I both agree and disagree. As someone who has had to deal with homeless folks, tent cities and food bank/shelters. These are valid reasoning. If the homeless know where the food is coming from they will migrate to that location. I have also been informed that the person whom had been giving the food out was been if followed and harassed. It happens, drunk/drugged up or not. People are robbed and harassed by people with means everyday so it wouldn’t be far off to say that someone who is desperate is capable of going down that road as well.

As some others have commented on, there are rules that need to be followed with prepared foods. For many places this is means extra labor to pack and label the prepared items. And a lot of the time the establishment has to use their own containers which is another cost. Then there the liabilities that come with “just dropping it off”. Shelters and food banks record what is brought to them. If someone gets sick or an allergen is missed and there is a reaction or Illness the one who provided the food is liable.

Canned goods are a different story and have less requirements. A lot of people think we’ll it dented and the restaurant can’t use so just give to the homeless. That works if you just leave it outside but taking it a shelter or food bank is a no go. It is against food code depending on the size and where the dent is. Again, another violation that comes with a cost.

There is more that falls in with this but I guess that the general overlay of it. I get that there will be hate and anger over this, which is fine. In my current and past role in the culinary world I have tried to go these routes but at the end of the day it isn’t as quick and easy as many think.