The COVID-19 pandemic has had lasting effects on many aspects of our lives, and food banks are no exception. To continue providing help in such trying times, these institutions had to evolve into drive-through pantries, where, instead of coming inside, people have the donations put directly into their car’s trunk, thereby minimizing contact and reducing wait times. Having done a lot of good during the pandemic, a number of them continue to operate to this day.
However, some people recently started voicing concerns about such food bank drive-throughs, as they noticed expensive cars lining up for donations in one TikTok video. Netizens couldn’t understand how people with fancy vehicles were struggling for food, and even started worrying that the wealthy were taking advantage of the system.
Food banks now have drive-through options that anyone in need can use
Image credits: unsplash (not the actual photo)
This woman documented how one works in real life
She timed the trip, which took around 1 hour and 15 minutes
Afterwards she showed what was included in the food donation package
Image credits: foodbankfood
Watch the video in full here:
“Anyone who needs help with food and groceries can visit,” Feeding America says
Image credits: unsplash (not the actual photo)
The fortunate ones who never needed to seek out donations might not be aware of the fact that drive-through pantries exist. “A drive-thru pantry is a food distribution where you can pick up a nutritious mix of free food and groceries without leaving your car. This makes it convenient and easy for you to get food,” explains Feeding America on its website.
Something else that people might not know about food donations or donations in general is that one doesn’t necessarily have to be ‘poor’ to seek out help from food banks and drive-through pantries. Anyone who experiences food insecurity or faces temporary financial hardship can and should use them.
“Anyone who needs help with food and groceries can visit,” Feeding America informs. “When you arrive, you may need to provide information like your zip code or number of family members. This helps to keep track of the number of meals given away.”
The truth is that food or financial insecurity looks different for everyone. So even if a person pulls up with an expensive-looking car at a drive-through pantry, they might be between jobs and need to keep their vehicle to get into employment. It also happens that people with health issues apply for benefits that allow them to purchase a vehicle that helps them to go to doctors, food banks, etc.
Even though the primary goal for food banks is to feed people in need, some communities also place importance on delivering food to encourage healthier habits and slow health problems that plague food deserts, aka locations that have limited access to affordable and nutritious foods.
Most people who come for food donations need genuine help
Image credits: unsplash (not the actual photo)
Lack of this knowledge probably pushed people to judge those who were seen pulling up with luxurious cars to the drive-through pantry in the aforementioned video. One thing to note is that since the COVID-19 pandemic, households experiencing some form of food insecurity have roughly increased to 25%, which has changed the way the food-insecure population looked prior to the pandemic.
“These newly food insecure households may have made purchases (cars, etc.) that the pre-pandemic food insecure households would not have made. In other words, the population of people going to the food bank has most likely changed from only the very poor to the very poor plus households hit hard by the pandemic,” assistant professor of economics Katherine Harris-Lagoudakis explained.
“Now, should these people have saved more in the event of something really terrible happening? This question is a little more philosophical in nature so I'm going to side skirt it. Only two things to say here: (1) most American households tend to undersave, and (2) the pandemic was very unpredictable and has affected some industries more than others—making it kind of hard to effectively save for an event like this,” she said.
While there might be a slight chance that some people are taking advantage of food bank donations, according to Andy Irwin, manager of South and East Bristol Food Bank, most people who come for donations need genuine help.
“I understand the judgement because I had it myself but I just think these people...are pretty legitimate, to be honest with you...a handful that aren’t—but I’m happy to deal with a handful that aren’t for the 90-something percent who are genuine.”
The video creator shared more details about US food banks in the comments
A lot of people were confused why there were so many luxury cars lining up for donations
Some responded, arguing that a car isn't an indicator of wealth
But the suspicions escalated, and this creator reacted to the video, calling out 'rich' people who might be taking advantage of food banks
Image credits: darkpredictions
Watch his video in full here:
The reactions to the video were mixed, with some judging and others sympathizing
