Freegan.....Didja see the segment on Oprah on 2.27??

[alexandra]

>Rule of thumb:  If it's going into my body, it's NOT coming out of a dumpster.<

Big Daddy, I think that's a rule worth living by... especially when dating too...

Thriftily (and perhaps soon to be censored...)
Alexandra
www.livingwithoutmoney.blogspot.com

[genuineimitation]

in berkeley, dumpster diving is just part of a countercultural commitment. i think it was ruth riechel who wrote about her housemates creating a thanksgiving dinner from the dumpster - and this was in the 70's or 80's. dumpster diving isn't new.. and, though i've never heard of anyone dying from the food found within, i admit it gives me the creeps to think about eating something out of a giant garbage bin. it would be nice for compost purposes though!

once the owners of our apartment building cleaned out a flat - anything they could carry out, except the piano. there were waves of dumpster divers who went through this giant bin, beginning at 5:01 pm (when the hired help quit for the day) and going through the night. i let my girl go down and save some things - some beautiful handmade clothes. when i thought that people couldn't possibly find anything more to salvage, some guy got all the way down toward the bottom and found an old gold coin! it was sad to see it all happen - it was an elderly lady's home, and it was all going in the dumpster. i was glad people could salvage things.

[secondhandnation]

There is a group called Food Not Bombs that makes arrangements to pick up surplus food from grocery stores and then makes meals out of the food to serve to homeless people.  Most times, they make arrangements with the staff to pick up the food before it hits the dumpsters, but imagine some groups may not and simply dumpster dive.

They often get in trouble with the public health people, but generally not from illness;  rather, you need a license to serve food to groups of a certain size.    However, I think the idea of attempting to good with waste is a good one.

http://www.foodnotbombs.net

[Thrift Shop Romantic]

About a week ago my aunt in North Carolina went yard saling and she kept seeing this sign, but couldn't figure out where the actual sale was.

So she and my uncle stop at this restaurant right there to ask where this address is, and the people at the restaurant say "here." And lead them into a room inside the restaurant where they are selling...

Leftovers!

My aunt was naturally taken aback a bit. Can you imagine buying leftover food from an unknown restaurant with no idea how long it's been around and for what reason it had been prepapred??

Yikes!

[foutchie]

I wonder how she responded???!
Alexandria, your "insight" made me spit my tea laughing!

[dukek9]

Hey, we need a notable quotes on this site and I hereby nominate Alexandra's answer as the first notable quote! 

Dee

[adapt]

i've come back from the dead to speak on this topic.

my opinion: "freeganism" is bunk.

maybe its because i live in a city with a high homeless population... but if i was a "freegan" i dont think i could live with myself if i could afford my own meals, but took a homeless person's potential next meal away from them. or clothing, for that matter. shame on these people.

[Big Daddy Audio]

Please don't get me started on the delicate topic of homelessness / panhandling / etc.

I've had (in my 44 years) two (2) people ask me for some spare food - both got more than they asked for.  I've offered panhandlers food (when I had it right there) who asked for money, and none accepted the offer.

I'm not going to say that they weren't destitute - I guess they just weren't that hungry.

See you next time
bye for now.

[foutchie]

I've run into those same types in the past - offered food, but got a "no" response, wanted money.....makes you wonder.

[adapt]

yeah, because you ran into some sour types means homeless people don't get hungry, right? get outta here... they're human beings. they get hungry just like you and i. they also get [not] hungry, just like you and i. the homeless don't exactly have a handy receptacle to sock food away in whenever a self-proclaimed philanthropist decides to give them a handout. did you ever think how they came to be [not] hungry enough to refuse food? they got food out of a dumpster or at a shelter. i doubt you were the magical one-in-a-million type to offer a homeless guy your leftovers, considering thats all some ask for. maybe the guy before you did?  bottom line; you don't know, so don't sneer at everyone like your post would lead me to believe you do.

edit: i cant believe that homeless asking for the change in your pocket "makes you wonder". got any use for that twelve cents jangling around in your pocket? planning to use that, were you? either way, i don't know how it is in all of your cities, but here in portland we have (very) low income housing for the homeless, commonly known as a shelter, where rooms are ~$6 a night. they need the money so they don't have to sleep on the streets in the rain. a lot of the homeless are mentally ill, and not just junkies and alcoholics. show some compassion. i thought a lot of you were all about charity.

[foutchie]

Okay, I wasn't sneering......BUT (and I'm saying this is out there) there are those who want the money to buy alcohol rather than food or shelter.  AND I feel deeply for the homeless (I know many vietnam vets ended up there due to their mental anguish of all they suffered) and I do give them something even if they refuse the food (especially the ones with children or families)   Please don't be quick to judge when reading a line posted, since you don't see the person nor any emotion attached....with the economy the way it's going, there are going to be more and more needy.

[hollidais]

I always carry food bags in the car.  Our church makes them up with non pershiable food
and hands them out as needed.  I have never had anyone refuse me.  However, I do not give money unless I have some idea about where it is going.

hollidais

[adapt]

well, i don't like to give large amounts of money out, but if its the change in my pocket, i don't mind (even though i live below the poverty line, if it makes a difference).

foutchie, i wasn't born yesterday. i worked among many homeless for a combined four years thus far. i know there are "system abusers", but that can be said about every single other group of people that operate in a system that can be abused. don't let a few homeless folks (out of millions), or tv/news sour you on a group of people who genuinely need help. as for the judgment thing, all i have is what you give me.