Food bank items

[EatSleepRantRepeat]

I've been given some supermarket vouchers from work and I'd like to buy some extra items from the food bank with it. If you work for a food bank or have used a food bank, what kind of things do your clients really want or look forward to?

I've checked the local wishlist but it's things like brown sauce and bags of sugar (so non-essential for most people) and frey bentos pies & powdered mash, which I personally wouldn't eat or serve to people at home. They wouldn't go in a microwave either because of the metal packaging.

Do people actually eat and enjoy those things, or are they just shelf-stable but people are too polite to decline? What happens to people like me with food allergies - is it bought in or is it tough luck?

I usually just buy laundry liquid and tampons/pads but there aren't the usual bulk-buy offers on this week so fancied buying something different.

(Before anyone judges me, I'm not policing anyone's dietary habits, I'd just rather spend my money on something foodbank users would normally eat and enjoy. I've never been able to volunteer in one because they're not open outside of working hours).

@MrsRobinsonsHandprints no need to apologise. I can see how it could have been read as patronising, my bad.

I always buy tinned meat (esp stewing steak in gravy, mince, chicken in white sauce, and Fray Bentos pies), Idohoan instant mash (which is actually incredible, and now a firm camping favourite here) UHT milk, sugar, tea and coffee as our local food bank always wants those and go through a lot. I do check most weeks on their current needs

Pet food. They can't ask for it as would get a huge backlash

@Startagaintoday

Pet food. They can't ask for it as would get a huge backlash

I love when people donate pet food. Most animal lovers wouldn’t let their pets go without even if it meant they did.

I do a sort of informal rota of stuff I buy, I theme it. So one week I’ll do tinned puddings, custard, biscuits, tinned fruit. Then the next I’ll buy the small packs of instant coffee, tea bags, instant hot chocolate powder, small bags of sugar. Then tinned meat, tuna etc. Then maybe peanut butter, jam, porridge sachets.

I don’t buy things I’d necessarily eat, but I think ‘if I had to feed my family on nothing what would help me’ and go through breakfast/snacks/things that are expensive but make a meal (e.g. tuna)

@Jojobees

My local food bank has just posted a desperate plea for everything. They received 1300kg of food donations and gave out 4500kgs last year and literally have nothing left. I’m not overly wealthy at all but can spare £20 this month, would it be better to buy lots of the things they’ve asked for ( but budget brands) or fewer more luxury items? Genuine question.

Lots of things they’ve asked for. No question.

I have volunteered in a foodbank for a couple of years. They will so appreciate your donation. The children love peanut butter, chocolate spread and ketchup (things that make them feel the same as other children.) Everyone donates beans and pasta so foodbanks tend to have loads of those. Fray Bentos pies are considered to be the ‘best’ of the tinned meats and are often requested (because of the pastry..?) They are a nightmare to store though as they don’t stack like other tins!

Jam, rice pudding, tinned fruit, tinned tomatoes, pasta sauce, cereal, juice, biscuits, pasta, tinned soup, beans, tea bags, sugar, UHT milk, tuna, tinned meat, tinned potatoes and tinned veg are put into parcels as standard. Coffee is often requested and hot chocolate is popular. Toiletries wise toilet roll, toothpaste, shampoo and soap are given in ours as standard but razors/shaving foam, toothbrushes, deodorant, tampons/towels and cleaning products/washing up liquid/washing powder are also often requested.

For homeless guests, crisps, nuts, cereal bars are good. Tins with ring pulls such as tuna, corned beef, fruit and custard are good too.

Pet food. They can't ask for it as would get a huge backlash

Seriously? Do people expect people who’ve fallen upon bad times to just give up their pets then? How sad.

I give value stuff if I've tried it and know it's good, otherwise I get what's on offer or own brand, anything that's BOGOF too!

Cooking oil
Shaving foam/gel
Shower gel
Washing up liquid
Shampoo and conditioner
Deo
Boxes of washing up tablets (they can be split down as individually wrapped)
Cleaning products - I put in toilet cleaner and an all purpose spray
Cereal
Chocolate
I went for cheese and onion pies and chicken ones as figured one is veggie, and chicken is popular
Instant mash

I also had a load of free samples which they took and said they can offer out - I had stuff like face creams, serums, perfumes, lipstick samples etc I wouldn't use

I literally know no-one in real life that eats FB pies, but I know lots of people who use lentils, split peas, and other more expensive dried goods like curry powder, cumin etc that are never on the list.

You wouldn't know. I tell friends about spatchcocked chickens and tea-smoked duck and homemade ceviche. But there are currently two Fray Bentos in the cupboard.

They're delicious. Salty crap, yummy.

Whenever there’s a dog of cat in my list I love if and patch up loads.

I have to confess I look at the name and the location and select items accordingly.

Ethan in the bedsit flats isn’t going to need cous cous or cumin.

Why not just buy what the foodbank requests, and use the energy you've saved campaigning for change so that deliberate policies no longer force people into needing to use foodbanks to eat?

I volunteer at a food bank. It’s a kind thing to donate. Please offer them the vouchers, especially if they are looking after a lot of refugees and ethnic minorities. They will either give the vouchers to the clients or buy suitable food for their clients with them.

Fray bentos pies need an oven because the pastry needs to be cooked, and the meat is not halal, so in a lot of ways that kind of food is not ideal.

I go for what's on the list and buy as many of the same thing as I can. I like to think that makes it easier for the food bank to organise but no idea really.

I now want to try a fray bento pie

I love a fray bentos pie.

The fray bentos pies are a good 'tinned meat substitute' for veggie families. We regularly get requests. Apparently the vegetable curry and the vegan 'beef and bean' are particularly good.

I like Fray Bentos pies and puddings, and brown sauce, and sugar -easy things. Split peas and lentils too, but that’s because I have spare time, an extensive range of spices and no fussy children living at home.
I give the food bank cash.

@ODFOx

The fray bentos pies are a good 'tinned meat substitute' for veggie families. We regularly get requests. Apparently the vegetable curry and the vegan 'beef and bean' are particularly good.

There's different flavours!

I'm a social worker, and I issue food bank vouchers.

Most people I issue them to struggle to cook either due to physical disabilities or inability. Those that have carers, the carers are not good cooks. All have limited facilities - some people don't have a baking tray or a sharp knife. So fray bentos pie and instant mash would be ideal - the pie needs no baking tray and the mash only needs boiling water and a fork, can be done in a cup if needed.

You can also do FB pies in an airfryer when desperate. Or take off the pastry and put the filling in a microwave if more desperate.

I'm in that in-between zone where, with care, I feel able to skim our own food stores for the food bank, but not flush enough to buy especially. So donations are what we eat/use anyway.

I tend to buy in bulk on offer, and can usually find something that can be spared - recently it was a few jars each of mayo, peanut butter, hot chocolate; tinned toms, dried lentils, tetra-pak chickpeas, baked beans; some stir-in tomato sauce; and toothpaste.

I hope the 'luxuries' were as valued as the baked beans! When I'm most broke, condiments & sauces are an impossible treat, but they make multiple meals more palatable, especially with kids.

The toaster broke just before Christmas, so odds are good of a donation of jam, honey, chocolate spread soon. Very much treats here, so hopefully for someone else too.

I do wonder if eyes get rolled at what I contribute, but mostly I trust that food-bank workers will get to know who would welcome a pack of lentils or chickpeas and who'd prefer the pasta sauce; whose kids need a treat; and which first-time client desperately needs something familiar. I think dignity and wellbeing require more than just basic nutrition, and community food hubs are well aware of this.

This doesn’t help OP, but might help @MooSakah

Our Foodbank accepts donations through PayPal. I rarely shop instore these days so can send a donation through PayPal and they can buy whatever they’re short of.

@Stravaig

I'm in that in-between zone where, with care, I feel able to skim our own food stores for the food bank, but not flush enough to buy especially. So donations are what we eat/use anyway.

I tend to buy in bulk on offer, and can usually find something that can be spared - recently it was a few jars each of mayo, peanut butter, hot chocolate; tinned toms, dried lentils, tetra-pak chickpeas, baked beans; some stir-in tomato sauce; and toothpaste.

I hope the 'luxuries' were as valued as the baked beans! When I'm most broke, condiments & sauces are an impossible treat, but they make multiple meals more palatable, especially with kids.

The toaster broke just before Christmas, so odds are good of a donation of jam, honey, chocolate spread soon. Very much treats here, so hopefully for someone else too.

I do wonder if eyes get rolled at what I contribute, but mostly I trust that food-bank workers will get to know who would welcome a pack of lentils or chickpeas and who'd prefer the pasta sauce; whose kids need a treat; and which first-time client desperately needs something familiar. I think dignity and wellbeing require more than just basic nutrition, and community food hubs are well aware of this.

There'll be no eye rolling. Those chickpeas will do well with people eating halal when they've no halal meat to give, and with the veggies.

I was going to say what about some free from items. Even some treat bits biscuits, fruit cake with long date etc