Foodbank buying items from shops?

They are knowingly not paying their employees a living wage, while making themselves look good donating to charities who help people who can't manage because they are not paid a living wage.

I think maybe both?

What if every pedantic, badly informed, callous person who thinks "they just need to learn to budget!" had to learn the actual income/outgoings of people using food banks? What if they had to learn about the circumstances of some people's lives? What if they had to learn that it's not actually 'choices' that lead to shit circumstances, but luck?

If, after essential expenses, despite working and claiming every benefit you're entitled to, you have £9.56 to feed your kids for a month, what would you do? How do you budget your way out of that one?

I understand that it's very easy and comforting to think that the world is perfectly fair, and the welfare state is adequate. But it's not. You are either badly misinformed or willfully ignorant.

This!! These big companies like to make a song & a dance about donating, but the reality is some of their staff are the clients.

No! That's the point. Say they are giving to charity..but the employees are so poorly paid they need a food bank. Pay better. Do better.

About as much as you are on the 5th of January...

Oh blimey. Really?? They're knowingly giving it to their employees???

Legit question - are they still interested in mince pies?

I work in a supermarket. They are constantly putting up posters on "how many meals they have given to charity that month " the reality is..they are giving them through that very charity, to the very people they employ. However this doesn't look good , it's better to say they give to charity rather than look after there own employees. Boils my bloody piss to be honest.

With donations. All charities have operating costs. How did you think they paid their employees?

We don’t ‘buy’ nearly out of date food, all that is donated. Except for the usual slip ups it has at least 3 months to run. That allows us time for sorting annd taking into anccount it may not get eaten straight anway. Anything that has less than three months to run is put on the help yourself table.

It's all the poor people deserve innit? /s

A researcher I know has done some research, suggesting that food banks often turn up in affluent areas - not always, naturally. Unfortunately it's not published so I can't cite - but from what I remember it also bears out your comment.

They can’t serve out of date food?

of course they pay for vans and to purchase stuff they’re run as a charity

I bet no one does this. Stop listening to local gossip and do some research yourself. You barely get enough for 3 meals, and there are limits on how many visits you can make. You have to be sent by a professional, HV, social services etc. Remember, nurses, teachers and other professionals have been known to use foodbanks.
Even poor people have pride.

Not always. Some of the ones I know, snd the one we regularly support are in areas where there are above average numbers of children on free school meals.

I wasn't commenting on that and I know foodbanks buy 'nearly out of date but not quite', stuff. My interest is that foodbanks are generally in the vicinity of the volunteers not those in need, which is an interesting social phenomenon.
Final point was a stab at the suggestion out of date produce was ok - can't remember where it was, sorry.

I have a monthly standing order set up to my local food bank, plus I still sometimes buy food to donate with my daughter, as a more obvious demonstration to her of the fact sometimes people struggle.

How out of touch are you (or just stupid) if you think food.banks want out of date food? Seriously you any idea how awful that sounds?

Everyone thinks they are caring. We are not really best placed to judge ourselves though

A couple of years ago, we had a couple of cases of instant coffee delivered and the 100g jar had the 200g sticker on them.

Communication from hq was to put them towards food banks.

Most food banks like cash donations as they can buy fresh produce and dairy. They can also buy bulk which saves them $£€. Where I live our foodbank also receives large amounts from the local farms and orchards, not sure if this is donated or if they buy it. Foodbanks (here at least) are not allowed to give out of date foods.

Food banks are interesting sociologically. Generally you will find them in affluent areas and the people using them will travel. This is because a food bank needs volunteers and most volunteers do not want to travel too far.
And yes, they receive donations, and they buy what they need (usually at subsidised prices). Out of date food is no good to them. Unless you think the poor and needy should be given substandard produce?

You can't donate out of date food to food banks It's got to be fit to eat!

As said by several others already, food banks are charities, they get cash donations as well as food, so of course they buy supplies, run vehicles, they even pay their staff.

Is that ok, OP? Or should the paupers only get the rotting waste the naice folk don't want??