How do you know that recipients of a food pantry aren't diabetics?

I'm a diabetic, and I can tell ya that there's very little on that list above that I would be able to eat.

There's no accommodation for diet restrictions or allergies.

Fructose: three cans of peaches maybe worse if packed in 'syrup', three oranges
Lactose: 1/2 gallon shelf stable 1% milk

Largely carbs:
1 box dehydrated potato mix--probably very high glycemic index
two pounds oatmeal, bulk
two pounds granola, bulk--usually with sugar or honey
1 bag jalapeno potato chips--very high glycemic index
1 pound elbow macaroni--very high glycemic index
bread (surplus of breads this week, the client could select as much as desired)--especially if 'white' bread very high glycemic index.


Everyone needs to eat. Providing food is great.

As a diabetic I can't get near any of the above unless I want to jab insulin.

The most striking thing for me was the sense of shame and embarrassment I picked up from so many of the clients.

Sounds like you had a great group of choices, though. The best were the "treats" - day old cakes from local bakeries, fresh produce that was right before it's term date. We even had some ice cream bars for the kids once.

One is a church group that picks up twice per week and another is a women's shelter that picks up once per week. I see the guys from the church group and we normally pack up 6 to 8 shopping carts full of bread and cakes, pies, etc. As I process damaged items for the store as part of my duties, I make sure they get all the items that I can give them, staying within the policies that have been set. I do what I can to get vendors to contribute, but many of them have restrictive policies that don't allow for that to happen (some have been burned in various ways through the years).

I gotta say that the two old men that show up twice a week in all sorts of weather just like clock work, to take food to those in need are true heroes, but there are no medals for that kind of work.

It is an episcopal church and when they are not doing services they turn the churc into a soup kitchen. I bet the Vatican would not like that, because they are "spending too much time on the poor".