DH is using community pantry for free food

Only on MN would one see 25 pages of raging debate over nothing 😄

OP, its purpose is to limit food waste. It defines itself this way and it is what it says on the tin (no pun intended).

He should be taking some items that you would otherwise consider throwing away as this operates as an exchange.

I have similar shops locally and this is exactly what happens. It doesn't matter who uses them.

Food banks OTOH are completely different organisations and serve different purpose.

I don't understand some people's confusion at all.

Maybe a badge that changes colour on your level of need 🤔
People don't seem to get this is the end of the line for some of this food.
It's been in the shop for sale.
Sometimes on special offer or reduced to clear.
It's been available for those on low incomes to buy cheap.
As someone said upthread Tesco have started giving away for free certain "yellow sticker" items after a certain time.
But after all that is done at the end of the day when the shops close for the night that food needs to be gone.
The community pantry is the last resort as a way to get rid of it before it heads to the bin.
There's no more opportunities for it to hang around waiting for "poor" people to have.

It's interesting about the stigma issue.

I have a friend who is very much in need and I had to take her to the community pantry in town twice because she had no money for food and was too ashamed to go. It's for everyone!

We did have to queue, and I spoke to a volunteer on the quiet explaining how nervous she was and how I was just there to make sure she would collect some stuff - and the volunteer was very clear that I should take some as well (it's not quite "help yourself", the volunteers give you set amounts from each category) and she got two tubs of hot food too (which is only for people in need) for her and her husband.
I only took fresh stuff but I had a carrier bag of fruit, veg and bread. And some flowers.

I don't get time to go very often, but I quite like getting random food items and working out what to do with it all.

You could buy tins to same amount he saves and donate to the food bank. .. then you are saving food waste and helping those in need with food that's won't go off ....

Your husband sounds like a real dick head and is really showing himself up.

Is he like Scrooge or just a prize grabber who can never get enough

Not really into Community Pantries.etc. I know the mean well. But l have issues re the health and safety of the food on offer.

I know there is food left as I am close friends with 2 of the volunteers. We discussed feeling uneasy about taking it and they insisted that it would only go in the bin. Are you suggesting the volunteers should identify the needy and take it to them?

Precisely this.

I run a charity that has a community food hub and is part of the Hubbub community fridge network.

It's exactly why we advertise as open to all. You will always get people like OP's husband though. Self absorbed and grabby.

The frustrations we have when the people in real need are too embarrassed to ask for help, and gluttons who want to save money they don't even need to save take absolute advantage because "well it's says it's for anyone "

We literally have to hold a stash back so we have enough for the people who desperately need the food.

Some people have no shame or consideration. Give back. It's called the community fridge.

I’m really lucky that I’m very close to one and qualify because of my job. My local one saved over a tonne going to waste last month.

Perhaps, but ‘open to all’ MEANS ‘open to all’

It’s that simple.

I guess the ‘needy’ need to be identifying themselves….perhaps some sort of badge? Or hat? Or maybe a tattoo…

I feel I need to add a disclaimer here - I’m completely against any kind of ‘indicator’ for the ‘needy’

Rubbish.

I have volunteered at our local one, and it is to cut food waste. In fact that's what they proudly promote, they've saved xx tonnes in food waste over xx months

Wow think some missed the point
its to stop food waste not a food bank for struggling people.
he and anyone else , is entitled to go
it saves landfill and it would just be binned! I don’t see the point in that! So let him enjoy it.

If someone is really set on getting a bargain. Go buy some yellow stickers. Don't go to a pantry. From the first post I assume the OP and her husband make around 100k a year combined. He has no need to be using this pantry and I get why she is so uncomfortable with this - he's taking food from people in genuine need

As for the person who called me an idiot. I would have gone under several times over the last few years if not for family Not because I can't budget but because I was living on 317 pounds a month

You try it - and even so I only used pantries where I had to pay for food and not food banks because I didn't want someone else to miss out

It's so odd isn't it?

Starting to think that there are posters who would rather see things go in the bin than go to someone who may not be on the breadline.

Give it the "needy" how?
It's literally there available to collect.
If no one collects it then it's going in the bin.
They won't be delivering it to people personally.

They are really good. I am a member of one but its about 30 miles away so I am yet to make the trip, but my friends mum (who put me on to it) saves a fortune by shopping there.

Yes perhaps the words "no referral needed" would be better but one of the reasons that these places exist, food waste issue aside, is because of the stigma surrounding food bank use. So I would imagine "open to all" helps users feel less shame about going there.

How about being able to choose neither?

Then the ‘open to all’ shouldn’t state ‘open to all’ - it’s pretty simple. Words have meaning.

Just had a look and there is one very close to my house (in a large village with extremes at both ends of the scale as I mentioned above) and it clearly says "Yes it is completely free, all we ask is that you only take what you need so that we can help as many people as possible". As I said before, they run out more often than not.

So it would be the height of selfishness if the OP's husband rocked up there and filled a bag. I mean in theory he could I suppose but I would say that a family of two higher rate tax paying earners does not fall into the category of needing free food.

Another good resource for combating food waste - but very few and far between and there is criteria job wise or benefits wise - is The Company Shop

Yeah....I probably would have chucked that away too 🤢
My local railway station book shelves are usually the latest chick lit or crime novels. It's pretty good.

It may be that there are similar offerings nearby which aren't part of the network. Hubbub have set criteria for network membership. It's worth a Google to see if you can find something closer.

We have a community food group which is open every Friday and the aim is to reduce food waste.
I went along one morning to see what was going on and spoke to the organisers who were adamant that everybody was welcome and, whilst people experiencing need were obviously included, the aim wasn’t to operate as a food bank and that no one should feel that they couldn’t take part.
I’ve been a couple of times and filled a bag. Your husband isn’t doing anything wrong or to be ashamed of. Make the most of a community facility and, if you need to feel better, donate something to the local food bank.