Improving the experience of using a food bank

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I've NC'd for this.

I run a food bank. We pack food parcels and deliver them (to many, many people) but also ask people who are able to, to collect from us. The model we have is that people come in during one morning a week, and we go along our shelves and ask them if they'd like... whatever item. We buy in a few items (we're grant funded) but most of what we have is supermarket excess, esp fresh produce and dairy. So someone saying yes to everything would get beans, tinned toms, pasta, rice, oats and (this week) toothpaste, 6-7 different types of fruit and veg, oat milk, mince.

We're in a deprived part of town and serve people from this postcode and the neighbouring one (where there isn't other provision), as well as people who are from further afield but where we're really the nearest realistic option. Most of the people we serve are very local.

We ask people to pay £2 towards their shop if they can. This is voluntary.

Our premises is quite small, and I worry about ventilation as the weather turns.

At the moment a queue starts to form outside several hours before (our commercial neighbours grumble a bit but broadly are sympathetic). Most people are probably queuing for 45m to an hour to get in. We don't really have seating - certainly not for everyone, but even for more than 2-3 people. It's just too cramped and crowded.

We serve a person every two minutes from the moment we open our doors to when we close.

We have enough for everyone, so arriving early doesn't give an advantage in terms of what's on offer.

We have children's books and toys on offer if people are coming along with their little ones.

I can't really ask my incredibly dedicated volunteers to stay longer / come in another day, they're already giving up so much of their time.

We don't really have capacity to do more deliveries, because that also relies on volunteers.

I wonder about some sort of ticketing system, but then I think we'll still have people hanging around waiting for their number to be called.

We at some point tried to let people help themselves to one of each item and it was an unmitigated disaster - some people were just tipping whole containers of things into their wheely bags.

I'm not happy with the experience we're offering, basically. The whole point of our kind of setup is that there is dignity in people choosing what they'd like for themselves. But if you have to queue for an hour and occasionally get into a bunfight with a queue jumper (it's been known to happen) a lot of that dignity vanishes.

How would you do it, if you were me? Yes I have trustees etc to speak to but I'm interested in others' opinions.

Do your users self refer?

Ish. Some do (that’s fine), but we also have links with GPs, charities, community groups etc who refer to us.

Thanks all, it’s all helpful. I don’t mean to be negative about the ideas suggested, I’m just trying to imagine them in our context.

Most food banks I'm aware of near me, sth east there are voucher systems, and they get these from cab, hv, council, housing officer etc. It does keep the numbers manageable. But probably results in some people missing out. If people are using a food bank each week, they might need budgeting, debt management, or cooking advice. Is this something you offer?

I’d make it a bookable thing with time slots. So you book a group for 9am a group for 9:30 etc so you don’t end up with a huge line.

a simple form, stating Dietary requirements. Pre bag cupboard stuff. With a table for people to leave what they don’t need. Fresh bits in trays where they can pick a few bits as you give the bag over.

Is this something you offer?

Yes, for those who need. We partner with another org on the same street. We do have a tranche of people who need this kind of help, but the majority are budgeting very well, making rational financial decisions, but just battered by current economic conditions and/or past poor decisions. If we weren’t feeding them they wouldn’t starve (I think), but they’d skip meals, eat badly, go cold etc.

I don’t want to be saccharine about it - we have our fair share of alcoholics from the local hostel for example - but the majority are as above.

Tbh sounds like you doing a great job.

There is a food bank here with vouchers system and restrictions but also one that is called a market with more donations coming from businesses to avoid food waste. First one is tins and non perishable and whatever is donated st supermarket points.

Second one is better but does have same kind of queue you mention. They hand out numbered tickets so no arguments about queue jumping, anyone who needs to sit can away from main queue. Fruit and veg is prebagged but other items are offered. On arrival for serving you are asked about diet kosher/halal/veg/allergies then offered things that they think fit. Someone helps to pack.

I don't have an answer to how to run it, but we have a food bank that runs in a similar way near me:

www.basic.org.uk/pop-up-shops

It might be worth getting in touch and seeing if they have any suggestions?

Thanks augent - very similar and I’d be interested in how they run things.

Packing food parcels does not treat people with dignity. Have a look at the Dignity in Practice document and the Nourish Scotland Website.

I’ve just had a quick look ellnet - wow. The report is fascinating. Have saved to read in detail. This is pretty close to what we’re doing now I think, in terms of choice at least. It’s just the long queues out the door that make me question people’s experience of the service.

I get there probably isn't space and you don't really want to encourage queuing, but if it's inevitable is there anything you could do with the queue itself? Gazebos so it's covered, hot drinks, a colouring table for parents who have little ones with them? There may be other agencies offering support services that would be happy to come along to help with this bit.

I think ask people to book time slots. Time slotted every 5 minutes and ask people not to arrive more than five minutes before their time.

In reality you can still help people that turn up without a slot or at the wrong time but most people would probably follow the process and so the queue would be shorter.

I would have a time slot system where regulars can book the same day/time or most convenient time for them each week and try to stagger it, and still welcome on the day walk ins too.

I would have prepacked bags with a bit of all of thr essentials and have a table for people to leave anything they don't want.

And just have browsing for fresh things and one offs that people might not need every week.

I understand the concerns above about loss of dignity in having pre-packed parcels, but might that somewhat be mitigated by the 'feel-good' factor for your users when they donate their unwanted food back to the foodbank? Especially if you set up a separate room for returns (also open to the public for donations?), using your standard collection pods (if applicable) so the foodbank users feel they are helping others by donating what they don't need that week.

I also volunteer at a food bank and in our experience, people don’t prebook and prepackaged bags are often wasteful.
We offer a range of times/days which has solved our waiting problem, but understand that isn’t possible for you.

I would say, if people need the food, they would wait in the queue.

Fucking hell, the foodbank 'experience'. It is not normal that foodbanks are needed. It's a choice by the government to allow this.

True why but the op is doing her best.
Thanks for all you do op.

I’m very happy to do what I do. Well, happy isn’t the right word, and I’m angry that food banks are needed and warm banks are coming the same way, but I am proud to be able to offer help to those who need it. We’re very lucky with our volunteers and community support. It’s a great organisation.

Being half term, there was a mum in the queue with her son this week. We had a few younger kids in, and a few older ones, but this one was just at the age (late primary) where I could see he suddenly understood where he was and why they were there, and I hated our setup at that moment.

How do you work out what goes in the bags you deliver? Do people choose the contents or is it a standard A, B, C will be in the bag? Could the same principle in choosing a delivered bag be done in the food bank?

A friend abroad works in a food bank, but it looks more like a regular corner shop. A basket at the door for the person picked up, food on shelves to self choose from then a checkout at the end. The prices though are vastly reduced to a regular supermarket though. Obviously, depending on the space you have and facilities to only allow in X amount of people at a time, would dictate if this model would work in your space.

If people know that you don't run out during the day, they might be more willing to visit throughout the day, rather than start queuing so early. Esp if they know only X amount are allowed per 10min/20min and afternoons a quieter.

I’d also say time slots and reiterate that you have capacity for their needs. If I were in that position I would find it far more dignified than queuing and it also gives them some agency by choosing a time that works for them.

@BlueWalnut I’m part of a network of similar projects and we do campaign for an end to our work by sharing data about food poverty in the UK and the need for systemic change. I have to say though that like most of the projects most of my time is taken up keeping our project going - grant writing, admin etc.

Sorry if this sounds thick but what is your social media presence like? Could you try to recruit more volunteers? The food bank near me is not accepting new volunteers at the moment because they have all the volunteers need for the amount of food/distribution points they have. They're also very active on social media, contacts with local businesses, stories in the press etc.

Our local foodbank operates an appointment system which I believe works well but I don’t think they deal with the volume of people you are. Hope you find a solution which works for you and the users.

I'm sure the OP would love for her service to not exist, I'm not sure why you're being brusque towards her?

We have a highly successful food hub, you fill a carrier bag from goods laid out (provided by local suppliers) and you pay what you can

I usually cram my bag FULL of fresh fruit & veg and I get the odd treat (pastry or biscuits) for toddler and I give £5 but during winter I had nothing to give and that was okay too

We also have several community fridges where you can just help yourself

I'm very lucky where I live the community all work together to support each other and as yet no one's taking advantage