Cause

 

 

The Community Action Provo Food Bank is an organization that has teamed up with local grocery stores and do-gooders to make food available for impoverished people in the area. 80-100 families cycle through the food pantry daily, stocking up on what they need but can't provide for themselves. The Food Bank gets its food from stores like Smith's and Macey's, who donate about-to-expire or slightly damaged food that cannot be sold anymore but is still perfectly useful. Individuals can also donate food items by bringing whatever they want to give away into the center. The Food Bank also supports group food drives and receives abundant amounts around the holidays. All helpers at Community Action are volunteers. They do everything from retrieving large food donations from incoming trucks, unloading and categorizing food items, and arranging food on the shelves in the pantry. Clients of the Food Bank meet with a case worker before being able to shop in the free food pantry. The worker analyzes the customer's situation with them and creates a plan to help them get back on their feet. This part of Community Action's contribution to helping the needy is called stabilization. Clients are able to come and shop for food for their families, feeling a sense of empowerment and dignity as they choose their own groceries, instead of having to accept a handout or pre-packaged care kit. As clients receive help from the Food Bank and begin to stabilize their situation, they progress to a stage that Community Action calls rebuilding. The hope is that clients will become increasingly independent as they obtain the necessities while also making an effort to gain permanent security, and someday making steps towards retaining and saving money, purchasing a home, etc. The Community Action Food Bank not only provides a way for struggling families to obtain sustenance, but also believes in making lasting changes and building better futures for people.