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?

Always ask what your Food bank really want.
At Dds church they always need tinned hotdogs and uht milk.
They do not need coffee for cafetieres, only instant. That jar of olives? Unlikely. Instant Noodles are often popular. Food should be easy to cook on a hob or in a microwave.
And as someone else said they are inundated at Christmas, but in February that stock will have run out.

Causing problems already.

Wow, the government must love this. Completely absolves them of their responsibility to sort out the universal credit mess. They can just happily pootle along knowing there's a safety net for the poor people they helped to create with their shitty cuts.

It doesnt sound to me like Sainsburys were preventing him from doing the challenge. It sounds like they objected to being filmed rather than objecting to the challenge itself.

Is it okay to buy at Lidl or Aldi and drop off at another supermarket? There's no collection point at my local Lidl.

Cachailleacha not round here but there are collection points in all the local churches, banks and community buildings

It's only supermarkets showing up as foodbank collection points in my district. They have some lovely Christmas food in Lidl for reasonable prices, I don't know why they don't have their own collection box.

Ive also heard a lot of praise for Lidl food.

People were queuing out the door at my local food bank last week. Ordinary people. It’s fucking terrifying that we have come to this.

I feel that supermarkets should sell items at cost price to be donated to food banks. They shouldn’t be making profit from food banks.

And if they, as well as another companies, paid employees a proper living wage with good career prospects, then wages would not need to be propped up by benefits causing people to need food banks.

www.essexlive.news/news/foodbank-nomination-amazing-way-essexs-2283957

Just to let everyone know the foodbank challenge was started by a man from the Romani Traveller community, he didn't start it because he wanted praise or gratitude, he started because he knew how people can struggle to make ends meet. Its something most Traveller experience at dome time in their lives. No one is shamed or forced to do the challenge. Most nominations are sent to friends or family within the community so we know who is able to spare £10 or £100 and social medua is the quickest way to get the message out there. Many Travellers have done it without being nominated. And it has spread to other communities too. If we are recieving any media coverage for the challenge I think its great because its raising awareness for foodbanks which are usually empty and the pet ones are full, and its postive coverage for Travellers which we don't often get. The Romani Traveller communities do alot of charity work for which we never expect or recieve credit for

Gypsygirlelle it was a very kind thought. I've used food banks before and I appreciate every item I received and every person who donates.
To the person who asked about tinned meat, corned beef is quite useful (though quite expensive nowadays, you can make things like hash quite quickly and easily. Also tinned tuna is useful, most people seem to like it and it's quality protein.
I've got to say, one of my favourite things from the foodbank was cream of tomato soup (doesn't have to be heinz). Sometimes a nice bowl of soup just makes you feel better, and it doesn't take long to heat.

Some of the messages on here have had some very helpful suggestions on what to buy for a foodbank, very handy to know if its a spur of the moment thing.

The food bank donation bins were overflowing in my local Sainsburys today. So people have been very generous.

Gypsy i just think some were worried because there was a lot of pressure over the ice bucket challenge and there was a worry there was going to be a repeat of it.

Ocado have a scheme that if you pay a certain donation they will double that in goods to go to a food bank. It’s goods that the food bank have requested so its a really good idea. I always add it to my shop.

I agree Helena, but at our FB we now have a problem as we have too much food to store, I know that’s a nice problem to have but means that we have to find excess storage facilities. If anyone wants to make a donation please check with your local FB and either give cash or wait until Feb/March when donations will drastically drop off.
Personally I am doing the Reverse Advent Calendar but just putting some money aside each day so that I can buy the food early next year when we need stocking up.

Angry protesters surround MP on visit to food bank.

www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/watch-angry-protesters-chase-scotlands-6130021?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=sharebar&fbclid=IwAR2b9Ec1Ry4MEVmj6LYRRFG9uYIFgP9OlNZBqoBDaPrxxUdjaBTKqaqZpxM

We set ourselves a New Years resolution this year to make weekly donations to our local food bank. I check their website to see what they need and then buy it with the weekly shop. I don't spend more than £2 - £3 on donations but manage to get quite a lot in Lidls.

I'd be furious if someone challenged me to donate a trolley's worth. Little and often throughout the year is best. And if everyone who could afford to do the same did that, then people who need to use the foodbank would have enough to go around.