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Forum -> Inquiries & Offers -> Lakewood, Toms River & Jackson related Inquiries
Is this stealing (food box)?



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amother
OP


 

Post Wed, Aug 04 2021, 12:48 pm
I only have one child in school and we already have the Tashbar box delivered so as far as I know I’m not eligible for any other food boxes.

I live near one of the food box distribution centers. Every week I drive past them near the time they close and see the huge amount of unclaimed boxes with the workers just sitting there because no one is taking them. This time I drove up and asked if I need to be registered to get one. I was also going to ask if I can take if I’m getting from elsewhere but before I could, the worker said “take as many as you want” and put one in my car. She then asked “do you want more? Do you want milk?” I answered yes. She put another box and a few milks into my car.

Now I’m feeling very guilty. Did I steal? If I did who and how do I pay back?
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amother
Electricblue


 

Post Wed, Aug 04 2021, 12:50 pm
No. Cuz pple sign up sometimes and then they dump extra boxes on them bec they have extra.
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miriam845




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Aug 04 2021, 12:50 pm
If the leftovers will be left there and will probably go to waist, why would that be stealing
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amother
Cherry


 

Post Wed, Aug 04 2021, 12:52 pm
Reach out to the school who's boxes it is and find out what their policies about extras are. In my town they can make as many boxes as registered kids, and as far as the government's concerned, they can do whatever they want with the extras, so they put them in a central location for people who don't get boxes to take from.
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groovy1224




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Aug 04 2021, 12:54 pm
I'm pretty sure that according to the absolute letter of the law, they were not supposed to give it to you. It was supposed to go in the garbage. But I think that's kind of ridiculous and if they have to get rid of it anyway why not just give it to whomever can use it?

And there's such an excess with these food boxes, I can't imagine that your taking a box means someone else that needed it didn't get one.
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amother
Copper


 

Post Wed, Aug 04 2021, 1:04 pm
It was going in the garbage so I don’t feel it’s wrong. If you took from a leave that was always claimed that would be a different story.
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amother
Stone


 

Post Wed, Aug 04 2021, 1:05 pm
If they give the extras to anyone who comes, no questions, it's fine. I know an OOT that does that and still has enough extras to sort and bring to a informal frum food pantry. Would htere be a demand? That would be an incredible chesed. But meanwhile OP I have a hunch you're fine.
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amother
Lime


 

Post Wed, Aug 04 2021, 1:18 pm
To my understanding, they get paid from the government for however many boxes that give out. That is why they ask for your name and number of children. The extras are not paid for by the government (which is why they sometimes run out-it is a balance between “selling” as many as they can, and not wanting to have extra inventory that they are not paid for). Typically, after distribution is over, the caterer donates the boxes to those in need -which is from a financial/government perspective, the same a dumping them.

To my understanding, taking an extra box / boxes from 2 locations is genavah from the government. That is assuming that both schools report it. If the second school is donating it to you and not report it as a box dispensed that it is absolutely fine. The problem is, the people distributing the box don’t always have the authority or differentiate when giving their total tallies for the day.
I would definitely ask if they have extra, where they donate it to or abandoned it and how you can access that.

Once again, this is my understanding and I could be mistaken.
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boat




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Aug 04 2021, 1:19 pm
groovy1224 wrote:
I'm pretty sure that according to the absolute letter of the law, they were not supposed to give it to you. It was supposed to go in the garbage.


Why was it supposed to go in the garbage? The school bought boxes from a supplier, yes they can only bill govt for those that took legally. Any extras they should be free to do what they want with.

If you already claimed a box for the week you should tell the school and ask before taking, if indeed it is extra.


I'm sure they are happy to give out the extras instead of leaving food to rot.

Ask first though since
1) you don't want to steal from school or have school bill govt extra time
2) you dont want school to purchase extra next week as well, based on this weeks count
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amother
Anemone


 

Post Wed, Aug 04 2021, 1:51 pm
miriam845 wrote:
the leftovers will ...probably go to waist


Best diet warning ever!
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sky




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Aug 04 2021, 1:57 pm
No.
It ends up in the garbage.
The boxes at that point are abandoned and thrown out later.
Just be careful about perishables. We’ve picked up boxes that we knew sat out 24 hits in the heat. But we only knew bec a neighbor told us.
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amother
Moonstone


 

Post Fri, Aug 06 2021, 6:45 am
sky wrote:
Just be careful about perishables. We’ve picked up boxes that we knew sat out 24 hits in the heat. But we only knew bec a neighbor told us.

Good point!
I want to add that
I get boxes delivered to my door from a school.
The milk is not always fresh right when I get it. It must be in the box for many hours before I get it.
I once received a box about 4 p.m. and mistakenly left 1 milk bottle on my counter overnight. In an air conditioned home. The next morning the milk was cheesy.. It must've been so not fresh upon arrival if it was cheese the next morning. So I smelled the other bottle which I did put into the fridge and it was not fresh.
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BrachaVHatzlocha




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Aug 06 2021, 7:38 am
I think you are fine. I have gone to a school that advertised having extras. I asked if only not receiving? They said for anyone.
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naomi2




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Aug 06 2021, 10:04 am
I think at that point they may have been hefker. In which case it isn't stealing
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