To Let You Know What My Food Bank Needs

[RamblinRosie]

I’m guessing the requirements are similar across the country, mine needs:

Tea bags
Pasta sauces
Nappies size 5&6
Tinned vegetables
Jams/spreads

Apparently, they don’t feel they can ask for biscuits or treats, but they are very much appreciated.

My local food collection point is full of very worthy food but I like to add a few nice bits, if you need to use a food bank, you deserve the occasional treat.

I also love the idea of the "reverse advent calendar".
So from December 1st, instead of getting a treat every day you make a donation every day. Ds's primary do it and by the time they break up for Christmas there is a huge amount of donations waiting to be delivered.

I always include a few toys at this time of year - if families need to use a foodbank I don't suppose toys for Christmas are top of the list of priorities,

OUR SHOPPING LIST
TINNED MEAT
TINNED FRUIT
TINNED VEGETABLES
POWDERED MILK
LONG LIFE JUICE
RICE
COOKING SAUCES
SPONGE PUDDINGS
TINNED MEAT PIES

Epsom and Ewell food banks list

Bluelonerose

Modern foodbanks have been running for about 50 years. Poverty is not a new phenomenon unfortunately. But you're right in that they are more common now and have been since the crash 10 years ago.

For those in London, every Trussell trust has quite different needs and wants. Hackney currently looking for:
SHAMPOO
SHOWER GEL
WASHING-UP LIQUID
CURRY SAUCE
LONG-LIFE FRUIT JUICE
TINNED CUSTARD
TINNED FRUIT
TINNED MEAT
TINNED FISH: MACKEREL, SARDINES, SALMON

Thanks OP

I don’t often get to the shop but did put some biscuits in last week. I try to vary what I put in.

just look up trussel trust and your area folks

There’a foodbank app for ios and android which is useful as you can check to see what your local foodbank currently needs whilst you’re out shopping. My local foodbank told me about it when I emailed to ask what was best to get - otherwise they would have got more pasta and soup from me rather than the long life fruit juice, shaving gel and microwave rice pouches that was actually needed.

This is the list in my area -again, they have lots of soup, pasta & beans.

*were

The site is a little complicated to navigate but you can search www.trusselltrust.org/get-help/find-a-foodbank/ then click through to the sites for local ones and they will tell you where they collect and what they currently do (and don't) need. The box in my local supermarket names their partner food bank too.

Ooh, microwave rice pouches 😁 thanks for mentioning that watchmefly I know Sainsbo’s have the Uncle Bens ones on offer right now, will toddle off up their tomorrow.

I dontate cash to the local food bank. Much better for the food bank to buy what they actually need rather than me make some kind of worthy decision on what food to give.

When I needed to use food banks, there were no bin bags or dairy free products available. I now donate these things as they don't seem to ask for them.

Agree with pp, check what your foodbank needs first. Our local one is full to the brim after harvest festivals. They also can't give away some items that are donated like alcohol, items at or near their Best By date (personally I hope that other food banks are more flexible about that as it is such a waste to throw away food that most of us would happily eat). Ours ends up giving food to other places like Salvation Army as there is just too much to store. Wish there was a better way to distribute from richer areas to areas where food banks are struggling.

Ours currently needs long life milk, and tinned meat and fish.

Our school does a harvest collection each year that just gets given to the local evangelising group to be dished out to local elderly people, regardless of need. We’ve a new head and I’m going to suggest that next year our collection goes to the central food bank, as it’s more likely that some of the children at our school could benefit from that (area of massive unemployment and deprivation).

My food bank writes what they need on a board at the collection point.

My 15 year old loves to go and see what they want and choose two things to put in (usually tinned bolognaise and small boxes of tea/small jars of coffee). She's trying to volunteer with them over Xmas.

AdoraBell own brand rice pouches are much cheaper, and you can usually grab two for the price of one ‘on offer’ Uncle Ben’s pouch. You can get flavoured ones too, I’ve put egg fried rice as well as plain rice in before.

I check the food bank website before donating

Last time they were asking for cereal etc. So I go 5 mixed boxes of Own brand cereal instead of 1 branded box. Is that the right thing to do or are they inundated with own brand / value things?

I also bought a huge box of tea bags thinking the food bank could split it (the smaller boxes were so much more per bag). Again - is it ok to do that for tea bags?

For those food banks with a surplus of san pro, why not see if there is a Red Box Project local to you? redboxproject.org/

You have reminded me I'd emailed our one to volunteer last month and not had a reply, have chased them up now...

whatanametouse if the big box contains numerous smaller packets of teabags they’d be able to split. If it’s a massive box of pg that’s just a box full of bags they can’t usually split. So it all depends on what you buy.

I also buy own brand, but rarely value, as that’s what I do for my own shopping. I don’t mind value jam, quite like value biscuits, and actively prefer the cheap value bread for making toasties as it goes properly crunchy. I wouldn’t buy value wash powder, cereal, or coffee. I follow these self imposed rules when I buy for others, as poverty isn’t usually a choice.

This is Plymouth food bank's current shopping list:

URGENTLY NEEDED FOOD ITEMS
LONG-LIFE FRUIT JUICE
TINNED FISH
BISCUITS
UHT MILK
TINNED PEAS
TOILETRIES FOR MEN

WE'VE GOT PLENTY OF
PASTA
BAKED BEANS
TEA

Sorry for the Caps. That's how it is on their website. We're not too proud to ask for biscuits in Devon

I always add pet food (cat food pouches, small bags of dog food, bird seed and fish food). Many people had pets before falling on hard times, and I'd rather they not have to get rid of their animals because they can't afford to feed them. My food bank is happy to take these donations as everyone donates human items.

Apparently baby wipes are also in demand here.

Interesting BBC documentary about food banks. m.youtube.com/watch?v=3iskVBOYfOU