to be suffering food banking confusion

[ICBINEG]

So erm not earth shattering this one but:

I was trying to buy food for food banking but cannot figure out if I should buy basics/value stuff or just more of what I would buy myself.

If I buy non-value then that seems wrong because I could be buying more food for the same money...

If I buy value I feel like I am buying food for the bank that I apparently don't think is good enough for me and mine...

So erm what should I be doing and ideally how do I stop feeling like a bit of shit regardless of what I do....

Thanks for posting about FareShare, Acumens100 - I've just set up a monthly donation.

How does one become eligible for food bank vouchers? I am currently on benefits due to redundancy only not receiving child tax credits as I was overpaid last year so basic job seekers only struggling immensely

How does one become eligible for food bank vouchers? Advice would be appreciated

You can get vouchers from your GP, HV, social worker, job centre etc if you have a food bank in your area.
They normally only give out 2 vouchers as they are meant to be for emergency food
Google food bank in your area, they will tell you how to access them

you can also donate snack bars. i nearly missed that off my list.

imho i think you should donate what you would eat yourself.

Just googled our food bank, the CAB and police can also give out vouchers

The local food bank to me has just been donated a larger premises to run from by the council so they were collecting at supermarket. I went for quantity and spent just £3 but got over 20 Tina of tinned veg and potatoes and pasta and sauce etc. I buy all value anyway so it didn't occur to me to buy more expensive stuff. I would defo be more inclined to buy food for the food bank than give money as I know it will be used as intended.

But have you actually tasted tinned potatoes? Admittedly I haven't for years but they're not very potato like. Aren't the real thing cheaper? Do food banks give people fresh fruit and veg? Isn't the tinned stuff depressing?

We have tinned new potatoes last night Fluff, tesco value ones for about 29p. Smothered in the value gravy (sure it's under 30p) they tasted good. Not the best ever but pleasant and filling. Plus as someone said up thread food with a long shelf life is useful to the banks.

Don't get me wrong I'd like better but I alternate between fresh and tinned so we can have more veg rather than going without, but I wouldn't call it depressing.

Sorry to revive an old thread but I was wondering whether anyone had ever had this dilema. I was doing a foodbank shop at the weekend and dh was telling me off because I bought the same stuff get. He said I would get more for my money if I bought basics (we shop at Sainsburys so either brands or TTD) so I re-did the shopping basket (online) and now having read some of the comments, I wish I had stuck with my original plan. Bit late now as I delivered the food today. .

why don't you do buy-one-get-one-free offers and give the "free" one?

i'm sure they'll be happy either way, but I recently replace all the value items in a parcel (donations coming through me from elsewhere) with nice ones, and swapped my tetley teabags for the smart price tesco ones.
we couldn't finish the box because they were just soooo awful.

That's a really good idea nickelbaby (I did buy lots of packs of mcvites hobnobs as they were 50% off and tins of celebrations). I will know better for next time. I have got a few more bags to deliver this evening so might add some more from the food cupboard. I am just upset with myself really for being an idiot!

Well your tea story has definitely made my mind up then!! Thank you :)

you're not an idiot

:)