to go off piste with food bank donations, as they only list wanting junk food

[haveatarday]

At the shops now. The local food bank is only asking for junk food on their list (crisps, biscuits, pot noodles, pasta and sauce, corn flakes).

Aibu to not get these but get healthier stuff, like tinned fruit in natural juce, oats, mixed seeds etc?

TBF it was more of an 'AIBU to troll MN to see if I can get a reaction?'

I didn't say that they should though Stg - just that the tastes of poor people were not universal.

I gave an expensive packet of biscuits once and got a really dirty look for it and couldn't fathom why. Reading this thread has made me realise I am viewed as arrogant for thinking that everyone should like biscuits that I like and that rather than donating the biscuits I should have donated noodles or whatever - more food for the equivalent cost.

I do genuinely see what you (specific you) mean with regard to cooking etc and agree. But it isn't arrogant or nasty to put in nice jam or biscuits, no matter how much some people want to attribute nasty motives to it.

I am fussy with food - always have been - and having a bag full of what other people think I should eat is a nightmare. Kidney beans really make me want to be sick - something about the texture. I think that's why I'm thinking in terms of variety which surely comes from a range of people donating. Otherwise it would JUST be pot noodles, beans, and so on!

And I haven't ignored a list :) I don't think I have ever seen one to my recollection. When ds's school collected we had the vague 'tinned food'. I think I sent in rice pudding.

I don't think the OP (yes I know she's not genuine but still) should ignore the lists but I was uncomfortable with the concept of some food being for Them and some for Us - like dark chocolate, where cooking and so on is irrelevant.

Mytartanscarf - just been doing a post as a reply to the above and the computer froze so I lost it - it covered everything you said there so I will not retype the lot. I think I can definitely give to food banks, however, where I can't often give money, as the items they need are cheap, uncomplicated and easy to buy. I also enjoy doing it and I believe it could indeed make a big difference to someone really at their lowest ebb but I won't know or be in a position to judge, and that's fine. I find it strange that someone would be put off a cause very easily because some other people might not agree that chocolate, or jam, or whatever, is a donation to make everyone in the chain feel a warm fuzzy glow.

Ornally but you do get people who say they are put off giving to other charities because of rudeness or similar - have seen these threads regularly.

Plus it wasn't that one incident but that and one other I won't go into here that has made me cautious. However I will donate if the trolley is there next time I'm in Sainsburys.

:)

If you genuinely want to help, get them what they have asked for, people tend to automatically think the worst of posters on here so not sure if you were making a point or just genuinely concerned about the health of the recipients! Food banks have been made to look terrible by programmes like benefit street but not everyone who uses them is like that. I love the idea of donating toiletries, will be taking some nappies and toilet roll and stuff to my local one!

Well, thanks to the op, I've been thinking about food banks, and after reading 15 pages and googling fb in my postcode area I now know where the nearest permanent collection point is.pretty near. Great! I've previously donated when collectors have been at the local co-op, but I can give more regularly now.

Did a double take on about p4 when someone asked about donating fancy jam tho..the reply started "blackbird Jam......"

The saddest thing about this thread has been the poster speaking about her very personal needs in refuge. So God damn angry any woman is compelled to rinse and reuse tampons.

I do not have much extra money but I shall be donating every month to our food bank.

I haven't read the whole thread but suspect it might be interesting to scroll through it at some point. I grew up on a council estate, in a single parent household, on benefits.I can easily imagine that subject to the benefit sanction system in place that we'd of been living of food bank donations too. I do tend to donate the things I buy to eat though a lot of which would put me in snobby/ idiotic/ should of bought cheaper to make it go further/ too healthy category I suppose.

My last donation was a six pack of UHT wholemilk, I think it tastes better on cereal than the skimmed stuff, oatcakes (I eat 'em, kids eat 'em really don't see the issue),crackers (same thing as oatcakes I suppose) value peanut butter (my food bank suggests that you get the next step up from value/ basics for self esteem of clients but I buy this for my family and it's perfectly nice) value noodles (same as peanut butter), cheerios (kids hoover them up and they were half price) tinned tuna (princes because I wouldn't eat the value stuff either)decent instant coffee (again because the value stuff tastes weird) tinned sweetcorn, mayo and the stick which I suspect mumsnet would beat me with chocolate brioche (lasts for ages kind or eight seconds in my house) and mixed bean salad containing the much maligned kidney bean. Oh and naice loo roll because well if I was in a place in my life where I was using a food bank I think I'd need a refuge even if it was just having a wee. Also kids toothbrushes and toothpaste as I was buying them for my DC and I think it's the sort of toiletry that gets forgotten.

I didn't spot a list just donated instore but am sure I'd get slated a la OP if I'd posted it

This thread is so sad.
I'm going to buy a bag of stuff for local fb tm.

Is lidl and value stuff ok? It's what I buy for us

Graciescotland - I, for one, would applaud your list - you put thought into making it useful, practical and pleasant for the recipients - you were clearly putting their needs and wants first, which is perfect, in my book.

The chocolate brioche, far from being a stick to beat you with, are the cherry on top, as far as I am concerned. Earlier on this thread, I said that treats matter too - probably more, if you are on your uppers - basics need to be the priority, but I do not underestimate for one moment the psychological and emotional value of being able to give your kids a treat or have one yourself. Your list dealt really well with the basics, and added a treat on top.

I'd use your list as a template, if I needed help deciding what to put in a bag for the food bank - and I'd make sure there were some chocolate brioche (or some other treat) in there!

After moving into my first house as an adult and initially only having a kettle I can categorically state that kettle bain maries do not work. At all.

I am not very well off and we eat value things all the time. Like Gracie I wouldn't eat EVERYTHING in a value range...but I will buy dry noodles that are value range or biscuits sometimes...you can't tell the difference and those massive packs of Tesco;s own range biccies are nice!

There isn't much basics/smartprice stuff we won't eat, and in our house we actually prefer sainsbobs basics beans to heinz!

On our local foodbank website, as well as their usual shopping list, they mention things they are particularly short of. At the moment it's long life juice, washing up liquid and other cleaning supplies and sponge puddings.

Worth having a look on your local site to see what they require most at the moment.

As well as raising my awareness and finding my local fb centre, I'd like to thank haphazard for introducing me to a beautiful poem. Food for the soul.

Great so I got banned for giving healthy food to a fb and replying to someone that said "people at foods banks (staff and customers) don't know what to do with kidney beans" with some recpie suggestions. This can be a very unpleasant place where people who don't agree with you just shout troll and madly hit report until they get cleansed away, while you pat yourself on the back at a job well done. Just like that poor woman who came on here for support when her child died, only to be banned and be forced to jump through hoops by overzealous people here and scan copys of her recently died childs death certificate and a copy of her own passport.

Anyway I gave the food I would like to receive to a food bank as I don't go along with the " all poor people like processed crap" line of thought.

Only on mn would people go on about how filling and nutritional a pot noodle is for "the poor". When in fact its just highly procecsed wheat and sugar that will cause a spike in blood sugar so only make people feel good for a short time and won't fill for long as its just simple carbs.

The food bank thanked me for my thoughtful donation and said my idea of giving oatcakes instead of crisps and tinned pineapple rather than sweets will go to someone that appreciates it but they don't advertise for it as people like that are a minority.

Flamed for not giving junk food but for giving food I would want if I ever ended up there and for not brushing all of " the poor" with the same stroke.

Crikey Gracie, if you gave me that bag of bits I'd hug you.

Those chocolate brioche would be very welcome. We'd probably use them in our tea and sympathy sessions. We have drop in sessions where there is no organised or formal reason to be there, no one giving advice, telling you what is good for you, just a drop in to have a chat, meet other people. It is usually half an hour before school's out... and is not just for those in receipt of a food bag (we are a community charity and do loads of other things too).

Nothing that is donated is wasted. Worst case scenario is that the workers/volunteers buy it and the money gets spent on something else. So no one should get sneered at, ever.

Yes, we ask for food, it makes people more aware of the issues. We do want you to know we exist, so we can have your goods, your cash or your time!

kidneybeanpate - have another look through the posts. Those of us who work in fbs have said we would accept your donation, and why. I also explained why your offer of lessons would not necessarily be accepted, I assumed you were not aware of how the bags and lists are put together.

As you now know, everything is accepted. We have lots of ways of making sure that even the most niche of foods finds a home.

But don't knock the pot noodles (and similar). For some, sadly, they are the only way to access hot food. Usually only for a few days/weeks, but at that point a pot noodle is far better than nothing. Though most in this situation do get pointed towards a 'soup kitchen' as well.

Yes there were thoughtful posts here, but the majority were nastly towards me as I didn't want to donate the kind of food I wouldn't feed my family to a fb.

I would like to work at one tbh, but with a family and working full time my 4 days every year at working in the kitchens at crisis at Christmas is the most I can manage. Heck many jumped up and down on here calling me a troll as I can't post all day and have to work.

I'm not trying to knock any food, more knock the attidute that everyone poor wants pot noodles, sweets and crisps. I've been poor before and eating that kind of junk would make me feel even worse.

MN don't ban people for having stupid controversial opinions, unless they are being regularly goady or breaking the guidelines.

It's not necessarily about what you would want to eat, but what you are able to physically prepare. Luckily, I am no longer on prepayment meters, but if you're on your emergency fiver until payday, you do have to decide whether you want to use the hob or the heating.

I don't think most people are saying don't buy food that you would like, but at the same time the food bank aren't asking for "junk" because that's all the poor people want. They are not there as a lifestyle choice, but to get people through a few days/weeks of extreme hardship and personally, I would rather eat something junky than nothing at all.

Also, is it wrong that I really want a pot noodle now?

If you're banned, how are you back???? hq??

"my 4 days every year at working in the kitchens at crisis at Christmas"

Course you do

And working full time trolling MN