I've worked with a food pantry affiliated with the church I was attending at the time--they took donations but got 80% of their donations from a county central distribution point.
But this year I do plan on volunteering at a garden that's designated as a "hunger garden" at the county Cooperative Extension site where I get my Master Gardener training. See the description:
The many demonstration gardens found in the park, installed and tended to by Master Gardener volunteers and extension staff, are a valuable tool in teaching residents about horticulture, agriculture and nutrition. During the growing season there are many display gardens to experience. The enormous vegetable gardens brim with vegetables, from the exotic to New Jersey’s familiar favorites. Visitors can see the best growing practices for their backyard efforts; learn about heirloom varieties and beneficial insect attracting plants. Much of the produce harvested here goes to food banks such as Exxx Pxxx or Farmers Against Hunger. \
Now, I've also done some volunteering (not much) for Exxx Pxxx (don't want to mention the name in case they get "pinged". Here's what they say:
Our Community Soup Kitchen in NB serves almost 300 meals a day and over 100,000 meals a year to individuals who would otherwise go hungry. We serve all who come through our doors and take pride in preparing the most delicious and healthy meals possible for our guests.
During the growing season, Exxx Pxxx works diligently to “rescue” food from local farms, farmers markets, and gleaning programs through partnerships with Farmers Against Hunger NJ and New Brunswick Rotary. These efforts enable us to source Jersey Fresh produce at both our salad and hot food bar.
In my mind, this is a good example of one entity having surplus going to another entity that needs it. Exxx Pxxx has an excellent chef training program--and in fact, their executive chef was on Chopped once!
I'd love to hear your "curmudgeonly grumblings." I'm guessing you've seen a lot of food wasted?