...to thank everyone who donates to Food Banks?

[PinkyandtheBrainyOne]

I mean obviously, I'm not, but I just wanted to say a big thank you to anyone who has donated in the past.

My partner and I were out of work at the end of last year and were waiting for our benefits to kick in. We visited and were provided with bags of lovely food - all manner of treats which put a big smile on our faces.

But, that's only half of my story. The week before Christmas, things were very tight. We hadn't bought each other presents and were planning on just having a microwavable roast dinner to celebrate Christmas. We had to keep things cheap. And then we got a phone call...

Apparently we had entered a prize draw and won a food hamper, and they were wondering if they could drop it round that evening. We were very grateful; but we hadn't entered any draw. It was obvious that it was a treat from the food bank, described to spare our feelings and it meant the world to us.

Inside were selection boxes and Roses and Celebrations, all kinds of chocolate. Yule Logs and Rice Pudding. Hot Chocolate, as well as the usual staples you'll find in a food bank parcel. It's no exaggeration to say that we both had a little weep at how fortunate we were.

Eventually we both found work and things seem to be, if not comfortable, manageable. I'm pretty late posting this, but was reading an article about Food Banks and remembered and wanted to say, thank you. :)

Washing powder.

Hair conditioner.

Pot noodles. Sometimes if in b&b accommodation, you will only have access to a kettle.

I think a voucher benefit system would be a better idea i.e. you are hiven benegits to go to specified shops and but specified items & then a gas snd electrity allowance. So instead of money based benefits everything is precalculated what you can spend on. Also i think the food shoukd come with revipes e.g. you can buy xyz & this is how you make cheap meals. That wsy those requirinv short term benefits would be guarenteed to be looked after.

Specified shops . . . uh huh, which may not offer the best value for money, specified items - so if you have allergies or intolerances that's you fucked. Or if your children have a condition like autism which makes them unable to eat certain things. But hey, you're poor so you deserve to be treated like a criminal. Allowances for gas and leccy, again, not taking into consideration that some people's consumption is higher due to being on pre-payment meters, or they need to run the washing machine more if they have a child with a condition (and no, not all of them can get DLA) or they themselves have a condition which means they need to run the heat more.

It's a pity Victorian notions on poverty are alive and well.

Trying to tell people what to spend their benefits on is just barbaric. They are still human beings with their own thoughts and ideas and choices. How would you like it if your salary came with limits as to what you could spend it on?

'How would you like it if your salary came with limits as to what you could spend it on?'

Ah, Green, but such people always come back with, 'A salary is earned and this is a handout, ' forgetting that someone who is, say, in his/her early 60s and has paid NI since being 16 can wind up on JSA or ESA. But hey, they should be grateful they're not left on the streets to starve so deserve to put up with vouchers and shouldn't need a foodbank after visiting the cornershop Aldi for 19p veg to live off.

So instead of money based benefits everything is precalculated what you can spend on. Also i think the food shoukd come with revipes e.g. you can buy xyz & this is how you make cheap meals. That wsy those requirinv short term benefits would be guarenteed to be looked after.

Places that have trialled this - it's a thing in the US - haven't succeeded, due to food availability, distance to shops etc. Also doesn't resolve the issue of cooking facilities (or people who can't read, frankly).

I think you need to remember, willow, that the person who arrives to the food bank could be anyone - I started to type a list of examples but, on reflection, let's leave it at "anyone" - so one-size-fits-all answers (or stereotypes) rarely work. Your suggestion above implies someone feckless, completely uneducated or unable to manage money for whatever reason. They exist, but offering your suggestions as a global solution isn't sensible.

willowtree so everyone on benefits all need exactly the same things, then?
What about transport, money for the laundrette, children's clubs, other sundry expenses. Shouldn't people on benefits be entitled to any of those things?

It's a pity Victorian notions on poverty are alive and well

Isn't it just. Some people just do not have a clue.

I recently had to claim benefits after having to take time off work for a long term illness.

I got uniform vouchers which came with lots of conditions attached and could only be spent in certain shops on certain items. Guess what, none of them offered the best value for money. Aside from being stigmatising and demeaning, how on earth food vouchers would work, I have no idea.

PS I do agree with vouchers for milk, fruit and vegetables, but they should be an extra, especially for families with young children, teenagers and pregnant women.

flippinada I think they have a prepaid card, with limitations, supposedly to limit spending on crappy food, for food in the US Which theoretically sounds ok but it comes down to the availability and locations of shops.

'What about transport, money for the laundrette, children's clubs, other sundry expenses. Shouldn't people on benefits be entitled to any of those things?'

Of course not, no, how forward thinking are you?! Not to mention being able to buy things secondhand for cash.

Well exactly. If you can't get to the designated shops then what use is it?

I can see the value of having of a voucher for staples as an extra/top up.

I am disgusted that people think we should be stipulating what benefits can be spent on. Vouchers? Yes if in addition for essentials like milk, vitamin rich foods, day care but no these are human beings. Sadly anyone can find themselves in this situation. If you have less than 3 months salary in savings at anyone time then this could be you.

I also think it would be useful if foodbanks could issue a voucher for prescriptions. A number of people we used to give food parcels too were "working poor", earning "good" wages (nurses, teachers, retail staff, police officers often) are obviously not entitled to free prescriptions. However they might find themselves temporarily in financial dire straights for a few months and find they cannot afford prescriptions. Several of our clients have on going health problems which whilst serious aren't deemed serious enough to require free prescriptions, so as soon as they need to prioritise electricity, transport to work and food their funds for medication goes out the window, they get sick and end up in hospital.

scaryclown I think it was just one poster(willowtrees) who said that. Everyone else disagreed with them.

This is a lovely thread, full of practical advice on donating, and it would be a shame if it descended into a political rant.

Just saying, please don't rise to provocation if possible.

Sometimes you simply cannot convince people of another point of view.

There are some great suggestions on here. Ours currently is asking for vegetarian tinned foods and "free from" items. Something worth remembering as useful.

NoSquirrels and Becca I agree.

In that spirit, if actually getting to a food bank is difficult for whatever reason you can make a regular donation to the Trussel Trust (for example) by standing order/direct debit.

Wholeheartedly agree about the value of having treat items in food parcels as well.

Though I think a direct debit to trussel trust is helpful, there are many independent food banks as well so I suggest people look for the details for their local food bank.

Absolutely - just highlighting it as another option for people who want to help but can't offer practical help for whatever reason.

Not every organisation can offer direct debits of course but I think you can set up a standing order to pretty much anyone that has a bank account.

I put Rice pudding in the box in my Sainsburys this morning and spotted a couple of other tins - fellow MNers?

Though it sounds very middle class, Quinoa is an excellent thing in a food bank parcel as it can be easily made with a kettle so when you are really starving it's a perfect quick and easy meal filler, and it's good for people with no cooking facilities as a result..

My vow though when i get some money (as I'm a user at the moment) is to donate sanitary products, quinoa, and good coffee, as well as better than lowest quality tinned food, especially 'hearty' or 'chunky' soup, a something actually nice after cold cheapest quality beans and value soups etc is very tear-inducing

We really do need more community kitchens or places where people can come in and sit down to a hot meal.
So many people have no where to store or prepare food.
Many of these will be young people who are working in low paid jobs or zero hours contracts. They are working long hours but can only afford very poor accommodation.

Cous cous is a good choice too. People are scared of it, but it only needs boiling water so very little fuel use