If you have direct debit to a food bank do you mind me asking how much it is for...?

[EllenWaiteourkid]

We retired in the last few months and are very aware that it is going to be a hard winter (if not winters. )

We are fortunate to have a smallish surplus at the end of the month and want to try and help out.

TIA

a direct debit even. 🙄

Anyone ?

£150, they don't accept any more for some reason so we donate food too.

£10 here all we can afford tbh

@Carrieonmywaywardsun

£150 a month ?

Surely you give what you want to and can afford? My direct debit is £25 but that's a decision made on my own circumstances - there isn't a 'right' amount. They would always be able to use more but most people are giving from limited resources.

@Carrieonmywaywardsun Sorry, just re read presume that is £150 a year.

@Hardbackwriter We can't afford a lot and just wanted a guide that wouldn't make us look tight, that is all.

Please just give what you can afford, I volunteer at a FB and a number of people generously give to us by direct debit - but whether you can afford £5 or £50 it is always appreciated. However, do check with your local FB - some are quite well funded ... I don't actually financially support the one I volunteer at as our funds are very healthy but I do donate to one in a much less affluent area as I believe their need is greater.

@Ragwort Thank you.

Don't worry about looking tight - remember that most people give nothing! They may have a minimum because there comes a point where your donation would cost more to process than it raises (like if you were trying to donate 50p through direct debit) but if it's more than a couple of pounds then it's doing something, and that's clearly better than doing nothing.

£100 a month. I arrived at that figure after chatting (generally, not about donating) with one of the volunteers, who mentioned how much it costs to feed an under 5 yo over the summer holidays, and then how many there were in the area - 100 quid just about covered it.

Done, thank you everyone.

My friend volunteers in a food bank and she told me to think in terms of things, rather than cash. I donate £10 a month - but now I think of it as 10 cartons of juice, or 10 cans of beans, or 8 small bags of sugar, or 6 cans of deodorant etc. because that’s what you’re actually donating.

I am unlucky enough to have a decent inheritance coming before the end of the year, so also do a lump sum as well.

It is fucking obscene that we are even having this discussion.😡

£50

No direct debit but each week shopping I Bung in extra tinned stuff and pasta and long life milk which then goes into basket after I’ve paid

We do not do a direct debit, but a few years ago at Christmas we bought a shop for £70.00.

I now do a £70.00 shop at the change of every season. So the first September is the next one due.

We do a dd for the air ambulance and the british legion though at Christmas time- again circa £70.00.

We give about 10% of our income away across various charities. It used to be what we could afford, now it's more than we can really. But don't want to decrease it as everyone's in need.

I did £40 a month for two years. Just stopped recently as I'm not working atm

No, it's £150 a month

Do food banks buy food then? I assumed they only used what they get in those baskets at the supermarket.

I thought donations were for costs such as transport and admin. (Hope council's don't charge them rent!)

£10, sometimes few bits at Lidl, saves me remembering, I think it’s enough on a fixed budget, shouldn’t be needed

What worries me about the responses on this thread, is it might give people the impression that it isn't worth setting up a standing order for a fiver.

I know that isn't anyone's intention, but seriously, imagine if people who can't afford loads get put off, when, if even just 20 people could give a fiver, then the Food bank would be better off by £100 a month. Every month. It would be great.

Then imagine what it would be like if 100 people did.
Or everyone you knew did.
Or everyone on MN tonight.
Or 1/4 of all MNers
and so on.

In truth, giving £2 a month, or £5 a month might seem a little, but if we all do a little, then that soon starts to add up.

£10 a month, I swapped out my charity subscription to a deaf-blind charity and feel bad about it now. Discovered afterwards my dh separately set up a dd to the food bank of £20 a month. We clearly don’t communicate at all.

I’m rubbish at remembering to buy food in the supermarket so a dd seems more sensible.