Foodbanks

[Flatasapancakenow]

I have only just started donating to our local foodbank, I really had no idea what type of stuff to get, so I just got some extra of the tinned and dry stuff I was buying for mysellf.

Does anyone have experience of volunteering or working in a foodbank, and can you give me some advice?

Can you take toiletries too? Things like shampoo and face cream?
Is there certain food items you get loads of and some you're in desperate need of? For example do you get loads of tinned tomatoes but no olive oil?
What about longer life fresh foods like potatoes?
Are there any one or two items in particular foodbanks really need?
Is there anything that I definitely should not donate that will just get thrown out?

Thanks

I'm sure the face cream will be appreciated!

I'm worrying- I sent in a big bag of sanitary towels and non applicator tampons. I hope the tampons will be needed by someone!

It's all very well sending in basic essentials, but pasta when you can't afford anything nice to go with it is grim. People do need calories, not just nutrition. Some people have been without for a long time.

Whenever I'm donating, I always put in tomato ketchup as, if you have DC who are fussy eaters, it must be a nightmare having to use a foodbank and take what is available rather than choose. Food is always more palatable for my DC if there is a dollop of ketchup on the side.
I often include other additional items like gravy granules or mustard or mayo as, if you're stuck with pretty much plain rice or pasta, some flavour would be appreciated I hope.
I also put in deodorant & razors & things as I think that, if I was spending all of my money on food, they might well be things I stopped buying for myself yet would make such a difference to how human I felt.
I always include a few treats - biscuits, multipack crisps & those sorts of things. Again, I'm thinking of a struggling parent having to persuade their kid to walk home in the rain from the food bank and think something like that could be used as bribery.
And then I include food for meals like tinned veg, fruit, meat etc.

I find it really depressing that anyone would suggest that those using food banks should be confined to essentials.

I normally put in towels, shampoo and conditioner, nice breakfast cereals Nd anything nice I see on offer as I walk round.

If you donate to your food bank via the collection point in Tesco, the supermarket will increase your donation by about 20% at their own expense, so your gift goes further.
Every little helps...or something...!

It will make someone feel better

I thought people were referred to a food bank by a g.p or church & are only allowed to visit once or twice, is this right?

I put colouring books, story books and sweets (all from poundland) in at Xmas time & I bloody well up each time.

We had it really rough as kids, I think thats why it stings.

forwhatyouare
A word of warning, I posted similar a couple years ago and (quite rightly in hindsight) got absolutely crucified. Admittedly it was in AIBU, but it was not my finest moment to see that very thread linked to a good couple of years later

Apparently sanpro is hardly ever donated, I am going to focus on giving that at the moment

Like many pps I'm involved in a foodbank and would agree with all the above. Don't forget toilet rolls! Also pet food, many people will feed their pets before themselves, one lovely chap I had in said he fed them and not himself as "they didn't ask for this situation".

We have our "basic" parcels of essentials and a few treats but then ask if the recipient needs any extras like toilet rolls, shower gel, shampoo, pet food etc. Toilet rolls, shower gel and shampoo are always our most requested "extras". We had some lovely donations of wash bags with essentials for men- moisturiser, shaving balm etc and I've given those out to unemployed men who have upcoming interviews. If you donate toiletries try and include shower gels etc for men or at least neutral scented, we get a lot more female-oriented toiletries such as flowery-scented shower gels and not so many unisex or "manly" items. I know in the scheme of things that doesn't matter but it just helps men keep a bit of dignity at a difficult time.

We take pretty much anything as a foodbank, we help such a wide variety of people in different circumstances that nothing goes to waste. Thanks for thinking of your foodbank I'm sure they will be very grateful. We've seen a massive influx of people this year and are struggling to keep up.

The one I'm donating to is run by a Christian charity that my church supports. It works in our local area and works with anyone in need. I don't think they limit it to only one or two visits, but I will ask them.

I don't know a lot about foodbanks tbh, but I was a single mum struggling once and was very fortunate to have a wider family who would drop off shopping for me fairly regularly. I don't know how I would of coped without them, and I was also fortunate enough to be working full-time. I wasn't in genuine poverty, but at times it could be tough.

I read that mammoth thread a while ago about period poverty - such an eye opener, and very sad to think some women are in that situation in this country.

When we took items down to our local food bank last year, I just dropped them an email about 2 weeks before we planned to go, to ask if there were particular things they were short on.

We took lots of toiletries (shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, deodorant, toothbrushes and toothpaste, etc) and lots on sanitary products, as well as the usual tins, packets and treats of biscuits, cereal bars

@yonijust it depends on the Foodbank and also on the persons situation. At my Foodbank we have different rules eg most people can get three vouchers full stop, but if someone has no recourse to public funds eg refugee/asylum seeker they can come once a month indefinitely. We’ve just extended to six the number of vouchers someone who’s moving over to universal credit can get, as most people lose at least six weeks money and are really struggling until the changeover is sorted.

The people we see are really having a tough time - many are old, have mental health problems or are women living in refuges. Often the addresses they give are local hostels so they are living in a tiny room with shared “kitchen” meaning kettle and microwave. So please also donate food that can be heated up easily eg precooked rice pouches, instant pasta/noodles etc. The women living in these places with children deserve a medal in my opinion - it’s not a situation you’d wish on your worst enemy. That’s why being able to offer them face cream or a deodorant, or maybe a cheap bottle of conditioner allows them some semblance of human dignity. People saying these aren’t essentials miss the point I think - who of us doesn’t feel better when we are clean and smell nice?

I try to remember to buy the boxes of chocolates and other festive treats that are on offer a couple of months before christmas, and give them to the food bank.

Mine has a list of things they want donating, I have never thought to give pet food before so I am now including that.

I'm wondering why squash juice, biscuits and face cream are seen as things they'd like more of at Food Banks?

Surely they aren't essentials?

I’m quite shocked by your attitude. Do you honestly believe that people in a financial crisis should only be permitted to have essentials?

Have a non-essential .

I never would have thought of pet food either, and I have pets. I will have a look for Christmas stuff too.

bring your shot shows how different the needs can be between foodbanks. Apparently my local one is overwhelmed with peas.

School harvest festival is for the food bank. I have got - tin of corned beef, long life milk and tomatoes (all from their urgent list) and some chocolate bars.

I tend to donate san-pro to a local distribution point, but apparently they have quite a lot at present - so the pack of non-applicator tampons I put in a collection for The Red Box Project.

DH was recently mystified when I put a different brand of cat food in the trolley (DCat insists on the posh fish variety )
I explained that I had read on MN about donating pet food and he was quite emotional at the idea of not being able to feed DCat and possibly having to give him up as a result not that anyone would have him
I now frequently find a stray multipack of tins shoved in the trolley

Recently a local food bank was desperate for washing powder, tinned fruit and toiletries.

We run a foodbank linked to trussel trust.
Items most needed or not needed are put on the Facebook and Twitter pages.
We make up a parcel of different sizes so a one person parcel has smaller quantities than one for a 5 person family. This can mean that people donate massive bags of pasta but they are too big for the one person parcel for example.
Each parcel has Tinned meat, fish, veg, fruit, fruit juice, milk, cereal, pasta/rice, tea/coffee. (mind gone blank could be more)
Then we have a box of other things that clients can choose something from. This is anything not in a standard parcel - cakes, stuffing, gravy, spices etc.
We then have another box of nappies, sanitary stuff, shower gel etc
Oh and dog/cat food too

Ours has a weekly list of what they do and don't need.

I try to give bottles of shampoo, toothpaste, shower gel and toilet rolls. I would give sanpro but they apparently have loads at the moment.

Apparently they love those multipacks of 8 small cereal boxes as they can split them up a bit. Also small cans of pasta shapes such as Peppa Pig or whatever is available.

And I always put in some treats such as chocolate or biscuits. Sachets of hot chocolate are another good thing - an easy treat if you have access to a kettle.

My local one has this up and change it daily 

@forwhatyouare

A dietician has done a list of items for a three day food supply & fruit juice / squash is on the list

Perhaps you'd be a bit more empathetic if you volunteered at a foodbank & listened to heartbreaking stories week after week 🙄

ny I wasn't being deliberately goady! I've been close using Food banks myself. I'm joust curious since they don't come across as essential. How do you explain cream being essential?

@forwhatyouare

Who said cream was essential ?

We give a 3 day food supply - if we have treats we give them

One man last week had only eaten one bowl of cereal a day for a week as it was all he had. He was over the moon to see a kit kat in his bag

If extras provide a little comfort to a bleak existence, I'm all for helping that