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!)

Two of our local food banks always welcome formula milk for people who can't BF. Toiletries, sanpro and non-food essentials (bog rolls, nappies, washing up liquid and washing powder) are also often in short supply.

We sometimes get gifts of alcohol or fancy chocolates from grateful clients. We raffle them, and use the money to buy a gift card for a local supermarket, and give that to the food banks so they can buy what they need.

Don't forget san pro. Hardly a luxury item granted, but many women and girls end up going without san pro when they are trying to make the pennies last.

Sealsong sanpro and loo roll is usually what I put in now. 👍 Chocolate is a nice idea too, OP

It doesn't give the same warm fuzzy feeling you might get from buying 'things' and imagining them being consumed, but what my food bank really appreciates is a cheque (big or small). They can buy what they are short on from the wholesale, or buy fresh meat/veg vouchers from local shops to go along with the parcel.

ArcheryAnnie the point is that the money you spent on chocolate and biscuits would be better spent on more basics. When you give to a food bank, you aren't supplying a days worth of stuff to one family, you are giving a meal's worth of stuff to lots of families. If you give, say, beans, cereal, micro rice and chocolate, that means for that bar of chocolate someone is missing out on something that could have made a meal.

It's well intentioned, but faintly patronising that "these people" need treats. No, what they need is nourishing meals so that the kids can concentrate at school or the adults can work without being starving all day or coming home to an empty cupboard.

MrsMHasIt I'd agree with that, but I also know that it's easy to buy something for a couple of quid in a usual shop and donate it, whereas finding the chequebook, writing a cheque for £2.50, finding where to send it, etc - just is a pain. People - including me - do what's easy, rather than what's possibly most efficient. It's human.

At Easter and Christmas I usually find we have more chocolate, biscuits etc than we can eat so take excess to the food bank. I figure even after the specific day kids will eat chocolate, mince pies. However I hadn't thought of chocolate advent calendars before! Will do this in November now.

I try and do this alongside more everyday stuff eg spaghetti hoops, tins of rice pudding.

Teabags too - not an essential but a hot cuppa makes you feel better and a bit fuller. I look out for whatever brand's on special offer.

Also, people who are putting in cleaning stuff? Honestly, if you were hungry, would you really want to be handed a bottle of Mister Muscle?

When people have no food, the last thing on their mind is cleaning their house/room/shed/tent/doorway.

I've never thought about putting cleaning products in. I will do that next time. At the moment I put in a selection from the following:

Men's deodorant
Women's deodorant
San-pro
Toothpaste
Toothbrushes
Shaving foam
Disposable razors
Flannels
Shower gel
Face wash
Shampoo
Conditioner
Pasta
Pasta sauce
Microwave rice
Baked beans
Cereal
Long-life milk
Multipacks of crisps
Biscuits
Tinned veg
Tinned meatballs
Tinned fish
Tinned meat
Squash
Tea bags
Coffee
Sugar

I go to Tesco a few times a week so just add one or two items at a time.

Last year they ran a "reverse advent calendar" where you put one item in a box from 1-23 December and delivered it to the food bank on 23rd. I'm going to do that this year but in November as well as December.

Wombling I've been a recipient of charity, and I can assure you that being given something that someone thought I might like, rather than just what someone thought I might need, makes you feel like a real person and not just a charity case. Being treated as a whole person who has wants as well as needs, rather than as a machine to be filled with protein and carbs in order to function, is really important.

Two of our local food banks always welcome formula milk for people who can't BF

We are not allowed to accept formula.

oogles list is brilliant.

Ever since I read an account of somebody using a food bank who had washed her hair, clothes and children with washing up liquid I put shampoo and washing powder in.

It's not treating people like a machine FFS. It's FEEDING them and their children. I ask again - when your child hasn't had a decent meal for a week, ask them if they would rather have tinned spaghetti or razors?! Jesus!

How can I find out my local place to donate? Is there a website?

The best thing would be to contact your local food bank and ask them what they are short of. It varies hugely from week to week.

We had a bit of a crisis with male toiletries at one point.
The following week it was something basic like tea bags (a case of everyone thinking everyone else was donating the basics I imagine).

Have a look at the Trussell Trust website for other ideas of how to help.

You can also help by donating to Acts 435

I help at a food bank too, we give out chocolate but can't give out alcohol or anything containing alcohol.

In answer to your questions,if we get something in which we can't give out sometimes one of the volunteers takes it and replaces it with something of equal value that we can use. I currently have a 3kg bag of pasta that was donated sitting in my kitchen which is too big for one of the food parcels (it's bigger than I would buy for our own use too) and next week I will be taking down lots of toilet rolls, which we are short of, to replace it. One of the volunteers also took some rusty cans of pulses that had been donated, as we can't give out rusty cans she will replace with new ones.

If we don't get enough Easter eggs or Christmas chocolate it is often we give it to children first and if still not enough first people in to pick up get it.

We have started looking for posh chocolates, biscuit etc in the donated items to put to one side so every household can get a Christmas parcel in December.

oh my goodness yes! what a shame if they cant pass alchol on!

i saw programe on it and they give out the chocs etc to people who have had celebrations/birthdays etc....lovely idea!

Being treated as a whole person who has wants as well as needs, rather than as a machine to be filled with protein and carbs in order to function, is really important

YY!!

WomblingThree why can you have both. Our food bank parcels include cleaning supplies and toiletries... as well as food of course.

I genuinely don't think you mean to, but I think you are confusing staying alive with a basic standard of living.

There are plenty of lists out there too for people who want guidance about what to get. It's not as if you just have to guess.

Wombling have you been a recipient of charity yourself? Maybe we react to it differently, but I try to act towards others the way I liked to be treated myself - and that includes donating non-essentials like coffee, biscuits, etc. Is coffee nutritious? No. Does having a treat like a good cup of coffee and a biscuit help you get through a day when you are completely on your uppers and everything else seems shit? Yes. A moment of normality in a shitty day can make all the difference.

Can't. Why can't you have both.

Wine is a definite no no! If you are that desperate for food, you don't want to waste a food item for wine that only adults can benefit from.

Being treated as a whole person who has wants as well as needs, rather than as a machine to be filled with protein and carbs in order to function, is really important.

human beings are machines though. We do need to eat! Please just give the food that the food bank asks for!