After traveling to the farm in Newark, we drove to a food bank. A food bank is a place, or warehouse, where food and supplies are shipped. People who are in need of these supplies, such as homeless people or people who live in food deserts, are allowed to come in and take what they need, free of charge. There’s more than just food, too. There is a food section, where every so often people in need come in and take what they need, but there are other rooms too. There’s a school supply room. Teachers who can’t afford supplies can go and pick up what they need. There’s a room for other stuff, like diapers and stationary.

People pay in points. Every time they come in, they have a certain amount of points. Everyone can take that amount of points worth of supplies and food. This system is kept in place because they don’t want people fighting over supplies, or taking everything. Points helps them keep order, and rationalize.

Donations of money and supplies is what runs the food bank. We toured the food and supply rooms, and the kitchen. In the kitchen, teenagers volunteer, and in return they learn how to cook and bake. They spend all day, every day, for several months, learning how to cook. It’s like a class, they do it for free.