DH is using community pantry for free food

I agree 🙂

My point being that food banks may claim what they provide is nutritionally ‘sound’ - it’s actually far from it.

They do their best but no one should be having to live on what they offer for extended periods of time and especially in a so called developed country - but that’s a different topic.

Tinned vegetables are better than no vegetables though.

I first volunteered at our local food bank 8 years ago and certainly the boxes then were carefully packed to be able to provide breakfast, lunch and dinner for however many people and days it was meant for.
I think it's the same now. Nothing grand, and always simple to prepare ie assumes client has access only to a hob.
If
This is Trussell trust.

Our local one doesn't. It really is trying to run as cheaply as possible as it's entirely run by volunteers. So, the volunteer drivers find out which supermarkets have food that needs collecting, collect it, take it back to the hub, sort it out and THEN post a message on the Hub's FB page. Only then can people go and collect food. People are not allowed to queue. I don't think they close when there is no food because it is never all claimed, so I think it's either when a certain amount has gone or the volunteers have to go.
They are thinking of starting to operate as an official charity in the new year.

I've never heard it used outside of MN.

I can attest to this, having been on the receiving end (but at least beans are nice - tinned veg is rank)

No, I beg YOUR pardon. Take some time to actually read the thread and then come back.

I believe food banks are meant to give enough for 3 days of meals but it will be often be fairly basic tinned foods because they can't have fresh.
That's why they frequently ask for tinned vegetables (and fruit) because people are obsessed with just donating tins of beans.

Im really surprised by this, I’ve heard children use and the oldest person is an 87 year old woman who teases her 92 year old husband with it too.

Are you, and some others, arguing on this thread that people who are not in poverty should not take part in anti-food waste initiatives?

I think it's different it is exhausted of food by the end of the day, then maybe us that can afford to should step back and leave it to others. But if there is plenty for everyone and he's not depriving others, then I would say it's good he is using the food that will be wasted. Context is the main issue here

It is not a food bank.

So in a similar vein we left house to pop to Morrisons to grab a some stuff around 3:15 and I noticed in the car park that the too good to go app had a couple of bags left reduced to £3.29 each. I figured we would get them & see what was in. We’ve ended up with:

Nice (huge) chicken kiev
1.5kg salad & 2.5kg baking potatoes
4 large onions
1.45kg bag carrots
Large cauliflower
2 cucumbers
Iceberg lettuce
4 large oranges
6 kiwis
1 papaya
pack Thai basil
8 finger rolls
4 mini Halloween cupcakes
4 toffee yum yums
3 toffee apples

I’ll pass on some to neighbours but most of it we will use. I guess someone else might have bought them but given they list them the day before and they were still there by 3:30ish and shop was closing at 4 they probably were just getting chucked otherwise. I also saw they had about 4 whole salmon reduced to £13 each and did consider getting one but I wasn’t sure we’d use it. It’s crazy to me that someone might have left it in case someone with less money wanted it later as the likely outcome of that would also be it would be chucked.

Does it have opening hours? I would be going 5 mins before it closes, therefore giving anyone in need first dibs.

Why, for not wanting food to go to waste? 😂

I beg your pardon? He’s a tightwad with no morals

I volunteer at a food bank and we also have a community pantry in town, run by a woman who lives on my street. She will sometimes leave things on her front garden wall for people to help themselves to, as it is about avoiding food waste, rather than food for people who cant afford it.

If you are worried, I would go down there and have a frank discussion with them about what their focus is. If they are there to support people who cant afford food, then yes, I would be uncomfortable - more than that, I would be horrified. But if it is a food waste thing, I dont see any problem with him going for it.

Yes you’re right.

I don’t know if food banks have changed much in the past ten years - but as a former recipient you couldn’t really make anything with what you got in your food bank bag either, unless you had a well stocked pantry or were prepared to easy cereal, baked beans on their own and tinned hot dogs.

Likely talking mince.

It may be that not enough people “in need” use the community pantry in OP’s area and without being used by a broad cross-section of the community, it would not be sustainable and would need to close.

Were it to close, those in need would undoubtedly miss out the most.

Which would explain the emphasis on the CP being a service for everyone.

Specify how you "donated to such causes".
Surplus food orgs deal in surplus food from suprmarket distribution centres & similar source. They are not food banks, they exist to try to prevent tonne after tonne of packaged food & short-dated veg being ploughed into landlfill.

i think that the origin of the question was that people should leave community pantry stuff for the folk who needed it, someone responded that it wouldn't work because you can't meal plan from community pantry...ie can't make meals from it if that is all you have.

I couldn’t agree with you more.

Im honestly struggling to see how people can’t understand the difference between ‘community pantry’ and ‘food bank’ - it’s like words have lost meaning and we’re in a Lewis Carroll novel

The whole argument on this thread is that the OP and others seem to think a community pantry is for the "poor" people and people like the OPs husband shouldn't be going there because it's taking food from starving children etc.
You sound like you are using the community one exactly how it's designed for.
Picking up the leftovers and coming up with a meal depending on what you have a home using your skills.
My argument was against those who are going on about "but think of the poor people" and "taking food from those that need it" etc.
Those that really "need" it are better to go to a food bank which will provide basics for meals (that sometimes need to be made with limited cooking facilities).
If you go to a food bank you will be guaranteed to get food for meals.
If you go to a community pantry you aren't guaranteed that.
It sounds like you are using your local one perfectly 🙂