Food bank for Christmas

[Didicat]

In usual primary school style they have told us late yesterday they are collecting for a food bank items to be in school THIS Friday.

My brain is already spent, Christmas holidays break needed already.... so I have a tenner to spend in Aldi....

What would you buy?

It's like Owen Jones has wandered into the thread

Am I the only one who needs this insult to be a bit more direct?

I mean things that you can pick up on the shelves of supermarkets, like E45 cream, Sudocreme, Vaseline, throat lozenges, paracetamol, ibuprofen etc.

I can only answer for mine, but any medication we can't give out, although we do have links with social services and doctors surgeries who could help. Something like vaseline or e45 would be fine and if we don't have any we'll buy you some if you need it (this is another great reason why donating cash is a great idea).

Never be afraid to ask for anything, if we don't have it or can't give you it we'll find someone who can.

I always put on tea and sugar and powdered milk.
I can’t think of anything worse than being on the bones of your arse and not having the means for a hot cuppa.

@JamieLeeCurtains

It's like Owen Jones has wandered into the thread ...

Well like him or not I think he's more likely to solve the problem than make it worse.

Thabks, @FeminismIsForALLWomen. I'm assuming things like T-gel shampoo would be ok, too?

I'm really struggling with donating to my local food bank. On the one hand, it's abhorrent that people even need them and it is awful to be living in poverty and be food insecure; I've experienced it myself and whilst I can say it was hard work that got me out, in reality a hefty dose of luck/good fortune/right place, right time was involved. On the other hand, the town voted overwhelmingly for an MP who wouldnt support free meals for children, voted overwhelmingly for rhe government that isn't helping them, and overwhelmingly voted for Brexit. FB pages about being patriots, how Covid believers are sheeple and the forrins. I know I need to move so part of me thinks why should I help you when you're actively not helping yourself. Then I think of the children

Jamie - I would really stick to basic donations, depending on what your local FB needs. We get all sorts of weird and wonderful donations, but so many of them are very 'individual' and just not wanted ... a PP mentioned risotto rice, honestly, at the FB I volunteer at no one would want risotto rice. Equally we get all sorts of gluten free products, dairy free stuff etc etc - again, I have never been asked for this in all my years volunteering and it then gives us a problem of how to responsibly dispose of these donations.
I can't emphasise enough - check with your local FB as to what they actually want - when Period Poverty was in the news we were drowning in tampax .

@Ragwort we had to ask on local fb groups for people to kindly hold off on the sanitary products. We ran out of room to store them!

I always donate cat food, I couldn't bear the thought of someone's pet going hungry.

I've done those coffee sachets, the latte type ones quite a lot recently, and hot chocolate sachets. Other than that we tend to go for jam, tuna, packet mash, instant porridge pots, UHT juice, lunchbox type bars. And toiletries.

I do check the updates from my local foodbank but have to say I've never seen them mention pet food positively or negatively. So I don't know whether they want it or not, on reflection.

@Ragwort, yep, will do. Actually I'll give money too as pp suggested.

I'm assuming things like T-gel shampoo would be ok, too?

I can't see why not but it's never actually come up before for me so I'm not 100% sure. Are you thinking of donating it or wondering whether you could get it in a pinch? If it's the latter I'd be happy to check what mine does when I'm in on Friday if it will put your mind at rest.

I tend to donate toiletries rather than food - bars of soap, shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, tampons etc

I do check the updates from my local foodbank but have to say I've never seen them mention pet food positively or negatively. So I don't know whether they want it or not, on reflection.

At mine it's one of the things we tend to buy as needed but a stock of it wouldn't be sniffed at. It's a lovely thought and the reason we make it a rule to ask people about pets, they shouldn't go hungry either

Cat and dog food is regularly requested at our food bank but we wouldn't want a stack of it so don't ever ask for it. We usually tick over with just enough from donations.

@FeminismIsForALLWomen

I'm assuming things like T-gel shampoo would be ok, too?

I can't see why not but it's never actually come up before for me so I'm not 100% sure. Are you thinking of donating it or wondering whether you could get it in a pinch? If it's the latter I'd be happy to check what mine does when I'm in on Friday if it will put your mind at rest.

It's more that I vividly remember being absolutely skint in the past, and I'd not like to think of a person being broke, possibly between homes, and also having to deal with a skin/joint issue like mine.

Now I'm not entirely broke, I'd like to help others more who find themselves in the boat I was once in.

I was also struck by how long it took my DS to get re-registered with our GP when he left university this year - and he very fortunately had access to wifi, a laptop, a phone, a roof over his head, support at home ... Still took well over a week and it was 'urgent'.

Look bees just saying close food banks and nobody will starve, the government will sort it out isn't an explanation. It's an opinion.

I asked you a few questions you chose to ignore upthread, so I'll ask again... In the interim, between all food banks closing and the government picking up the pieces, how will the most needy eat? How will those people using food banks for their original purpose - in a time when food banks did not exist and people starved - eat?

HOW WILL YOU FILL THE GAP?

I can answer that, everyone working in a food bank could give you a few suggestions, but how do you think it would be done?

Without adding to the 6 people a month ago die, in the UK, from lack of food...

@CuriousaboutSamphire

Look bees just saying close food banks and nobody will starve, the government will sort it out isn't an explanation. It's an opinion.

I asked you a few questions you chose to ignore upthread, so I'll ask again... In the interim, between all food banks closing and the government picking up the pieces, how will the most needy eat? How will those people using food banks for their original purpose - in a time when food banks did not exist and people starved - eat?

HOW WILL YOU FILL THE GAP?

I can answer that, everyone working in a food bank could give you a few suggestions, but how do you think it would be done?

Without adding to the 6 people a month ago die, in the UK, from lack of food...

They present themselves to hospital if need be.

I've answered a few times already.

Now I'm not entirely broke, I'd like to help others more who find themselves in the boat I was once in.

I see. Donating money would probably be the best thing then because it enables us to get one off items and also keeps us going when donations are low. If you're able to it's worth considering volunteering a few hours a week too (although you do have to put up with people telling you that food banks kill people ).

In the interim, between all food banks closing and the government picking up the pieces, how will the most needy eat?

According to Birds it's the outrage at (I assume) terrible things happening to people which will apparently cause the government to provide an adequate level of support (although to be fair she hasn't said how yet). So, in this plan, they're not expected to eat, they're expected to get ill. Although if people starve or get ill it'll somehow be our fault.

They present themselves to hospital if need be.

That's not an answer to the question you were asked. How do you fill the gap?

If hospitals fill that gap and feed people, do they also become part of the problem?

I know someone up the thread said that donations of lentils etc is worthy and middle class but my local food bank has a lot of South Asian service users, who would appreciate that type of thing. I need to make a donation and I'm appreciating the ideas.

I know someone up the thread said that donations of lentils etc is worthy and middle class but my local food bank has a lot of South Asian service users, who would appreciate that type of thing. I need to make a donation and I'm appreciating the ideas.

It's the sentiment of "oh it's so much better for you and it'll last so much longer and I think this is what's best despite it not being what you're asking for" that's silly, not the actual foods. That's clearly not your intention and it's what your food bank wants so donate it

@FeminismIsForALLWomen

In the interim, between all food banks closing and the government picking up the pieces, how will the most needy eat?

According to Birds it's the outrage at (I assume) terrible things happening to people which will apparently cause the government to provide an adequate level of support (although to be fair she hasn't said how yet). So, in this plan, they're not expected to eat, they're expected to get ill. Although if people starve or get ill it'll somehow be our fault.

They present themselves to hospital if need be.

That's not an answer to the question you were asked. How do you fill the gap?

If hospitals fill that gap and feed people, do they also become part of the problem?

I have answered.

I appreciate you don't share my view and that's fine but don't keep saying I haven't answered.

As I said to another poster despite what you may think I have far more experience of this than may first appear. I can assure that people won't starve, I don't want to give my life story so you either accept what I'm saying or you don't.

I can't convince you and I'm not even going to try but hopefully my comments have at least given others cause to re-evaluate whether foodbanks are a doing good or more long term harm.

So bees your answer to the food gap is to replace food banks with hospitals?

Presumably to force the government to pay for it.

Ignoring the fact that hospital trusts will simply allow a charitable organisation to deal with the well : hungry leaving those with medical need to be dealt with by GPs, HVs etc... Much as happens now!

Actually the more you think about that 'solution' the more ludicrous it seems. The medicalisation of being poor!

I have answered.

You've given silly theories as to what you think will happen, but they are not an adequate or relevant answer to the questions you've been asked.

. I can assure that people won't starve, I don't want to give my life story so you either accept what I'm saying or you don't.

Is the reason you think people won't starve that you didn't in a similar situation? Because if so, although I'm glad for you, you need to realise that not everyone's situation is the same and you can't possibly say that nobody will starve because you didn't.

@CuriousaboutSamphire

Actually the more you think about that 'solution' the more ludicrous it seems. The medicalisation of being poor!

I accept you don't agree but like I said to another poster hopefully others will read what I'm saying properly and perhaps think a little about the point I'm making.

I can't stop foodbanks but hopefully I can at least get 1 or 2 mumsnetters to reconsider their value in a modern age.