Foodbank buying items from shops?

You don't have to be referred in my area. Literally anyone can turn up and get given supplies.

Fair enough, but who pays the van and the running costs?

When I volunteer at my local food bank, I do the pick ups and I use my own vehicle and pay the costs. I consider it part of what I donate, over and above my time and any goods I contribute.

I've not seen that counter system in (my local) waitrose for at least a year @godmum56 &@SantaBakula

I’d think it’s obvious they have to buy some stuff because donated goods won’t cover all the things that people need. They can hardly operate on 100 tins of beans and 50 packs of biscuits, or whatever was donated that week. Likewise if it was out of date stuff.

Thank you , I will have a look at both of them.

Food banks have picking lists which are used to make up the bags of food, and which have been worked out centrally - at least the ones aligned to the Trussell Trust do. While they often get lots of some things (tea bags, pasta and beans) there are other things which are rarely donated unless someone has checked out the website before they go shopping. The food bank I volunteer at is incredibly creative - we get donations from shops if they have too much of something, or it is short date, trade with other food banks if we have a lot of something and they dont. But what is really helpful is cash - because then we can fill any shortfall in stock. A lot of people switched to giving money rather than goods during the pandemic and it is really helpful. And food banks are not allowed to give out of date food to people for health and safety reasons.

Anyone only taking home 1950 a month but with children and no other adult contributing an income to the household will qualify for universal credit. Some of that childcare, potentially quite a bit of it, will be covered, they will qualify for child benefit and probably a bit of UC top up. If in rented accommodation they may well qualify for housing element.
Im not saying life would be easy but we do have a welfare state its not quite the bleak picture you paint here.

I think it's food with short date codes on so like 3 days before the expiry date.

Is that you '30p Lee?

There's an app called bank the food which a lot of food banks have now signed up to. It tells you which items they are short on so you can get what's required rather than over saturating certain items.
Some food banks distribution centres allow you to do an online shop and deliver directly to them.
I donate every month. I consider myself very lucky that I don't have choose between bills or food like a lot of people.

I prefer to give money instead of food. I reckon that food banks know best what they need (and can probably buy it cheaper than me).

@girlfriend44 are you as hard of thinking about most things in life or only things that will nicely rile up hate against people living in poverty?

That you think food bank users existed on food on the turn, that magicked itself into food banks without the need for transport seems a little far fetched.

I donate money to the food bank as it’s easier than buying and dropping off food and then they can buy what they need

I belive they are donated food direct from the warehouses where the dates are too short for it to get to store. But not out of date. That would be utterly ubsurd.

Btw if you’re generally interested in where your local food bank, or any other charity, gets its money from, all of this information is freely and readily available on the charity commission website.

Food banks collect donations from the public and shops. They use donated funds where absolutely necessary to top up items that they are short of, that are not donated. The majority only issue non-perishable goods, but cannot give out food past its date.

Food pantries collect food that is going past its best...freeze it or whatever, and then distribute via various means.

How did you think vans etc were funded?

Well surprise, surprise, most homeless people have mobiles and so they should - they couldn't function without them. So judgy and tbh abhorrent attitude here.

So why were you asking about where the money comes from for the collection vans?

You might like this at Waitrose: https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/products/5-charity-donation-to-fight-hunger/819916-807923-807924

Maybe you're thinking of Olio. Which aims to prevent food waste. But still is not allowed to give away food past its Use By date (Best Before is different)

Nearly all of us are a few weeks away from poverty. You only have to lose your job, get sick or have a serious life event to find yourself unable to afford the basics. Lots of people who use food banks are working but can’t make ends meet. Why do you think people in food poverty don’t have a phone? My contract costs me £10 a month but you can get ones for less. You need a phone for absolutely everything, even contacting the food bank. You seem to be one of those people that think people who have fallen on hard times aren’t allowed anything at all, they aren’t even allowed to pass their time scrolling on mumsnet. It’s the old ‘flat screen tv’ argument. We’ve moved on from poorhouses and I’d like to think we’ve moved on from the deserving poor.

Yep. Was about to try and explain about how people are trapped on low wages, caring responsibilities, unforeseen illness and disability. I have wealthy parents, went to a public school and I’ve had to use food banks on occasion, due to things completely out of my control. I work very hard, have always ‘hustled’ but bad luck, disability and illness can cut you down to size. It’s unkind but those are the types that I wish it happened to, those that a morally and empathetically bankrupt.

I think the jury is still out on Malt Vinegar isn't it? Is it Sarsons who have recently said theirs is OK for Coeliacs?

That aside I'm a regular donater to our local food bank and I always donate the really good brands of gluten free pasta, ( Barilla mostly), a few bags of gluten free porridge oats, gluten free honey nut cornflakes and and the gluten free fruit cake bars from Morrisons.

I always hope that by donating the expensive long life gluten free goods it frees up the cash the charity has to buy the fresh stuff and that whichever person/family is accessing it and needs gluten free isn't having to put up with the inedible 'cheap' gluten free stuff that is miserable to eat.

Ok and? What's your point?