To put wine and chocolate in the food bank?

[Nunyabusiness]

Picked up a miniature white wine and a 5 pack of twirls, husband was aghast. My view is that people who are struggling to feed their families wouldn't have funds for such treats.

(I did also put tinned fruit and veg in, by the way!)

Essential - thats what I do . Our nearest collection point is a Waitrose. It has a B & M stores just a few yards away. So I go to B & M to do the shop and then leave it at the collection point . Its all branded stuff there at really good prices - I did ask the Waitrose manager if it was okay, and he was fine with it.

I donated some tinned fruit and men's deodorant today. I looked out for the shopping list they provided at the donation point (in the supermarket), which I wouldn't have done if it weren't for this thread!

Nice cheese, good olive oil, olives and fresh vegetables - those are the sorts of luxuries that you can only dream of on a budget and the things that make a difference to your health. If you want to spoil the recipients, then buy some quality olives, or a cheeseboard set or something.

Why not hung in a couple of grouse, some pheasant in aspic, quails' eggs and edible gold leaf while you're at it?

Some incredibly mean spirited people on here.

And luckily some incredibly kind ones too.

It never occurred to me but kids who are on free school meals won't get anything during the school holidays so most parents do turn to food banks.

I agree donating by check is probably a pain it would be better if the supermarket had fb type gift cards so that we could put an amount of money on them and put the card in a secure box in the supermarket for collection by the fb to buy what's needed.

Why not hung in a couple of grouse, some pheasant in aspic, quails' eggs and edible gold leaf while you're at it?

I might at Christmas! What a lovely idea. Thanks for the inspo.

I always put in biscuits, chocolate and jars of Nutella. Kid's toothbrushes with characters on etc.

I read somewhere that people can get a bit strange when donating and kind of fall into the idea that those using food banks have to do so through some fault of their own and therefore shouldn't be thinking about having a biscuit or a bar of chocolate.

They should be crying and taking a good hard look at themselves! Shouldn't they, @CoughLaughFart .

It's useful to know that tampons are in short supply as they're never on the list and also that selection boxes are acceptable. Such a shame you can't donate wine.

I am from a middle-class background. Love olives, have a tin of Waitrose essentials ones in the cupboard I had a bad time and ended up in a hostel a few years ago. I had a microwave, toaster and kettle, nothing else to cook with and little space to prepare food. Little storage space either, mini fridge, small cupboard. Minimal crockery etc, little money to buy any, little space. This was in one small room, so you don't want strong cooking smells or lots of rubbish.
I did use a food bank.
I would have appreciated, and donate now:
Light stuff, I was given a load of tins. I had no money for transport so had to walk 30 min each way. Plus up to 3rd floor room, no lift. With physical and mental health issues, and not having had enough to eat. I would cry with exhaustion. Please consider things like the plastic pots of baked beans, cup-a-soup, just add boiling water packet noodles and pasta.
No drain tuna (see, light and tiny room, also had no colander), especially the John West ones with flavourings.
The microwave pots of pasta or rice and sauce. Dolmio, Uncle Bens etc, also some supermarkets have own brand versions.
Gluten-free/ free from stuff. It's not a fad. Poor people can have allergies / intolerances. I tried eating gluten again as many foods are so much cheaper, but the symptoms, agonising stomach pain etc, meant it wasn't worth it.
I would have loved some chocolate - and wine, but understand why that isn't allowed.

Oh yes and definitely san pro, toilet paper and toiletries.

Thanks to this thread, I have gone out to Tesco today and filled a basket to hand over for the DC's school Harvest Festival, which is going to the local food bank. I'd normally not give it much thought and throw a few cans in from the cupboard but I thought about the tips from this thread and put a mixture of things from the current needed list, plus some treats and toiletries.

Not (well-hung) grouse - not everyone would have the facilities to cook them

But stuff in aspic is a seriously good idea! And on the same note, things like little tins of upmarket pate probably make a nice change from Shippams meat paste jars.

I always put in a couple of packets of sanitary towels.

Just to emphasise, again, that it really is best to check with your local Food Bank what they want, we put a request out for sanitary towels etc but now have a mountain of them ............ together with the mountain of pasta, rice, baked beans and tea bags.

For anyone who doesn't think we should donate to foodbanks this is worth a watch
www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p059b6sp/professor-green-living-in-poverty