Foodbank buying items from shops?

Do you have any proof of this or is this just anecdote?

Maybe I’m cynical but I never give to food banks, they started out being very well meaning, giving food to those in dire need but now they’ve just grown into another hand out shop.
I would bet that at least 80% of people who use food banks could, if they actually tried feed themselves perfectly adequately.
You only have to look at the Savers section of any well known supermarket and you could provide a very healthy meal for very little money.
It’s just become the easy way out … again.

Food banks started with good intentions but are now just completely broken. Around here you have people who have factored in the free food bank food in to their costs, it’s not an ‘emergency’ need but something they account for so they can spend money on other things. “Build it and they will come”.
i have no doubt some are in desperate need but unfortunately many have become reliant on them for all the wrong reasons.

Used to...

Many, many years ago I worked at a shelter for women. Most of our clients were victims of domestic violence. I recall one woman who freely admitted that she and her husband agreed to periodically claim that he had abused her so she could spend the night in the shelter and take a few bags of food from our little food pantry when she left the next morning. We hesitated to refuse her because her husband really was a nasty piece of work, he did have a history of abusing her and they had several children who weren't being well fed. So my answer is, people can be genuinely needy and still be CFs.

I don't disagree. I just don't feel personally able to help for the tome being.

Untrue in some cases. I just googled -

"the foodbank has been running for over 12 years it is totally non referral with no paper work involved we provide around 500/600 food parcels each week people travel from all over Glasgow"

"Our fully stocked community pantry is open to everyone. (No referral required) Pop in anytime during opening hour"

"Our food bank is open from 10am to 12 noon monday to friday
All those who are in need are welcome with no requirement for a formal referral."

"Members of the community are welcome to come along and help themselves to bakery products, fresh fruit and vegetables and cupboard essentials. The pantry is open 7 days a week 11am-3pm and no referral or assessment is needed."

And that's just in Glasgow. Now I am totally on board with reducing food waste and think it's briliiant that there are organisations which are redistributing food which would otherwise have gone in the bin. But let's not pretend that food banks are only for people who can't afford food - anyone can "rock up" to any of the places I linked and get free food, whatever their financial circumstances.

Why can't you buy it yourself? I thought foodbanks were temporary support for basics not a regular option or meeting 'dietary requirements' surely you'd just pick up the basics from them and buy whatever special goods you need yourself? I can't imagine being unable to afford to feed myself and then asking for specific foods for free from charity. Maybe I just don't understand how this new world works.

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

We all make decisions all of the time.
I'm just a bit fed up of some of us being expected to always make the right decision in our own lives, whilst also subsidising those who consistently make bad decisons and end up in another mess.
I am aware that many foodbank users need support for genuine reasons, and as I said, I used to donate to foodbanks.

i stopped donating to food banks when I read a thread on here about families accessing food banks for 2+ years continuously, and then learned this was a regular thing. And ‘shopping’ at the food bank.

The reason why there are more food banks than ever is because people cottoned on to how the system works. Same with our country’s bloated benefits bill. Food is an emotive subject, no one want to see anybody go hungry, so people donate and keeps the whole thing going.

Many, many years ago I worked at a shelter for women. Most of our clients were victims of domestic violence. I recall one woman who freely admitted that she and her husband agreed to periodically claim that he had abused her so she could spend the night in the shelter and take a few bags of food from our little food pantry when she left the next morning. We hesitated to refuse her because her husband really was a nasty piece of work, he did have a history of abusing her and they had several children who weren't being well fed. So my answer is, people can be genuinely needy and still be CFs.

I thought there was a system where people needed referring to them and it was only short term for each referral?

No, some of the food banks round here - run by churches or independent charities and described as food banks not pantries - allow people to pop in and collect food parcels no questions asked. No referral.

I totally get the point that if you are in a situation you have no idea about getting out of, then a referral to a food bank which is linked up with lots of other bodies and charities can open doors and get you linked in with other services. But there is nothing stopping anyone appearing at one of those other food banks, taking a package or helping themselves, and walking off. And doing exactly the same repeatedly in other food banks in the city operating on the same basis.

Or do CFers not exist when it comes to food banks?

Anything that involves people donating items means a high proportion of what is donated is useless crap.
Sorry to say that but it is.
My husband helped with the sorting of the donations for residents of the Grenfell Tower fire - so much of it was just useless or simply just not needed. (In fact I wonder what happened to it all - it was all piled up on a football pitch somewhere I think).
This is why so many charities and organisations would actually prefer money donated so they can purchase what is ACTUALLY needed.
It's the same with the war in Ukraine. People were donating half used packets of nappies and bottles of Calpol which the local bloke with a van was going to drive to the border and hand over to.....who? They didn't know. A lot of donations got dumped in lay-bys.
The Red Cross (and others) asked for money donations. So they could go and purchase the Ukrainian equivalent of Calpol (which would have the medical information in the correct language) in bulk directly from the manufacturer or warehouse and arrange proper distribution to those who need it.
So many people think they are doing good. But frequently.....they actually aren't.

No, some of the food banks round here - run by churches or independent charities and described as food banks not pantries - allow people to pop in and collect food parcels no questions asked. No referral.

I totally get the point that if you are in a situation you have no idea about getting out of, then a referral to a food bank which is linked up with lots of other bodies and charities can open doors and get you linked in with other services. But there is nothing stopping anyone appearing at one of those other food banks, taking a package or helping themselves, and walking off. And doing exactly the same repeatedly in other food banks in the city operating on the same basis.

Or do CFers not exist when it comes to food banks?

Food banks started with good intentions but are now just completely broken. Around here you have people who have factored in the free food bank food in to their costs, it’s not an ‘emergency’ need but something they account for so they can spend money on other things. “Build it and they will come”.
i have no doubt some are in desperate need but unfortunately many have become reliant on them for all the wrong reasons.

Some people have no financial planning or priorities. There was a woman who came into my work and all she bought was scratch cards and cigs on a daily basis. Spent at least £35-40 a day on these. Never seen her bought food. Yet a colleague walks past a venue which is used as food bank to go to work. Food bank is open twice a week and opens the time colleague starts work. Guess who was one of the first in the queue? The scratch card and cigs lady. If she even halved her spending on scratch cards - she would have about £100 to spend on food a week.

Think the woman lives alone as what two customers who live near her said. I live alone and I certainly don't spend £100 a week on food.

I've not read the middle pages so apologies for any duplication.

I run a food bank which also includes a pantry type setup (people come along, pay £3, and can help themselves to a range of items - typically two shopping bags' worth).

Yes we buy some things from the shops. In my case pasta, rice, oats from a wholesale supplier; beans and tinned toms from Tesco. I write eleventy million grant applications a year so we have money to do this.

Yes people do sometimes use us weekly/regularly rather than as a one-off. Not because it's fun getting food for free but because they consistently can't feed themselves/families well enough without us. Kids eat but parents don't, or they eat the cheapest crap there is, because £, or it's fine during the term but doesn't work during school hols. Or myriad other reasons. I promise, as pleasant as we try to make it, no one queues in the pissing rain for 40 minutes for food, sometimes with a child alongside, unless they need to.

We do redistribute things past Best Before but not Use By. Use by = safety. BB = quality. We do collect fruit, veg, dairy, bakery items, all sorts from major supermarkets and food businesses and redistribute it. We have to adhere to the law. So a UB product that comes in, with a same-day date - it needs to be frozen that day, or binned. But we have good processes to minimise waste.

This week people had beans, toms, pasta, tea, sugar, biscuits, instant noodles, a veggie ready meal and nine different fruits/vegetables to choose from.

NB - all services are different, so the fact that we do it this way doesn't make it universal.

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