Food bank challenge

[Pinkyyy]

Some of you may have seen the new challenge online called the 'Food Bank Challenge', where people go out and buy a trolley full of shopping and donate it to a local food bank then nominate others to do the same. I'm obviously so pleased for a trend online to actually be benefiting people who need help, especially at this time of year, but I'm also not sure if I can fully support people doing this purely to gain credit/recognition online. What are your thoughts?

Helena and the good thing about a selection box is that they are suitable for adults as well and, if you are inundated with them (as our Food Bank is) you can still give out chocolate after Christmas.

I know I keep saying this on every Food Bank thread, but it really is important to check with your local FB what is actually needed. Different FBs have different needs. And please don’t think about what you might want if you needed to use a FB, but find out what the clients actually want. We have very generous donations from very kind, well meaning people BUT it is not always the sort of food that people living in difficult circumstances have the time, energy or inclination to cook.

YY Ragwort I will check with mine what is needed and the local paper run the occasional article with a list too.

Ouslrs alwayabsems to be asking for tinned meat and fish and long life milk.

In think they get a lot of things where you can buy a big bag full cheaply.

Best I think you are right, we get loads of soup, pasta, rice and baked beans (ie; good value stuff) but would really appreciate even just one tin of meat rather than six tins of beans.

Rag does your bank put on website or social media what you need or don't need and keep it updated. I try to check before I go or ask at the supermarket. One local bank does it regularly. Another uses the generic list. A third in theory updates but I saw a request for Easter Eggs mid summer so gave up checking.

Nominating people into spending money they might not have themselves to make yourself look good? I thought it was bad enough nominating your mates to post make up free selfies.

I donate to the food bank collection in Tesco once or twice a month by the way but it’s on my terms and when I can afford to. I can’t afford a full trolley at a time! Usually about a fivers worth. If I could afford to fill a trolley I’d probably donate the cash equivalent instead- less time consuming and possibly more helpful to them anyway.

I have a fb “friend” who has posted twice in the past month about herself doing something charitable- a picture of her collecting money in a tin in the town centre for charity and another of her handing a Greggs gift card to a homeless person. You didn’t see their face just her hand and his. She’s a nice person but that made me feel a bit sick. She’ll probaly loudly do this latest “challenge”.

I hate the idea. It's nothing about charity and all about people appearing philanthropic on social media. I hate brave the shave and hated the ice bucket challenge too.

I donate regularly to our local food bank. How many people know I do it? Next to nobody.

Some people are only interested in charity when it makes them look good.

Cripes. I haven’t seen this yet but I could put a bet on who on my feed would do this.

I have read many extremely helpful threads on here about sensible food bank donations so I think, if I was nominated, I would respond my posting some sensible guidance instead. I suspect I was a touch worthy about what I donated - lots of ingredients to make hearty meals. I now buy microwave rice, tinned meats and the like. I also pop pet food in there when we have spare.

And second and third the advice to check local lists. The list where I work is very different to the list where I live

www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/17259608.watson-harrops-foodbanknomination-challenge-is-a-christmas-miracle/

Baga, yes we do and update it regularly but of course not everyone reads it, we also put notices on the actual collectio point saying what we are short of. But there is something of an attitude that ‘people should be grateful for what they are given’ which may be why we are overwhelmed with certain types of food (pasta, rice and baked beans ). It sounds very ungrateful but we get lots of kind people wanting to give specific items for children yet our Food Bank is in the fortunate position of not having many families needing to use the FB. Some people can be quite offended when you try to explain nicely what sort of donations are genuinely appreciated .

Example - we have about ten children to support via our FB, we received over 50 chocolate Advent calendars.

I try to stick to what the collection box notice asks for, generally tea, biscuits, jam.

I couldn’t do a whole trolley though.

Adults like advent calendars too But I wouldn't buy them because they're awful value, and as others have said, it could well be a countdown to a shitty day.

I've never donated tinned meat because I wouldn't know what to buy. I don't eat it either so don't know where to begin. What should I be looking for?

I think the food bank item reminders are genius! I'm usually rushed off my feet with the children so don't always remember and then feel guilty when I see the box at the end.

That’s putting a lot of pressure on someone to buy a trolly load of food for the food bank!! they may only just be keeping there own heads above the water. I think that most people will donate at the supermarket what they can afford!! I always but in a tin of nice biscuits or sweets in as I think just becuse they use a food bank people still deserve a fine piece.

I know Bombardier, it's hard to go out and but something you wouldn't dream buying for your own family and it's expensive (compared to soup or beans, which is why they're ways short)

I buy things like tinned ham or corned beef, curry, chilli, chicken in white sauce, hot dogs, meat balls, tuna, sardines. None of it's "nice" but quite tasty and satisfying if all you otherwise have is beans and pasta.

It looks like it was started by the travelling community.

Haven’t seen any of my friends on fb doing it or heard of it being done round here

The food bank in our city has started to collect money befor and after the big football games!! At the gates and on the way to the stadium the local radio also seems to remind us if the food banks need stuff and they have a Hugh mission Christmas to make sure every child in the city and shire gets a present at Christmas 🎄 they have also done a new warm coat donation this year for children. And in the past have done a mission to make sure all children have a decent bed with bedding in the city. Just give what you can afford !!

Thanks Bestseller, I'll have a look next time I go in.

Our local foodbank Christmas list includes tinned ham which I didn’t even know existed so it’s definitely worth checking out what they actually want before shopping. They’re also asking for small boxes of chocolates, toiletry sets and family board games.

They can do more with money so if I was to donate I would give money. Also if I was nominated I would ignore it. I'm not into forced charity.

I'd be happy to give a donation at the checkout if I thought that the supermarket would give the foodbank the items of their choice at cost price. I am not happy to be guilted into giving money to a supermarket that creams a share off the top before it passes goods on to a foodbank.

there will likely be quite a few advent calandars donated now They are going to be half price now December has started.

Sounds awful. But I would hate to be nominated. Shopping for ourselves is already on a strict budget no way could I afford a trolley full for someone else.
Saying that we have 2 wonderful people around our town at the moment who are literally going door to door & asking for 1 item of food to donate.
They have been inundated. & I think our local food bank has enough for the next few months.

www.the-pool.com/news-views/latest-news/2018/48/sainsburys-christmas-food-bank-labels?fbclid=IwAR3Bh_WOHRZtKm8RJ1n55SlyqHAG3tR2NyeErLu48Lq9uWWDG7X_tr6KRoc