First of all, there is a thrift shop AND a food pantry, they are under the same umbrella, but two distinctly different services. I have been going to the food pantry to help supplement my monthly groceries for YEARS and I can honestly say that the food pantry at St. Vincent DePaul has probably the BEST selection of food I've ever seen when comparing food pantries. You have to realize that this is a FOOD PANTRY and not a store like Publix and the food is DONATED to the food pantry so it is going to be older than what you get fresh in the grocery store. However, that being said, while there may be a few items that are outdated or expired (READ the labels), about 90% of what I've received has been fresh and in good, very edible condition. Most of their food comes from Publix which is an elite grocery store and their BREAD especially, as it comes from Publix bakery, is always in vast supply and is delicious. I see no difference in what you get FREE from the food pantry than what you would pay for in the Publix store. They are usually crowded (because of the amount of high qualify food they give out for FREE) and you might expect to be sitting there for about an hour (sometimes more) so bring a book or something to keep you busy. Everybody who volunteers there is very polite and helpful--they can't seem to do enough for you. Again, you need to be mindful that this is a FOOD PANTRY that is providing lower income folks with FREE FOOD, so let's not be so damned picky as you are getting the food for FREE. This particular food pantry also gives A LOT of fresh fruits and vegetables, meat and chicken, in addition to the canned (pantry) staples that all food pantries give. I have come out with hamburger, ground turkey, sausage, hotdogs, ham, sometimes eggs, salad mix and other assorted vegetables, not to mention, again, all the bread that is not in short supply. I think people need to remember that they are getting this food for FREE and not be so critical about what they are getting, I mean, beggars can't be choosers, right? All in all, this food pantry has A LOT to offer and I highly recommend them to anyone who needs a little help making ends meet and getting from month-to-month with food.
I am writing about the St. Vincent DePaul Food Pantry located in Spring Hill, Florida (not San Francisco, CA) read more