...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. :)

I know someone who was very grateful to receive a tin of babymilk. It would never of occurred to me.
yy to treats

Glad 2017 is treating you better and how lovely of you to post. I will certainly put more thought into my donations and add rice pudding and sanitary products.

Wishing you all the best for the future.

The local food bank where I am has seen a reduction as more people shop in Lidl and Aldi. So they have enquired but there is so little floor space that they are looking at other options.

I usually put in tins of chicken curry or beef mince sorts of things. Oh and sanpro! Our church has a collection so I try and remember to drop off there

Delighted you back on yure feet. I'm in ireland, I only ever see food banks around Christmas ( the school dona collection and in all major suermarkets) . Would love to contribute more .

Food banks are amazing.

I used to work in DV support and would regularly refer my clients. I remember taking one lady who had just been housed after fleeing and had literally nothing and no money as her benefits were still being sorted. I took her there in my car and she was stocked up with food and even asked if she drank tea or coffee she said coffee, but was looking forward to her money coming in as she would treat herself to some hot chocolate as her favourite indulgence was a bubbly bath and a hot choc - so they went and found her a tub of hot chocolate too and she was so delighted she burst into tears.

It was super against the rules, but I knew all she had in her bathroom was a bar of soap so on the way home I feigned needing something in the supermarket and ran in and bought her a bottle of bath foam. There were more tears. She rang me the next day to tell me that she'd gad her bubble bath and hot choc and 'finally felt like a human again'. She was also amazed pot noodles were so tasty and went on to develop a bit of an addiction to them

My other favourite was a woman who entered refuge with her children who we sorted food bank vouchers for close to Christmas and they gave each of the kids a little selection box, and they were just so, so happy with their treats. I always pop some sweeties or choc bars in the donation box now, and remember their delighted little faces!

witsender thank you for your informative post, it really helps to know what is really needed. Also thank you for giving up your time to help at a food bank. I considered volunteering a while ago but life ran away with me and I didn't get around to applying. You have spurred me on 🙂

Our local Aldis is really helpful, so there is precedent depending on the size of their store. Tesco do match donations by a 3rd as well for TT banks, so they get some cash as well which is much needed.

If you are looking to donate regularly it is worth seeing if your local bank takes financial donations, I know we do via PayPal and standing order. It pays for fuel for the van, insurances etc.

Also consider donating more and more kids lunch items during school holidays. Holiday hunger is an increasing problem for kids who get FSM.

I never manage to remember the food bank collection point at the supermarket. Instead I donate to the Trussel Trust each month via payroll giving (my company match my donation).

It's lovely to hear that your food bank made such a positive difference, and yet very sad that people living in a rich country like the UK need this type of support.

OP I am glad it helped and you are in a better position.
Welsh that's lovely.
I always feel a bit when I'm shopping for the foodbank. I wander round the shop
With the list of what the foodbank want and think what I might want if all the cupboards were empty and I had nothing. Bloody awful that people today find themselves in that situation. The idea of not being able to feed my kids is awful.

A lot of banks do holiday schemes too, I know we do. So anyone who might struggle gets a voucher that lasts 6 wks or whatever, and they can go in each week to collect a bundle.of staples. It isn't a full allocation, and they don't need to meet the same criteria for referral etc but it is a help in the hols.

Welshmaenad what a wonderful person you are! I bet that one bottle of bath foam meant the world to that woman

Very sad it was needed but lovely to hear what a difference it made having a special box at Christmas.

Thanks to who ever pointed out how to add Ocado food bank vouchers. I have now added one into my basket and will continue to do so weekly.

I give regularly through Ocado, and gave to the £40 for 40 days TT Lent campaign.

From time to time, I put together a bag of stuff to drop off as well - I round up my shops at Poundland to the nearest fiver by adding washing up liquid, deodorant, loo roll; I put in the oodles of tomato ketchup sachets etc that turn up with takeaways whether you ask for them or not, and include carrier bags (long life ones, often Waitrose)

It's shameful that people have to resort to foodbanks. You pay national insurance into the system when you work and should be paid decent welfare when you can't. But at least the foodbanks are there. Someone in our village collects sanitary products for the foodbank because apparently that is something that people tend to overlook as a necessity, and women end up trying to improvise with rags and old newspapers. (Autocorrect just wanted to change rags to Dave for some reason!!)

What a lot of heart warming stories (albeit in a not so heart warming fact that food banks are needed) - and frankly has shamed me into putting my money where my mouth is instead of agreeing how awful it is amongst friends and family while not doing that much.

As for those who would begrudge those a 'treat' of chocolate or the likes?? Probably the same kind of people who think every benefit recipient is a scrounger smoke a gizallion fags a day while sitting on a sofa drinking cider with their mates

Could be anyone of us that falls on hard times, I'm thankful that I haven't.

I always put sanpro in & often cat or dog food and toiletries.

My local Tesco was selling off all its Easter chocolate cheap last week so a load of that went in too.

How do people feel about brands vs value lines? DP and I disagree on this; he goes for value items, and more of them, but I tend to go for mid-range, because I think that a bag full of the cheapest versions of everything might be a bit off, somehow. Maybe I'm overthinking it - is quantity preferable to quality?

witsender do food banks prefer actual food donations or cash?
It would be easy to set up a DD but I guess that means volunteers end up shopping.

You're both right tbh. Quantity is important for busier centres, but then it is nice to treat others as we treat ourselves...giving what we would eat etc. So whatever you do will be right, if you see what I mean. In my opinion anyway.

We donated to a food bank at Christmas. I was out of work but fortunate enough to not be struggling. It made me very aware of how much others were in need and through no fault of their own.

I bought the staples from the list on the Trussel Trust website and took it down to them. I made a point of taking my 5 yr old with me so he could help with the shopping and see the food bank. I wanted him to also understand that he has more than others.

I'm in work again now and find it difficult to go to the food bank itself to donate. I've signed petition, will look for the link, asking supermarkets to add a Donate button to their online shopping apps. I think it's a brilliant idea.

It depends on your centre Wanda, may be worth asking them? I know we are quite well supported bar a few items we are currently short of, so while we are always so pleased to get donations to keep the shelves stocked we are always short of cash. Depending on the centre they may be quite a large operation. We rarely have to shop for food, but need to keep the van on the road, pay rent on the warehouse etc. A smaller centre, with maybe one base operating out of a church for example may not need money really.

I would be interested to know what the view is re branded / value items is too.

Thanks, wits, so DP can keep agreeing to disagree and mixing things up.