The House of Neighborly Service food bank in Loveland, Colorado has become the first food bank in the nation to offer a gluten-free food section to help people struggling with the high costs of gluten-free diets.
Local activists organized the effort which serves to provide gluten-free foods to people on gluten-free diets who can't afford the high costs of gluten-free ingredients, mixes and ready-made foods.
Learn what you can do to organize, support and benefit from a gluten-free food section at your local food shelf.
Here's How:
- Find local food shelves in your area.
Start with a google search of "food shelves in (your state.) Also check the websites of national food assistance programs like Feeding America where you can search for a food bank in your area with their "Food Bank Locator" tool. - Talk to your local food bank organizers.
Request a call for gluten-free food donations and ask that a portion of food bank cash donations be used to purchase non-perishable gluten-free flours and packaged mixes. Ask food bank organizers to post flyers at service locations asking for gluten-free food donations. Ask organizers to post a need for gluten-free food donations on their websites. - Learn more about the extraordinarily high costs of gluten-free foods.
I recently checked the price of gluten-free bread at my local grocery and found a small frozen loaf selling for over $7.00! A 7 ounce box of gluten-free crackers was selling for $5.00. How many people can afford these products in our economic downturn?
Suggested Reading:
The Gluten-Free Diet: Can Your Patient Afford It? Share this excellent article, written by Pam Cureton and published in Practical Gastroenterolgy, with local food bank organizers for a better understanding of the economic challenges of those on gluten-free diets. - Become an activist.
- Visit food banks in your area to promote awareness of the need for a gluten-free food section.
- Meet with local grocery managers and gluten-free bakeries to encourage gluten-free food donations to local food banks.
Do you belong to a local Celiac support organization? If so, organize a chapter donation effort by asking members to bring a non-perishable gluten-free food donation to monthly meetings for distribution to local food banks.
Find Celiac support groups in your area.
- Volunteer and donate.
Support your local food banks by volunteering your time and donate gluten-free foods or cash if you can. The growth of gluten-free food sections at local food banks across the country can become a reality, helping thousands of people struggling to afford gluten-free foods. The House of Neighborly Service in Loveland, Colorado is proof!
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