Foodbank buying items from shops?

@Newgreensofa

That's a great idea, I'm going to tell the one my church supports, they offer me bits when I drop off the weekly donation box, typically anchovies, tapenade and cans of pate, if it's something i can use I'll put a couple of pounds into their collecting tins. They also let people like me take foods well past best before dates (not use by) if we want them as they can't distribute them

Thank you, that's really useful - some things I'd never have thought of since I don't buy them for myself, e.g. custard.

Well said but I'm guessing the answer from some will be get a different job then....unless of course they need the NHS then it will be why are they short staffed.

Do you think people that use foodbanks don't deserve to have the same food as the rest of us?

I never donate out of date food, but quite frankly I’m happy to have it myself.
Some expiry dates are utter fiction and only lead to waste of food.

@Nanny0gg that's good to know as I always donate 'treat' items - biscuits, crisps, etc. (as well as basics like cereal) as families need nice things to eat as well as tinned goods and the basics often donated.

Do you know how many regular foods have gluten it's not just bread and why do you assume they are not working?

You need a referral for a Trussell Trust food bank but Independent food banks have their own criteria. I used to be on a regional food co op committee that had food banks and food projects share I formation etc from all over the county.

I give to an independent homeless charity, I am friends with the guy who runs it.

This is the list of stuff my local food bank doesn't have enough of. Red is really low supplies, yellow is low supplies. This is from the Bank the Food app which is used by a lot of food banks across the country to update their stocks.

So people with allergies etc can just starve? Special food is not always a choice and is more expensive but ignoring it can kill you.
Many people have.no choice but to use food banks as an ongoing thing I know nurses who have to use them because wages are insufficient and housing costs too much.

It seems a very complex way to go about it. Wouldn't a voucher for the local supermarket ( given by the council or the GP or social worker etc) be smarter and easier? Then people could buy what they want and need.
I'm not in the UK and find the whole system very weird. You are wealthy but people have to ask someone for free food.
We do have here a couple of charities that get deliveries from major supermarkets and local bakeries etc of food that they wouldn't be able to sell the next day. The charity makes all the food into hot meals available to anyone that wants it. The Hari Krishnas do the same - free vegie lunches everyday.
There's another charity that goes out at night and gives out free hot meals to the homeless. They do need to raise some money but the vast majority of cooks and delivery drivers are volunteers.
The homeless community is also quite concentrated in city areas and are by far the biggest users of these services.
The samaritans do things like xmas hampers for families having a rough time.
I'm qquite surprised that the UK has so many poor people.

I have been given out of date food at a food bank previously. There were some cans that were two years out of date. I only noticed when I opened one because it smelled strange. I'm not in the habit of checking dates, so I hope that was the only time they gave me OOD food.

There's no chance they didn't have the opportunity to notice. They made a point of giving everyone these particular cans.

Edit to add that they often gave me food that was very close to being out of date, particularly fruit and vegetables that had to be eaten immediately. It wasn't great to try and live on these bits.

That’s probably more efficient than all the costs of owning and running a van as a small charity that needs a food shop once or twice a week.

Donate to the Trussell Trust

Here you go OP!

As has been said, there are different types of this service.
In my area we have a 'food bank' which is by referral only and basically emergency supplies (so yes, people will have dietary requirements as I'm sure no one wants their children or themselves to be ill as well as struggling!!) These are often affliated to the The Trussell Trust or similar.
Then, we also have a 'community fridge' where the purpose is to stop excess food going into landfill and very much helps those who wouldn't qualify for a food bank referral (helps because there's a lot of people being badly hit by the cost of living crisis and the government's decision to means test the winter fuel payments, there's a very real problem with having to chose between heating or eating, I say that as someone who works full time with a retired husband, rent and utilities take up a lot of my salary) and also stops food waste. All the food is in date but is surplus to what the supermarkets can sell. Ours is free.
Then, quite a few local councils have set up another type where you pay £2.50 or similar and you can fill up a bag.
Food banks raise money because they can't rely on the surplus donations meeting peoples needs and some areas don't have sufficient volunteers to run a food bank in the first place.

What evidence do they provide?

What they ask for really.

I've donated pet food, toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, sanitary protection, washing up liquid and laundry detergent because that's what my foodbank was running low of. Plus lots of biscuits because they're filling, calorific and comforting.

All foodbanks publish lists of needs but take cash donations they can use better than we can guess.

Ooh mentioned this uptrend ( 22.20 & 22.40) I haven't noticed anything like that and was told ( about 3 months ago ) it wasn't possible.
Other posters have said the same. I will have a look in a bit .

Foodbanks get donations in money and food. A lot of prople give up their time to campaign for money donations as the food donations arent enough.

Food banks are varied. There are the food banks that resemble food co-ops and shops where people can walk in.

Some provide ready made meals using about to expire fresh produce donated by restaurants and farmers. Donating money allows them to purchase other ingredients needed.
Some of these charities have greatly expanded their output due to the donations of money and fridges and freezers from the King's charities and generous people from all walks of life.

Many food banks are faith based charities such as Pecan and local government assisted trusts. A few are privately run at the instigation of one person. Donations of money, food and labour are used.
I have worked at a soup kitchen, along with many others, and see production of nutritious meals out of would be thrown out food. As a society we waste a lot of food. A little money, labour and good planning goes a long way.

What are the most useful things to donate to a foodbank? I have always assumed 'staples that have long dates and are quick to cook ' such as rice and pasta, but a pp suggests there might be a surplus of those.

Sadly it’s not always easy for people to get on their feet. We live in a world where we have professionals including nurses, teachers and many other of our much needed civil servants relying on food banks regularly and not because they are not working hard to get back on their feet.

There are always going to be people who abuse the system. I know for a fact there are several families who claim benefits, claim PIP, use local food banks but have money to spend on drugs every week around here. I had this conversation recently with a woman who got angry about it, she couldn’t understand how I am ok with donating, my response to her was that regardless of these people’s actions their children are not to blame and need food.

The people running the banks can’t judge and pick and choose who to donate to because it will be the vulnerable children who miss out.

The point is the poster is explaining how the out of date food can have a purpose and still be used, as the assumption of out of date food may be given to foodbanks is cleared up.

Just, you know, nice to know? Useful to know? Someone night read that post and think that's a brilliant super savvy way to access free food and strech it out, maybe someone tjat needs a foodbank, maybe someone that uses a foodbank, maybe soneone that could benefit a foodbank but doesnt want to have to speak up and say they are struggling, or don't mert the criteria even if they are on the bones of their arse, or someone that is really having to watch their finances.

I tjought it was a useful post and will be another option sone people might want to see if it is available in their area.

I volunteer at our local foodbank, which is run mainly by volunteers and a handful of paid employees. We're a charity, we apply for grants and rely on donations to keep running the organisation (paid staff, office, warehouse and vehicles).

We are not allowed to give out-of-date foods. All our clients are referred by agencies such as GPs, schools, Women's Aid, refugee groups for example. Clients are supported for a fixed number of weeks and if they need more they need to be vetted & referred by the agency again. Many of our clients are also in work, but that's not enough to feed them.

We rarely get donations of fresh foods (but would give them out when this happens), we mainly parcel out tinned goods. It's time consuming sorting the incoming donations, takes a lot of tedious manpower to keep donations organised, and it just wastes our time when we find we've just been given 10 jars of Best Before 2023 fish paste spread... (happened this week, I kid you not.)

Thank you to everyone who donate or volunteer for foodbanks. I wish they didn't have to exist, but I'm grateful that there is help out there for those who need it.

They are often volunteers volunteering with their own vehicle. Unless the charity is lucky enough to have been donated one or able to buy one themselves.