
When I first heard about the sandwich token program at Save On Meats, I asked myself,”What problem are they trying to solve?” Though the program is being presented as an altruistic gesture, it seemed more like a solution for the general distrust even altruists feel for residents of the Downtown Eastside.
There is a lot of positive media buzz about the program, but Peter Driftmier of the Right To Food Initiative has composed a thoughtful rebuttal. It is well worth reading before choosing to buy a sandwich token and press it into an outstretched hand and expect gratitude.
Should one expect gratitude when that token could represent guilt, suspicion and takes away the freedom of choice when it comes to something as intimate as food? And can beggars be choosers?
Save On Meats – Sandwich Tokens from odette on Vimeo.