Only in America

This month a California photographer stumbled across a enlightening story in the Mohave Desert. While he and companions were out there trying to find a museum apparently run by retired strippers, they came across what appeared to be an abandoned ranch. When they got out of the van the disgusting smell of rotted food overpowered them. What they had come across was a dumping ground for a large partnership of homeless shelters & food banks in California. They reported that the dump was full of expired food cooking in the desert sun. They found a case of egg nog, a pallet of yogurt, cases of spinach, water with fluoride (that goes bad), and even cases of toothpaste! After exploring the mess and taking pictures the “Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County” was contacted. The general manager explained to them that when donations are past their prime and no longer usable they were sent out to that location to a pig farm. What he did not know is that the man who ran the pig farm had been evicted from the ranch back in January. He did explain what they had done with these perishable items, but could not explain why no one knew there was not a pig farm there anymore or why some items (i.e. cases of toothpaste) were even brought out there.

When he was asked why donations were not used in the first place; he answered that about 20 percent of all donations coming in to the collective partners are thrown out for various reasons. In reality most of their donations come from companies trying to get tax breaks and sometimes the things donated are not even usable. This fact got me thinking. If we live in a society where companies large & small get tax breaks for donating things to shelters and food banks that they can’t even use sometimes… why do they still get the tax break? And, what kind of giving is it when you get something back? Really… I mean I hear people talk about making large donations at the end of the year so that they get the tax breaks… doesn’t that seem a little silly?

Giving should come from the heart (I know that sounds warm and fuzzy). But if you think of it, giving should come from a want to take care of your fellow man… not a want to lower your taxable income. As for the wastefulness… it blows me away that no one could use these items. I understand that we need to be careful what things we give out for free because we live in the age of lawsuits… but maybe we can look a little harder for people who can use items before we throw them out. Ah, America land of waste!