How much do you give to your local food bank?

[BluSquid]

I've always picked up a few bits while shopping to pop into the big box on the way out of the supermarket, but lately I've been seeing a lot of social media posts asking for donations to my local food bank, as they're beginning to struggle.

I'm going to increase the amount of food I donate by quite a lot, and look at donating some money, so I'm wondering what most other people give? Also, is there particular foods that they tend to get an abundance of, and any that they could do with more of?

tastes do you mean you leave the box with the £20 on the shelf for the next customer in Tesco? You need to be aware that the box might just get thrown out if the seal / packaging is broken.

Blowyourown you might find the list prescriptive but it is much better to buy the food your local FB actually needs rather than what people think a FB needs ... and depending on your area the needs may vary. I used to have to re-donate anything slightly 'unusual' (ie; pulses, couscous, whole grain pasta etc) to a FB in a city centre where the recipients were much more 'adventurous' in their tastes than the area where our FB operates. But lots of well meaning doners still seem to donate endless tins of pulses and porridge!

Yeah the place I volunteer gets the morrisons green bags they are great always a decent selection of stuff.

Christmas goodies are a nice idea, however we were literally still giving out mince pies and calendars in February as we had so many from generous local supermarkets. There is a limit to how many mince pies we can give to a family!

PLEASE always check first, I can’t emphasise that enough to be honest.

We have Easter Eggs still from this year which will be in date for next year.

I always give to the pet food bank at the supermarket by giving meat and bags of biscuits .

For the people food bank I give treat foods . I know some might not agree but when I look at the bags and packets of grey in the trolley I just want someone to have something other than a survival ration.

If in supermarket, I tend to pick up something on offer and chuck it in the food bank crate.

I check the ‘Bank the food’ app as previously mentioned which shows what my local foodbank is actually short of at any given time. You can set it to notify you when you go to the supermarket. They also post on their Facebook page a list of everything they provide and update with most needed items and what they don’t need.
I tend to give in bulk what they need (ie I get a dozen of an item as most shopping deliveries limit quantity what you can order).
I always give biscuits/chocolate, snacks, packet custard that only needs water added not milk, toiletries and cleaning items and then tins of whatever they’re short on. These are always on their needed list. As a vegetarian I tend to add a few vegan and vegetarian tinned meals (tinned curry and macaroni cheese etc) but also give tuna/ham/hotdogs as they ask for them specifically.
Unfortunately I’m going to have to reduce what I give as my electric and petrol bills have shot up and I can’t afford to give as much any more as my disposal income has significantly shrunk. I am paying forward the kindness I was given when struggling on benefits and was helped myself but seeing what others say they give has reassured me a bit as I was feeling guilty about having to cut down on what I give.

I aim for £10/week. Person on my street volunteers at a local one and we can leave donations on her doorstep to be taken in.
They always want toilet rolls, sanitary protection, nappies, and often want shower gel, tinned fish, uht milk. We get a list each week of what they need most.

£20 by standing order and extra bits when I remember in the collection bin at the supermarket.

£15/month and £9/month to a charity that provides sanitary protection.

£400 per month SO because Trussel Trust knows better than me what is needed. DH drops half a dozen packs of chocolate biscuits into the collection each week because he believes that kids deserve a bit of chocolate every week.

I don't donate regularly but have given a lot recently as have had 3 family members die so have cleared their cupboards out and donated. I've just popped some extra bits on my next grocery delivery off the back of reading this thread 😊

We used to have a standing order for £40 a month (£10 a week) but with the cost of living crisis we couldn't afford it anymore so we stopped it.

They phoned me up and said they noticed we'd stopped our standing order or "was this a banking error" I explained that we just couldn't afford it at the moment and the lady was a bit put out but I explained the situation to her.

I do still donate but I just buy afew bits as and when I can now and if it's a tight month I don't buy anything and if it's a better month I get afew bits

I give £20 per month to trussell trust as I shop online. I am thinking about increasing it though currently so thanks for the reminder.

I also donate to collections which happen a couple of times a year at work or at school. I don't often do a big shop in person and when I do I tend to forget until I walk out and see the pile waiting on collection. Trying to get better at remembering on the way in to the shop but I am always flustered chanting my own list in my head and trying to keep an eye on the kids.

ragwort no I put the box into the food bank basket when I leave Tesco.

You know if Box lids are open or look tampered with somebody might just bin it they don't have time to look in it. It's a nice gesture but can't you just donate the money instead.