D. - Food pantries have to track donations to report to their donor agents – so they require that you show identification for entry into their database.Be ready to show a health insurance card or social security card for dependents and others living in your house hold.
   
   
2. Application – Some monthly food banks provide member cards, as such you will need to complete an application and provide identification.
   
   
3. Bring your bags – Several pantries will give you additional items if you bring your own recycle bags, others don’t provide bags at all – to be prepared it is recommended that you bring your own bags just in case.
   
   
4. Be an Early Bird – If the pantry opens at 9 am and closes at 12 pm, be their by 8:30. In today’s economy the lines are long and the giving can be short – you don’t want to get there at 11:30 by then the food is gone or you get what’s left.
   
   
5. Be Comfortable – Food pantries can take from 30 minutes to 3 hours to get through depending on the amount of people in line. As a result we recommend you wear walking shoes or sneakers and have no place to be… it’s not a place to be anxious or pushy, especially when many lines are field with elders and immigrants – you’ll need patience and politeness to make it a pleasurable experience.
   
   
6. Be Gracious – The workers at pantries are people who volunteer or decided on a social service career, being nice and saying thank you will go a long way. Many times they will help you when you least expects it.
   
   
7. Have an inquiring mind – A friend asked for a list of pantries and got it – and once you’re in line asked others about places to go. Some places give meat, some places stock up on rice and bread, while another place will have milk and cheese, peanut butter, and fresh vegetables and fruits – the giving can vary. Make a list of the time and places and what you are given so that you can develop a shopping schedule.
   
   
8. Give back - when your life improves donate to the pantries you frequented or write a thank you not to grocers who participated. I found myself sending “Trader Joes” a letter online because of a wonderful Cranberry Walnut Torte that had my son dancing after dinner.
   
   
9. Say Thank you - if a brand name corporation is providing you with food through a pantry - go online and send them a thank you note or feedback. Quality foods are important items to many facing hard times. When I received a Cranberry Walnut Torte that I wouldn’t normally afford when I was working - I was delighted - the torte really took the bite or edge of my situation and as a former corporate executive, I am well aware that corporate donors seldom get feedback or praise, so I felt it was important to say Thank You because their giving made a difference in my life - It had my 5 year old dancing after dinner because he had a special desert.
   
   
10. Share the News - write an article or note or even contribute to a blog to let others know how you made miracles of the food you received, how you turned your life around and found a job, or just share encouragement with us... We love to hear from you whether you are a donor or recipient.

Where do I go?

Rosie’s Place http://www.rosies.org/Page.aspx?pid=268

Margaret Fuller House http://www.margaretfullerhouse.org/programs_foodpantry.htm

Cambridge Food Pantries: http://www.cambridgema.gov/dhsp2/meals1.cfm