to be utterly ashamed and disgusted with this. Food banks iced buns and Weetabix.

[carernotasaint]

i found this article really upsetting. I cannot believe that we have come to this.
As the athletes and dignetaries arrive for the Olympics i cannot muster any enthusiasm for it. I also couldnt help noticing the attitide of some of the people running these banks. Comments about people "not being able to get up early" and the fact that they are happy to hand out iced buns (which are of no nutritional value but lets fact it you"d eat them if you were bloody hungry) and then saying that Weetabix is a bad idea because it soaks up too much milk I have never felt so ashamed to be British.
www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/jul/18/food-banks-on-hand-outs

Huh? At least they are volunteering! I think ashamed to be British is a bit strong, yes they are unfortunate comments but at least they are trying to help people screwed by the so called system we have at the moment. There are scores of other people that I could say make me ashamed to be British, but certainly not food bank volunteers...

The Weetabix thing is actually very sensible. I live in Canada where we have lots of food banks. They don't like to give out anything cheap (i.e. Weetabix) when you have to use something perishable and expensive (i.e. milk) to make it. If someone can't afford Weetabix they probably can't afford milk. If they had a lot of UHT milk to give out with it, they probably would.

I've worked in addictions and homelessness for decades and understand the frustration of the workers. Unless you volunteer at a soup kitchen or food bank every week, I wouldn't judge.

It's shameful we have come to this, we have food banks going on here in a very rural area, things are getting desperate.

Don't really get what the Olympics has to do with it.

It's the bloody Tories

I don't really get why you are so ashamed either.
The weetabix comment is probably a reflection that the recepients of this food can't afford a lot of milk either, so this is not an ideal breakfast cereal to offer to them.

I think the Weetabix comment is because the recipients can't afford the milk to go with it.

I was bemused by them thinking it's insulting to hand out cream crackers as the recipients can't afford the cheese to go with it. We have cream crackers with jam in this house or whatever else is going - just butter sometimes (and we're not 'poor').

I was also surprised at them having too much soup and beans - to me these are very simple and nutritious meals that I choose to buy.

I didnt say the volunteers make me ashamed to be British. i said "i have never felt so ashamed to be British" because of the fact that we have got to this in the first place.
The sanctimonius attitude does grate though.
And when someone on JSA and doing workfare in any placement show "an attitude" Are they allowed to get away with it?! No THEY get sanctioned.

What have the olympics got to do with this ? And although the food bank volunteers have possibly "spoken out of turn", they are only saying what a lot if people think and at least they're giving up their time to help.

I think we should feel ashamed that our system doesn't work well enough that people - who are broke and down in the gravel already - are forced to wait for money. How does the DSS etc think they are going to manage if their payments are suspended - for whatever reason - for 2 weeks??
I can't blame the food bank staff for assessing the people that walk in as that's human nature. It's good the food banks are there full stop as nobody else is helping, least of all our government that I pay 1000's each year in tax to, exactly for this purpose - to support those that need help.

Yeah and what happens to someone on workfare if they "speak out of turn" while in their work placement?

These people are making the effort to feed those who for whatever reason need help and your complaining about it?

They are giving out the ice buns because a supermarket has been nice enough to donate them. I would imagine that there will be children finishing school to go home they have an ice bun who are very greatful for that donation.

I also find the beans odd, we use them often.

Im not complaining that they are feeding people FFS. Im appalled and complaining that its needed in the first place.

I've read a few articles on the subject and heard at least one documentary, and I believe that there are a lot of constraints on what is appropriate to be given out in food parcels that aren't immediately obvious to those of us lucky enough to have plenty of food. As someone's said, Wheatabix probably would go uneaten if people don't have the milk to pour on them, while iced buns can be eaten that day. And people do have a tendency to have views about the people they work with - as we see in every thread on Mumsnet.

I do think it's hard not to judge sometimes. My father was an alcoholic and we lived off benefits. The first things that he would buy when he was 'paid' was his cigarettes and his beer. I used to save up my pocket money and buy nice food (pot noodles, crisps and fruit) with it, as there was often not a lot in the cupboard. They are right when they say Weetabix is a bad idea, have you ever tried eating one with no milk? They are trying to be considerate, not sure about the crackers though as these can be eaten with marge and jam.

Seems ridiculous that families live like this IMO.

I will ask again. What do you think happens to someone on workfare if they "speak out of turn"

OK, I get where you're coming from now.

I think you are going over the top in your condemnation. These are volunteers doing a damned good job of helping those who can't or won't help themselves. It can be frustrating but is a credit to them that they do it.

And people do have a tendency to have views about the people they work with - as we see in every thread on Mumsnet
True.

The weetabix comment is random. I know several people who eat weetabix with water out of choice anyway. Food is food if you're hungry, and if you've nothing to feed your children you're not going to be sodding fussy!!

It makes me very sad to think of anyone being this desperate :(

Nemo i agree. You are going to eat anything if you are hungry as i stated in my OP.

Exactly KenLeeeeee. its just so horrible that we have arrived at this.

I've been saving the buy one, get one free offers for biscuits/cans/packets. It makes no difference to me as I would have bought them anyway. I've been trying to find a food bank local to me so I can drop the extras off, they appear to be hidden though. It's really sad that people have to use them to feed themselves. It's a basic need. If we were to judge a society on how it's most vulnerable were treated, the UK will fail in a big way.

It isn't like workfare because it isn't the Government, or some other company, that was running the food bank schemes. These are volunteer members of the public, and if they didn't do it, then another member of the public - or nobody - would do it. When it comes to their comments - well, that's their opinion, and at least they are doing something. I'm more worried about the fact that anyone has to do it at all.