You might wish to go back and look at those "churches and local groups" you got your food from your childhood. Or go to similar ones that are around you where

You might wish to go back and look at those "churches and local groups" you got your food from your childhood. Or go to similar ones that are around you where you live now. Ask them how they get their food to give out to the needy. There's a good chance they got much of their food from a warehouse. Now, you might not have heard of them until now, but read this description of how a lot of food bank systems work: https://www.feedingamerica.org/our-work/food-bank-network https://www.feedingamerica.org/our-work/food-bank-network That's Feeding America, a massive network of food banks as in #2 charity in the United States in 2018. What's bigger? United Way. The churches and local groups? They're name in this model is a "food pantry". Somewhere, especially in metropolitan areas, is one or more organizations that are basically giant warehouses of food. They're the "food bank" of the model. They take in donated food and donated money, buy huge amounts of food in bulk, and distribute it to the "food pantry". What happens is the food bank takes a $10 donation and buys 100+ cans at wholesale prices, then distributes them to the food pantries, sometimes for a tiny fee (think: pennies) to discourage waste. Its one thing when you clean out your cupboard of cans and another when you willingly buy a few cans at the grocery store to donate. The latter is wasted a bit, because you didn't get a good deal compared to what the food bank could get in bulk. The entire article is on this. A picture in the article is the perfect example of this. These people wanted to "feel good". Well, even with a few percent of overhead for the "CEO cost", that warehouse-level food bank could've probably bought double the food with $500. I get it is feel good for sure and I get the anti-corruption angle. But an honest to goodness food bank known to service an area, one that is well audited(!!) should be on your cash donation list. They're the ones supplying the small local groups with the food you got.