DH is using community pantry for free food

If it’s a community pantry to avoid food waste then it’s fine. Presumably he donates to The Trussell Trust?

My affluent retiree friend used to volunteer in a community pantry. She would go home with a big bag of stuff that would otherwise get binned. They want the footfall. It’s fine and he’s sensible.

How can you sleep with him ever again?
All respect for him would be lost.
Awful man.

I have no problem with this. We have two locally and they are not food banks, one of the better ones though will put aside food for people they know are really struggling. The advertising is very clear it’s for everyone. However have had families who don’t qualify for the food bank or benefits but a member of the family has become ill or been made redundant.
The food wastage is unreal. Loaves of bread that need eating on the same day, veg that also needs eating, packaged food and things like milk which need a lot of freezer space.

Why?

It's not a food bank.

Don't assume that. We have a local group who set up two pantries, purely for the purpose of reducing waste. There is a complete seperate food bank, run by a different group. Do folk in need end up using the pantry? Yes, of course, but so do those who just want to reduce waste.

If it's food that would otherwise be wasted, and there's an excess, then I don't see an issue.

We have one in our town.

it’s advertised purpose is reducing food waste, but it very much intended to also support with food poverty. I wouldn’t use it, because it’s very much in demand and sometime runs out.

Perhaps your husband could go at the end of the session (so not taking from anyone else) and make sure he makes a decent sized donation regularly?

Really who is most likely to NEED to use these. If there is free food on offer leave it for those in need. Classification of the bank doesn't really matter.

@cookingaroast

Seriously, as someone who helped to organise and set up a community pantry in my town, YABVU. A community pantry is intended to reduce food waste and anyone who wants and will use the food is very welcome to take it, regardless of their income - that’s the whole point. It’s attitudes and beliefs like yours that deter people from using the pantries at all which in turn can cause the initiative to fail!

Please learn the difference between a Community Pantry and a Food Bank. It sounds to me like your husband is using it exactly as intended - and the more people he tells about his ‘bargains’ the better as it might encourage them to go and have a look too!

My DH is a tech industry higher earner too and I'm a SAHM, we wouldn't use it. We have a food budget we have to stick to- we're comfortable but I couldn't just grab whatever I fancied without a list at the supermarket every time as we'd over spend. He pointed out a while ago that we shouldn't be buying the yellow sticker reduced food as some people rely on it to get by. I love a bargain and grew up on yellow sticker shopping but I totally get his point so I leave them now

Curious as to how old you are? I've only ever seen 'gives me the ick' used by much younger people.
I'm in my 50's now and it's not a phrase I've heard in my age group.

We have one in our village. They are not food banks. They really are open to everyone with the aim to stop food waste. He’s doing nothing wrong! Don’t be harsh on him.

I've had to use food banks and I don't care

The biggest obstacle for me was shame. A rich bloke in the queue with me would have really negated that.

Perhaps in a few years when even more are using them and there are less resources it might be an issue, but for now, I think it's great that everyone shares. Make sure you tell people where you go so they're not embarrassed to use the resource.

Anyone that hasn't had to use a food bank can stop with their fake outrage.

I feel like we perhaps need to define the type of community pantry. Our community pantry is just a couple of fridges and some crates for veggies under a shelter. It gets leftovers that are going best before/ use by that day around 9pm. Its not manned and they’d just like everything to vanish before tidy up volunteer gives it a going over the following day. It’s very much if you can use it and are passing then take it. I’d stop by if passing and grab a few loaves of bread otherwise they’d be binned / composted. There is no way it’d feed properly hungry folk unless you were happy to eat plain bread and brocolli 5 days out of 7.

Tbh I wouldn't use it if I was managing well enough but the concept is to reduce food waste so theirs nothing to be ashamed of only thing I will say is because it's a village and everyone knows each other no doubt their maybe people saying your husband shouldn't be doing it

lol…just a tad 😂

Find out what? That he's a higher rate tax payer? He's not stealing he's reducing waste

The community pantry in my area makes it very clear it’s for everyone in the community regardless of income and actively put this on every single advert they post. Their aim is to reduce food waste and they encourage everyone to do their bit in that.

How affluent is the village? I think more context is needed, but generally if it's largely about stopping food waste I'd be quite relaxed.

If it's a pantry for reducing food waste then of course it's fine.

There is one fairly close to us that a supermarket delivers all it's leftover fresh bread/ cakes etc to each evening, and even with people using it they are still throwing stuff away at the end of the day. I grab a loaf of bread or a few rolls from it if I'm passing by, and feel no guilt whatsoever about doing so.

I'm going to have to start using Olio to reduce food waste, I've chucked out a load of vegetables and some soup this week (some right nice soup from M and S as well) I know I know, I'm crap. Just didn't realise the dates on them until it was too late and didn't get chance to do anything with the vegetables due to shift work.
Thanks for the reminder that Olio exists and I'll have to get stuff whacked on there!

I have no idea I'm afraid, but I know a couple of our local volunteers so I can ask them (when it's not coming up to 1am!).

Thanks for the context. Agreed a donation would be a good compromise. How much is expected?