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?

I think the idea of demanding that the poor and needy eat what "I think is the right food" is a nasty example of a more holy than thou attitude.

If we look at a typcial british army ration pack (evaq8.co.uk/Ration-X-Self-Heating-Ration-Pack-Menu-A.html or evaq8.co.uk/Ration-X-Self-Heating-Ration-Pack-Menu-E.html) you will find things like apple pies.

Now if the UK army is happy to give someone a meal like that when they are under dire mental and physical stress on some horrible battlefield. Then what is wrong with us using some homeless family a kit of food which contains some "junk" like a sticky pudding or an apple pie.

I also worry about the idea of giving a bag of lentals and other pulses to a homeless person, where will they get the fuel and water required to heat the saucepan they do not have to transform the dry food into something that they can eat.

A fulling and healthy meal with protein and carbs and 2 of your 5.
but it wouldn't be for a family of 4. They'd each need to have half a can (precariously balanced on the oatcake) anchored with about 2 tbs of tomato puree and half an onion to reach 2 of 5 a day.
And TBH it sounds utterly revolting and I love kidney beans and we eat them regularly.
But OP you come across as having no idea about what's it's like to truly not have no food left, or any energy source to cook it with, your posts read as if you think that being poor and on your arse is some sort of adventure story in which you are playing the role of a Girl called Jack. It's not.
Bain Marie over a kettle FGS you'd end up in A&E, you'd probably also blow up your kettle.

Boy, this OP is being nasty.

May I take this opportunity to say that refuges take anything and everything?
Baby equipment, clothes, toys, games, Xmas decorations, food, cooking pots, toiletries, first aid supplies, cleaning products.

You have to buy your own washing powder, washing up liquid, cloths, loo roll and toiletries. You have to pay a service charge and you have to buy tokens to the washing machine. It's not free or cheap, it's actually very expensive being in a refuge. Women walk in with just the clothes on their backs and rely on the refuge having a supply of clothes, toys, nappies etc until they have money coming in. It's 6 weeks wait for benefits and crisis loans have been abolished. So anything that you donate will be gratefully received. It's also possible to donate via your HV which is a lesser known fact.

Sorry for derail, and thanks to whoever provided link

Oh don't be so harsh on the OP. You'd be surprised at some of the comments you hear when standing by those pick up points!

She can come and work with me. But first some info for her:

ALL food banks have expert dieticians who draw up the lists of food that go into the bags. I am sure the OP would not presume to tell people whose only job is to provide adequate nutrition for those in need how to do their jobs - would she?

OP, pm me and I will invite you to come and join me in my own little education effort. I run cookery classes for lone dads - well, I will be when we can find a new kitchen. Our last one is being refurbished and we may not get back in when it is all done up.

I take the fb bags as my starting point. We work out how to make meals from the contents - any meals, just something that can be eaten, they may have no idea how to cook and even less of the facilities with which to cook. We also look at how to make a wider range of other meals on a strict budget. But the most popular classes are the baking classes - we run our own GBBO. When we do that I ask various supermarkets for flour etc. So I get the ingredients and the dads take the bakes home.

We made Christmas cakes last October half term. We occasionally make birthday cakes, though I have to ask for help as I am useless at icing. We even made a wedding cake - again with the freely given help of a woman who runs courses on clever icing.

They usually can't bake at home as they rely on microwaves or baby bellings, kettle and maybe a toaster. So they come to my classes with their kids and all learn how to cook - and to take away a decent meal, though lots like to stay and to eat together - we also run a 'how to set a posh table' course for the kids, who enjoy setting the table properly and sitting down to eat.

But I do this as I too have a background in nutrition and have worked with the county dieticians for years. They won't let any old overly excited and clueless bod in to help - honest!

Thanks Shadows and Random. I have set up a DD. Will also donate a load of pot noodles, milk chocolate, and cornflakes to my local foodbank.

Oh, and further to Shadows post, many food banks also give to shelters, I know that's where our baked bean surplus went

We also give to the soup kitchen.

Most such organisations have volunteers or staff who cross over, so excess donations can be spread around and gaps filled.

As has been said, the organisers aren't stupid and have this weird ability to, erm, do the job!!!

My local food bank now also has a clothing bank for clothes, shoes and bedding, because of need.

Just spoken to FB and delighted to hear that Poncey Shite in Jars (TM IlkleyMoors) will be happily accepted and go on the luxury treat shelf for people to select alongside basic box. Even more delighted to find out that I don't have to travel 30+ mins to get there, they have donation points not listed on the website - so definitely worth a call, my nearest is 5 mins away.

Also - they do take nappies out of packaging, but would appreciate the size being written on the bag.

Will definitely make a trip to Asda first though, to include pasta etc with that Poncey Shite in Jars...

"...ALL food banks have expert dieticians who draw up the lists of food that go into the bags. I am sure the OP would not presume to tell people whose only job is to provide adequate nutrition for those in need how to do their jobs - would she?..."

Nomama - I wish I thought you were right to say this, but since haveatarday has ignored all the points people have made on here (lack of cooking facilities, not having enough electricity on your card to cook a meal on the hob, and all the things that people with real experience have told her), I absolutely believe she WOULD presume to tell the food bank dieticians their job.

Correct me if I'm completely wrong here, but I thought a lot of food bank users were 'working poor' or temporarily poor? So lowish income families or individuals who get tipped into needing food banks thanks to a cock-up with housing benefit, or an unforeseen expense and no crisis loans available etc.

So they obviously need the food donations to get through a few weeks, but they are presumably going home to a reasonably well equipped kitchen? Obviously fuel is a massive expense, but I'm surprised the items that need some cooking don't get used up more.

One of the biggest scandals of the FB increase surely is that is isnt' JUST the destitute who need them, but lots of 'normal' families whose income just can't stretch to housing, utlitiies and food any more.

When I was struggling for money the last thing I bloody wanted was health foods. I wanted homely, easy to cook foods that the whole family would be happy eating.

To whoever asked, yes they do accept pet food. It is on the shopping list of my local one

Some are, Twelvelegged. But some are in temporary accommodation for a very long time. They normally have benefits coming in but they can be cocked up too.

Others may be people who normally work but have fallen between jobs, so they come to us for food, but have no electricity, or not much money for it - a situation which can last for some time. They may have a broken down appliance that they can't afford to replace. We often send the furniture recycling guys out to them, if we can!

We are also not all that strict regarding the timescale - if we know of a valid reason - usually because someone has really fallen between the cracks. They are often on all sorts of lists, have all sorts of problems and we will continue to feed them until they are able to be more independent.

And, as you say, not everyone will have a problem. Which is why we have a 'feel free to take it' shelf. That way the lentils and kidney beans may find a good home . We just don't assume that everyone has access to a fully working kitchen.

Shadows, sadly our local refuge wouldn't take anything because they don't have the storage space - they asked us to store the various baby items, clothing etc until needed, when they would phone! Unfortunately we don't have the storage space either, not having a loft, shed or garage and needing the children's wardrobes for clothes that actually fit them.

Didn't know you could donate via a HV though, do you have further details? Maybe they'd know of another local refuge. I've got rid of most stuff to the charity shop now but still have some baby sleeping bags, blankets etc.

OP I'm glad you are donating in the first place & hopefully some of the things you have taken will help those people who are down enough on their luck to need a fb in the first place. Don't let this thread put you off donating, just take the comments on board & stick to the list a bit more next time as the ideas of nutrition can go out of the window when a child just needs something hot, familiar & filling. There was a comment on an earlier thread (not the before Christmas one) when a fb volunteer was given a bag of veggies & a typewritten recipe for vegetable soup to hand out. I can't remember the exact post but it was basically useless & the fb did not give the recipe out.

Its mid winter, we are in January. Adults & children need hot food particularly if there is none or little heating as hot food & a hot drink warms you up, it really does & a child can drink squash made with hot water. If you have ever had that feeling where you are cold in the very pit of your stomach then cold food will not help. (If you have ever had that feeling then presumably you don't need me to tell you about being cold & hungry.)

I've made a soup today actually, it cost very little & I'll freeze it & have it as my lunch for the rest of the week & its easy to think that well its just a few veggies. Here's what I needed:

Onion, garlic, veg stock, smoked paprika,2 tins tomatos, 100g chorizo. So perhaps £5 of ingrediants, £2 if you leave out the chorizo. If you want bread to have with it then its more.

However I also needed - chopping board, knife, kettle & jug to make the stock, water to make the stock, a saucepan with a lid, a hob & enough gas for heat for 10 minutes. Some food containers to store it all in, a freezer, a fridge for the one tomorrow, a microwave to heat tomorrow's up & the electricity to run it. A bowl, a spoon & cooking utensils.

So a veg soup that will last me all week is not necessarily an excellent choice if you don't have the extras that you need to make it. A pot noodle only needs the water, the kettle & 2 minutes of electricity & a spoon.

Stick with the list please.

Also I have a question, if you do online shopping with Tesco & never foot in a supermarket as you don't drive, can you donate food online?

Yes you can. You can donate money to almost any fb.

And most supermarkets have a donate button - or so I have been told!

Thanks nomama

I can't see a donate button, if anyone can spell it out for me in small words where it is that would be fab :)

Our local Costco allows lowdate items to be collected and distributed to Refuges and the like, if anyone is lookig for a way to donate. My aunt and her friends do a regular collection from our local one and sometimes there are trollies worth of food for them to redistribute.

OP sounds suspiciously like Katie Hopkins on a new year clear out of her kitchen cupboards.

OP - you sound rather up yourself. 'Well I dont eat junk and neither do my family, aren't I great' kind of attitude.

Good for you. Most of us like a bit of junk food in our lives. No need to look down on the rest of us due to eating choices. Im lucky we have a choice, but if I did have to go to a food bank then I would opt for the nicer junk food every time as life might probably be hard so would be good to treat myself not worrying about what I should be eating, but being thankful that I can eat. Even if it is 'junk food'

foodcollection.tesco.com/#donate-now

I had a look, it is here MagratsHair

Ah thanks nomama, I was looking on the Tesco shopping site itself.

Will donate & thanks for finding it for me :)

Can someone tell me how to find out how to donate (and find) to my local fb/shelter?

Also worth a mention that CAB do a lot of work in this area, and campaigns - they do a lot of the help with the paperwork, explaining why the systems has fucked up, etc. People are sanctioned for all kinds of utter nonsense.