SEPTEMBER 5, 2025 ON MY CORNER ASK YOUR VENDOR Who is your celebrity look-alike? No idea. — Pony Bush, #305 George Carlin. — Ken Parks, #490 (see photo page 11) Tone Loc or LL Cool J. — Mike Jones, #113 (see photo page 4) Ben Kingsley. — Jim Clark, #139 (see photo page 8) Sissy Spacek. — Rose Strickland, #25 (see photo below) Bette Midler. — Terri Demar, #322 Have you ever wondered why you don't see name brand products at food banks? I have wondered that myself. Let me tell you about some facts that I've come across. Some of the reasons I found were (let me put it this way) the companies are too cheap to donate food. They have much more control over their supply chain, meaning fewer leftovers to donate. Another reason is that retailers don't want to undercut their own brands. Retailers are often selective about donations and they don't want excess product showing up in food banks regularly. Retailers see that this can devalue their brand or lead to perceptions of being cheap and low end. You may see a name brand or a private label (Kirkland, Great Value) in food banks occasionally. That’s because retailers and manufacturers donate surplus, overstocked or near expiration items. Food Banks try to stretch Tupac. — Joe Woods, #103 every dollar when it comes to purchasing food. They tend to be very cost efficient. They often purchase food in bulk from wholesalers or food bank networks like Feeding America. This is where the generic or unbranded products are significantly cheaper to buy than brand names. Many food banks Sad but true Hi, I’m Rose, Groundcover News vendor No. 25! That means I was the 25th person to become a Groundcover News vendor in 2010 when Groundcover News was born! Happy 15th anniversary! My life sucks and it shows, but as a matter of grace and dignity I always dress nice no matter if I’m homeless or not (which I really am — sad but true). My heart hurts and I am sick of being manipulated. I feel the anger of the Mama Bear! I’m already tired of life. Sad but true. Some of us will die alone, but are we ever alone? I don’t believe that we are. I believe it so much even though I have lived a hard life. I have never stopped talking and having friendships with everyone in my life I loved to love. I have three baby daddies of my six beautiful children and three grandbabies. Except for one child who I lost after taking the COVID vaccine, I gave ROSE STRICKLAND Groundcover vendor No. 25 birth to them all naturally. All thanks to God. He is the best of us! I hurt because of things men have done to destroy the love in me. Somehow they never leave me, but I still get left by every one of them. They start making my life hard for amusement. They gang up on lil’ ole me everyday in one shape or form. They all become one and crap on me a lot, too much for my heart. They kicked me out when they chose and took me back knowing I had no choice except the street life. They used me for sexual favors while they still had my babies because I’m the mother on the streets that's on SSI and can't afford a life. Sad but true. There was one who loved me more than the rest but hurt me more than most. A soulmate is something special that some folks just can’t find in life or it takes them a lifetime to find. Sad but true. I know I am a fool, a stupid fool in love with my soulmate. Why, oh why, does my soul and my heart crave him? It feels like a big part of me has gone away, vanished. Why does he always run around in my mind? I don’t want to think about him anymore. My heart has forgiven the worst parts of him! How magical God works: I praise Him for my strength and peace of mind, but, oh, how my heart hurts. GROUNDCOVER NEWS Brand names at food banks? product that is a staple with food banks is oats. It’s off SHELLEY DENEVE Groundcover vendor No. 22 brand, but I haven't had a problem with taste. This past Wednesday I went to a food bank. I got a name brand item, Hostess cupcakes. They were the strawberry kind. I’m judging that they were amongst other products because they were near their expiration date. Plus I think the strawget products from USDA programs like The Emergency Food Assistance Program and bulk surplus from food distributors. The items purchased are beans, rice, pasta and canned goods that are not tied to consumer branding. On occasion you may catch a name brand product because of packaging redesign (old packaging must go), limited time promotions and product recalls (non-safety-related like labeling errors). I have experienced this going to different food banks. One particular product I can recall receiving is cereal. There are Rice Krispy and Corn Flakes off-brands that are not very good. They significantly don't have the same taste as the name brands. I would get them at first, but after trying them and then wasting the product I would simply just choose not to get any cereal. Another berry cupcakes sell less than the chocolate cupcakes. They did seem kind of stale. However I did not check the expiration date on the box they came in. So, why don't you see name brand products in food banks? I feel that this information has satisfied my curiosity. I hope this article has helped others who have had the same question come to mind. 3
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