PREGUNTAS FRECUENTES
What are Food Banks?
The Food Banks (BdA) are non-profit organizations that contribute to reducing hunger, malnutrition and food waste in the country, rescuing in a traceable and safe way, food suitable for human consumption before it is discarded, in order to to store, classify and distribute them among community aid entities: soup kitchens, children's and nursing homes, community and school support centers, among others.
In this way, a social value is given to those foods that have lost their commercial value, avoiding their waste and making it reach the people who need it most. The ways in which we recover food are: through donations from companies in the food industry or collections, fruit and vegetable recovery programs, rescue of supermarket shrinkage, collections and campaigns, among other actions. Likewise, we educate about the nature of hunger and its possible solutions as well as about the importance of healthy nutrition for human growth and development. We spread the spirit of solidarity and spread human values through coordinated work between the different social actors, in order to join and coordinate efforts to fulfill their mission.
Do the BdA belong to or sympathize with any political party and/or religion?
Both the REDBdA and the BdA that make it up are non-profit institutions in the private sector that do not belong to any political party or religious group. However, we trust in the articulated work with the various social sectors and we promote joint actions with institutions from the public, private, academic and social sectors. In this sense, the actors of the BdA and the REDBdA come from different sociocultural, religious, academic, business and other strata, all driven by a single common cause.
Do Food Banks sell food?
The BdA do not sell food, but we distribute the food that we rescue from the food industry that for some reason has left the commercial chain but is fit for human consumption. This can be due to defects in the packaging or packaging, due to an upcoming expiration date, little success in the market, seasonal products, production surpluses or returns.
Part of the resources to maintain the operation of the BdA comes from the contribution made by the same entities and kitchens when removing food. This consists of a symbolic contribution of money per kilo of food, which helps us pay for the expenses corresponding to BdA logistics services: freight to collect food from donor companies, maintenance costs of BdA facilities (electricity, water , gas, etc.). The beneficiary entities are one more link in the solidarity value chain and this contribution is a way for them to be part of it. The rest of the resources come from individual and company donations, as well as from different actions and fundraising events that we carry out to obtain other sources of income (eg Annual Dinner).
Do the BdAs provide all the food that the entities provide to their beneficiaries?
The BdA model accompanies soup kitchens providing them between 20% and 40% of the food they need, that is, among other reasons, so that they do not depend solely on of the food they receive from the Food Bank. In the case of Banco de Alimentos Mendoza, our commitment to organizations is 25% of the food they need.
What is the food rescue program carried out by the BdA? How is the proccess? What kind of products do you distribute?
The food rescue program is the raison d'être of the BdA. From the BdA we rescue and request, in a traceable and safe way, food suitable for consumption that companies, for different reasons, do not sell. These are products that constitute production surpluses, that have packaging or wrapping errors, that have had little success in the market, that have a short expiration date, seasonal products or that do not meet the technical specifications that companies impose on themselves but that They are completely fit for human consumption.
Every time the BdA receives food, we classify and store it, and then distribute it among community aid entities: soup kitchens, children's and nursing homes, community and school support centers, among others. All these entities have in common the provision of food in the place, but the institutional mission of each one is particular.
What is the process of verification/control of these foods?
Before delivering them to the beneficiary entities of the BdA, we must control most of the products we receive to ensure that they reach them on time and in optimal conditions. This task is carried out in the warehouse classification area of each BdA with the help of volunteers, to check: expiration date, product status and suitability for human consumption.
The BdA model is based on the traceability and transparency of its activities and operations. The donor knows the route that the food takes from the moment it leaves its warehouse, passes through the BdA, is classified, stored and then distributed among community aid entities (soup kitchens, children's and nursing homes, community centers and school support , among others). Periodically a report is sent to them with the destination or use that was made of their donation.