Foodbank Treats

[Piratepete1]

Inspired by another thread...

I try to take a Foodbank package to our local church as often as I can. I tend to stick to the usual things that are filling, nutritious, can be eaten without access to power etc.

But after reading a thread about a kind mumsnetters gesture at a checkout I would like to add something as a treat for the children (and the rest of the family) but I'm worried it might be seen as frivolous and frowned upon?? Has anyone got any suggestions?

Our local food bank (small town) doesn't accept toiletries or booze.

They do have a lot of 'treat' type food on their list though - Angel Delight is on it.

Are mooncups going too far?

On the one hand...very personal...on the other it could actually save people money in the future....

genuine opinion sought here!

People will wonder what the hell they are. It's oNly on MN that people use mooncups!!

Donate sanitary towels/tampons.

our food bank doesn't accept fresh/chilled/frozen as they have to facilities to store it unfortunately

We donate ambient goods like long life milk, coffee, tinned veggies and fruit, tins of custard, biscuits, pasta, pasta sauces, table sauces, pickels and vinegars

:)

I volunteer at a food bank and some of the more 'not necessary' categories we have are

Jelly
Angel delight
Custard
Biscuits
Crisps
Fizzy drinks
Home baking
Sweets and chocolate

These are put In standard bags, we love seeing things come in that someone's thought 'that would be a nice treat!' We also make sure that 'children food' (I packed some jelly with edible glitter in this week!) goes into a bag where a child would receive it

When I donate (not as often as I'd like, but when I can) I usually put in dairyfree milk, cereals, chocolate.

Last Christmas I put in dairy/gluten free cakes and a few moo free Christmas packs.

Because people with special dietary needs can fall on hard times too.

Hopefully I'll be able to do the same again this Christmas.

Inspired by this thread I contacted our local foodbank (Trussell Trust) and have received the following reply (very quickly btw!)

"Thank you for your email and kind offer of donated items.

We do indeed accept non-food items – most foodbanks keep a stock of such things at their foodbank centre, so clients can be offered things like toiletries as needed.

Pet food is something foodbanks also accept and utilise, though not in large quantities."

They went on to give me a phone number for the foodbank where my donations at the local supermarket end up, and suggested I contact them direct to check what items they might be particularly short of.

Tesco Value Bourbon biscuits are delicious :)

Ours ask for Christmas Advent Calendars around November time.
I had never realised that for some £1/2 for one might be too much to spare I was in tears (I was pregnant) when I thought of kids missing out on the excitement.

Just going back to the electricity thing as I don't think I made it clear. Lots of people (myself included not so long ago) who are on low incomes use pre paid/card/key electricity. If you are stretching out the last 50p on the meter you don't turn the oven on if you don't have to! Hence why things that can be cooked on the hob quickly are really helpful.

The electricity won't cut out past a certain time at night (8.30pm) here. So if you can make your last bit last until then then you'll have power until the next morning (9.30am).

And to pick up on what pantone has said : some people have no access to a fridge or any other method of heating food than a kettle in their room
welcome to Osborne's Britain
so things like pot noodles and cup-a-soups are actually really useful for those in really bad housing situations

and stuff that can be eaten cold from the tin or packet is good for rough sleepers

Just to add too, if you have outgrown toys/ clothes that you don't really need to sell, and were intending to give away, local foodbanks generally know other local charities that will take them and give them to someone who'll really benefit directly. One of the most heartbreaking things is watching a parent cry because their child is getting the modest present they wanted for xmas.

And in addition to the cooking/electricity, that's why tinned ham or tuna is usually better than tinned stew/curry etc that need heating.

I put in treats!

I do something seasonal, for instance I put a crate of £1 Easter eggs in for donation at Easter and at Christmas time I'll put mince pies, panettone, crackers (that you pull) and if these any good deals I'll get some tubs of roses or quality street. (Excuse the lack of punctuation, I'm typing one handed)

It makes me want to cry, to think that a child wouldn't get a little treat unless someone put it in the food bank. I usually get one 'staple' item (there is a drop-off point at our local supermarket, with a list up of items they need that week), stuff like UHT milk or tinned veg. One 'nice staple' like loo roll or pasta-in-a-pot but a 'nice' brand. And one 'treat', some biscuits or chocolate.

my parents volunteer in a foodbank, they would recommend getting

deodorant
toileteries
nappies
coffee
sugar
tinned complete dinners eg. tin of chicken curry

those are the things they are always running out of.

Thank you to the people who suggested advent calendars, great idea which I'd never thought of. I saw some on sale yesterday and picked up a whole box and dropped them off to the foodbank with my usual parcel yesterday afternoon. They were really thrilled and are going to suggest more people donate them as well. What a great treat for a child.

Kettle food is always good.

Instant porridge (golden syrup flavour).
Jelly.
Instant hot chocolate.

I also often give tea/coffee/powdered milk/sugar. Because whilst I know this isn't 'food' being without a hot drink must be bloody awful especially in winter!

I usually give a mixture of the different flavour hot choc sachets, mug shots, instant porridge as well as things like tinned veg and fruit. I usually stick in some toiletries and baby / children's shampoo. I try to include individually wrapped chocolate biscuits as lunchbox treats. Peanut butter is useful as it is a good protein source for non-meat eaters.

Our Tesco tops up donations by a certain percentage, so I put some items in for the food bank when we go there. I thought that would be the best thing for them to get more bang for their buck.

I am putting together a list in my head, from the suggestions on here, for the next bag I do for the food bank.

Instant hot chocolate, and instant porridge are definitely going in, and I will probably put in some shampoo, teabags, coffee and UHT milk.

I love the idea of giving advent calendars and christmas crackers too - I think I will go and have a look in my local pound shop, a bit closer to Christmas.

Tesco has advent calendars for 50p! We went in to get some shopping this evening and put 6 or 7 in the food bank basket.

Just popped back to say that this weeks box contained a tin of Fry Light! Really expensive oil! I have been trying to eat healthily, which costs a fortune, I have been frying stuff in normal oil that I would usually do in fry light.

I have lost 5 stone from my heaviest, but still have loads to lose!

So nice to be able to use fry light again. The DCs fave was the box of Jaffa Cakes!

The person I've been trying to help no longer has access to the food bank.

They are disabled so need their free bus pass to get there.
But they are homeless
and can only apply for the bus pass with an address
so continue to deteriorate and floor surf (aged 58 BTW)
while waiting for a new address
and thus access to a bus pass
to let them get to the food bank