About food banks- just a bit surprised really

[topbannana]

I have just come across a notice in the paper from church, appealing for donations for the local food bank.
Thankfully I have never had need for a food bank but I think they are a great idea and I was happy to buy extra and donate.
The list however was quite specific (understandable) but I was amazed to see requests for custard, rice pudding, biscuits and sugar. In my book these would be considered luxuries, in that if I was short on my grocery budget we would forego them.
Surely the food bank is there to supply people with emergency essentials not extras? As it goes I will simply buy loo rolls, pasta, powdered milk or something else off the list and ignore the bits I don't agree with. I don't really think I am but AIBU?

[OliviaMMumsnet]

@topbannana

Wow, seems IABU

Anyway, comments taken on board and judgey pants unhoiked :)

Whoop whoop - delighted to hear this - we love it when there's a turnaround

[LEMisdisappointed]

What i find really upsetting, is that in an age of ipads and extravagance, there are people in this country (any country really) that are having to rely on foodbanks - i looked on the website you put up there teamedward and i'm humbed. What stunned me is that they are all over the place - not just impoverished inner cities - its eye opening.

We have been on the bones of our arses - or at least i thought we have, we had to cash in pennies at sainsbury to buy food - i remember, we got £36 in 2ps and felt lucky - it was a cash flow problem to be fair and we could have borrowed from family.

Is this what David Cameron means by the "big society"?

[hobnobsaremyfavourite]

Can I predict that we will now have 10 pages of
"I haven't read the thread but op is vvv u." Even though op has eaten luxury humble pie.

[ClayDavis]

I suspect collecting money to give people to spend themselves is not likely to be very successful given people like the OP are begrudging a tin of rice pudding. I mean who knows what they might spend it on. They might even spend it on cake.

[MisForMumNotMaid]

YANBU to buy what you want to donate. I hope that the spirited response you've had doesn't put you off.

Cheap high calorie stuff like biscuits will unfortunately make up for calories missing elsewhere.

[andubelievedthat]

They will ,the foodbanks,accept Waitrose fresh that day produce ,thou 2 probs with that >one is it doesn"t last long and b> the "underclass" who so obviously (in your world) have to rely on said free food ,would turn their nose up at such healthy fare ,i do hear thou that one of the lesser supermarkets do a nice line in hair shirts and flagellation whips , maybe u could pick up a couple to donate? that would teach them ! sugar and pudding indeed !

[ariane5]

YABU

A couple of months ago things were so bad for us I had to find out where the nearest foodbank was but it was quite far and I don't drive and couldn't get there.
Luckily for us a wonderful mumsnetter sent us an online shop of some basics and also a few little treats-crumpets for the dcs and a box of chocolates. Those treats meant so so much and the crumpets were a lovely 'treaty' breakfast for dcs.

Now that things are a bit better for us I have donated twice to the local foodbank. I think things like custard/rice pudding/biscuits are just as important as pasta/soup/toilet paper etc.

I won't forget how desperate I was and how the dcs eyes lit up when that shop was delivered, they had had a rubbish couple of weeks eating whatever we had left in freezer etc and they were so excited and happy after having something nice to eat.

There is another foodbank opening in June even closer to where we live and I am without fail going to (finances permitting) donate as much as I can every couple of months as I know what a huge difference it can make. I cannot understand how anybody could begrudge someone desperate enough to use a foodbank some 'treats'.

[LEMisdisappointed]

I think staples should be the, well, staples of food banks so if i were to donate i would buy those first but would like to include a little luxury for soemone too. I honestly feel quite choked :(

[LightTheLampNotTheRat]

I could weep at this. The judginess, the total failure to recognise that any of us could be in the position of relying on food-banks. Better not to donate than to assume that you know best about what people 'need'. When in fact you haven't got a clue. Christ, sometimes I hate charity - it's so demeaning.

[ClayDavis]

Oops, sorry OP. Crossed posts.

[sweetestcup]

Anyway, comments taken on board and judgey pants unhoiked

It both angers and saddens me that there can possibly be people that think like you do originally, and that your reaction to donating sugar and biscuits etc to a food bank was so horrible.

[elQuintoConyo]

Here's my very first

...don't go giving it to the poor!

[Ledkr]

Let's all take heed and each but some treats for our local food banks this week. The power of mn.

[Flobbadobs]

Lemisdisappointed we've been there too, cashing in the change bottle for the weekly shop and being pleased it got into double figures..
It's turned me into a bit of a hoarder foodwise now, when the cupboards start to look empty I get fidgety even though I know we have plenty of staples in.
OP that was the most gracious IABU I have ever read on here, now go buy a packet of biscuits tomorrow!

[BruthasTortoise]

Does anyone know if you can self refer to a foodbank normally? My local foodbank seems to only accept referals from GPs, the benefits office or social services. I suppose the thinking behind it is so that people who aren't can't use it to just get free groceries but it still seems to leave a gap for people in need who aren't on the radar for any of the authorities and maybe arent keen to be iyswim?

[TheCrackFox]

You can buy two tins of rice pudding for a pound at Poundland. It is hardly on par with a slap up meal at The Ivy.

[SisterMonicaJoan]

My DSis works for a CAB branch who run a foodbank and she has to refer / interview people before giving them a voucher.

Her heart breaks at the situation some people, usually families, find themselves, usually through no fault of their own.

I now regularly donate to the CAB foodbank and ALWAYS make sure that along with essentials, UHT milk, soup, pasta, sauces etc. I also include cereals, tea bags / coffee (my day would be crap without a cup of tea), biscuits, puddings and even some packs of sweets or chocolates for children.

I can only imagine how hard it must be to swallow your pride and ask for help to feed yourself and your family. I know if it were me and there was some chocolate / biscuits or sweets included in the parcel it would mean so much to know that someone out there, a stranger, thought that I deserved something nice and seemingly "non-essential".

It is a disgrace that our supposedly civilised society forces the vulnerable to rely on foodbanks and I am sickened that some people begrudge someone a small "treat" that most of us take for granted.

Hold your head in shame OP

[MissyMooandherBeaverofSteel]

Actually, thank you op, you have inspired me to go and buy biscuits, rice pudding, chocolate and other treaty bits tomorrow and give them to the foodbank here.

We are all one unfortunate circumstance away from having to use a foodbank sadly, but well done for realising YABU.

[charlieandlola]

Are you Gideon, OP? Your message was very Marie Antionette -ish.

[chocolatespiders]

I did a collection for Easter and loved putting some eggs and chocolate lollies on for the families

[ALittleStranger]

YABU. I can't even be arsed to explain why, you've depressed me too much OP.

[EeyoreIsh]

Well done op on admitting you were wrong!

DH and I quite enjoy choosing a nice 'treat' to put in the foodbank box. But we usually get something dull like pasta or rice too.

What really shocked me was learning that some people can't just not afford to buy the food, they can't afford or don't have the facility to cook the food. So quick to cook/warm through food is useful to donate.

It's an awful world we live in that there's so much inequality.

[chocolatespiders]

You can buy 2 tins of rice pudding for 24p in Asda

[ALittleStranger]

Cross-posted, glad you've converted OP.

And Bruthas, no you can't normally self refer.