Trip Visit One: Food Depository (Day 3 BA)

The Director of the Fundacion Banco de Alimenmtos, Marissa, poses with our group.

Perhaps you are wondering why on earth we are in Argentina. It is the annual international trip of North Park University's School of Business and Nonprofit Management taken during Spring Break. Current graduate students, alumni, faculty and staff gather to learn more about the business climate, nonprofit organizations, and general economic backgrounds within a certain country. In past years, Finland, South Africa, Greece and China were the destinations.
  Lucky me to get to go along with the group even though I have no connections to the business world other than that my husband is Dean of SBNM.

 

 

Our first visit was to The Food Bank (Fundacion Banco Alimentos) which started its mission in 2001 at the time of Argentina's economic crisis. Since then, the organization helps over 480 groups and feeding centers in the city of Buenos Aires as well as 24 districts in the suburbs. More than 79,00 people have been fed with 80% of those served being children and teenagers. This is the first food bank in the country.

This chart in the warehouse lists some of the sponsors providing food to the agencies. 

It is so moving to see all the dedication and care in feeding the hungry here in this country.
In many ways this food depository mirrors the basic model of the Greater Chicago Food Depository and most impressive that BA has only been in operation 12 years.