Foodbank for the Summer Holidays

[GloGirl]

The summer holidays might be a financial stretch for a lot of families who are losing out on their child's breakfast clubs and free school meals for lunch.

Just a thought for people to donate to their local food back and add in a few items that would be appreciated by children in the summer.

Posting in AIBU for traffic - so feel free to debate the topic whilst I am here!

Hirosleaf is your real name George Osborne, by any chance?

Isn't it ironic that it sounds like a lot of us who are probably on the lower end of the income scale (no offence meant, I am including myself) are the ones donating? Maybe we just know how narrow the margins are.

Well DH is a high earner and we donate, are labour to our core and come from relative wealth.

It shames me and our social conscious that there are too many "im alright jack" types out there who are so short sighted to believe that all some people need are a stiff talking too and to pull themselves up by their bootstraps and get on with it!

Life is complex and chaotic and for the 0.001% who are workshy (!) there are hundreds or thousands of fabulous living in poverty because of this government. It's a disgrace.

Families

Our foodbank was asking for tinned fruit this week, I buy the items they ask for tbh. I always add some sort of treat though depending on what's on offer this week it was biscuits, sometimes it's chocolate or nuts or pretzels or crisps because I like to think that families who need a parcel also get some sort of treat as well particularly when they have children.

We are well off and donate too, though I don't choose what foods to put in, we give by direct debit. But poorer people give more, proportionately, than rich ones.

Generally, I mean.

hirosleaf are you running for leader of the Conservative party by any chance?
There can be multiple reasons why families are struggling and your judgemental crap isn't helpful
Mentioning orphanages etc
Unbelievable
Maybe we can send kids up chimneys too?

Wow,.some of the responses on this thread are shocking even for AIBU

For those who can dish in an extra item or two when shopping, good for you

That cartoon is spot on
Sweeping generalisations
I'm doing some shifts in a charity shop in the summer so no doubt I'm a loony left person also for helping people

Miffle my dp is a fairly high earner now and I'm a SAHM but I can distinctly remember not having enough, knowing how much money we had left to the penny, what we had in the cupboard down to the last tin. It was awful and we had the enormous benefit of being reasonable confident it wouldn't be forever.

I tend to just check the local website and see what they need week to week. I do include treats too, I out in advent calendars at Christmas, Easter eggs, maybe a packet of biscuits. I feel desperately sorry for the people relying on food banks.

I donate to the food bank through church. Ours always says it doesn't need pasta, soup or beans. I try to give things which don't need much fuel - not necessarily vastly nutritious but complete and easy. Today was tins of casserole (one chicken and vegetable, one minced beef and onion) and tinned puddings (Ambrosia custard and rice pudding). Sometimes jam, packet custard (just add boiling water), tinned fruit, etc.

Posted too soon.

Our HT sent out a letter to everyone in school about accessing the food bank in the holidays. I was really glad to see it.

Tbh, people use foodbanks for many reasons. Look at the Trussell Trust website for some good examples of real life stories. The majority of voucher holders come to us as a result of low income, followed by benefit sanctions. Life is fucking tough in some areas and sections of society, and many of us are only a few paycheques away from being screwed.

A council near to me has earmarked £38,000 for the summer holidays. www.hartlepool.gov.uk/news/article/376/community_grant_scheme_to_tackle_food_poverty

It has caused a storm locally when they are also asking for ideas on how to cut back to save money.

Thank you for the reminder Op, I never considered how people might be affected by the summer holidays. I will check what my local food bank needs and donate.

Thanks for the reminder OP. I always mean to pop something in and forget . Will have a browse tomorrow and grab a couple of things.

We do donate surplus party bag and Halloween sweets to the food bank. Mine don't eat them all.

Hirosleaf it's a shame that your relative, having got out of the workhouse, voted against her interests and those of people like her. She was lucky enough to get out and become a tailor (whatever it was you said she did). She was LUCKY. Many of her peers wouldn't have been that lucky. Illness, disease, disability, early pregnancy, exploitation by employers and others, would have meant that some of those people would have continued to live in poverty through no fault of their own. The social security safety net was brought in to help those people so that children didn't have to go into orphanages or workhouses any more.
I suggest you change your username to I'm Alright Jack.

Please, please stick to the list of what food is needed at your local foodbank. We're lucky in that the area we cover is very large, so the wealthy areas donate, and we give it out in the less wealthy areas, and as long as people follow the lists, we're never short of food.

However, we are very short on storage space, as we can't afford to pay rent on anywhere - so every tin of beans we don't need, takes up valuable space that could be being used for a bag of rice we do (for example).

We're also giving out extra vouchers for those who claim FSM during term time.

Totally agree Spare

Pringles?? Seriously? They are expensive. And of nutritional value whatsoever.

Anyone heard of Eid? It's not just white, culturally Christian people who struggle.

Chocolate advent calendars have no nutritional value.

No sashh advent calendars, Princes etc aren't the best thing to eat, but of course they have nutritional value, they have calories. But that's beside the point, our local food bank asked for them as a treat for children who get nothing and have nothing at Christmas. Of course I've heard of Eid, you really can't miss it where I live- lots of celebrations.

I wonder if food banks would take School Uniforms that the kids have grown out of and I have already donated 1 set to school. I was thinking that it would help poorer families if they could pick up a set of school uniforms too. If they don't then maybe they should start?

Can I just ask the food bank volunteers who have posted here...would I be better donating money? Then the bank could buy what they need?

ophelia looks like it is being done in at least one area in Scotland

School Uniform 'bank'

If you buy value lines or smart price items you can donate quite a bit for not much cost. I buy cheap value biscuits, value chocolate bars, value sweets, value tins of custard (just 15p) instant noodles (20p a pack), value jam (23p), instant rice (about 25p), ginger biscuits (22p) etc etc