AIBU to say that most people have no idea about Food Banks?

[UndertheCedartree]

I wrote a post a while ago about how I was struggling on my income (and I got loads of great support which really helped). I said on the post that I got 7 items a week from the Food Bank. A few people didn't understand how I could struggle with getting help from the Food Bank. I was just thinking probably most people have never been in a Food Bank or relied on one.

So to give an idea 7 items could be: 2 toilet rolls, a small bag of washing powder, a box of cereal, a carton of longlife milk, 4 tins of tomatoes, a tin of baked beans and a bag of pasta.

Or it could be: a bottle of washing up liquid, 4 sachets of microwave porridge, a carton of juice, 4 packets of crisps, 4 tins of kidney beans, a tin of peaches, a tin of custard.

Could most people honestly say they wouldn't struggle to make meals for a week with that? Don't get me wrong I am extremely grateful for the help. But it doesn't solve all your grocery problems as some people seemed to believe.

I've used a food bank a couple of times.

The foodbank gave me (and DD aged 3 at the time)

2 tins of beans
1 tube (of 4 tins) of tuna
1 tin of soup
Bag of Pasta
Jar of Pasta Sauce
Loaf of Bread

Then I had unlimited access to Shower Gel/Shampoo/Conditioner/Toilet Paper/Sanitary Products

They also arranged for a local animal charity to donate cat food.

You can also make regular cash donations to food banks (I pay a direct debit to Trussell).
That's worth knowing. I struggle to get out much so I don't go to supermarkets or anywhere I can actually donate physical items and I don't want to donate via Ocado because it seems like they only donate to a tiny number of food banks, but I couldn't find a way of donating money to my local food bank. If I can donate to Trussell then that (presumably) solves my dilemma.

@havingtochangeusernameagain - that is the amount everyone gets. I think it is that amount as they do offer ongoing support. They offer other services and lots of signposting. On the family day breakfast is available to the parents and children and people from the children's centres are there. On the other 2 days people can have lunch as well as a food bag and there are people to help with benefits, housing etc.

@alicewond - when I became unwell and had to claim benefits I wouldn't have really gained much from selling my pretty basic smartphone. Also it would have made life difficult as with UC you run your whole account on the internet. It was hard enough for me to claim initially as I was on a ward without my phone and no internet access. It took 5 months for someone to come onto the ward to help me claim. I pay £10 a month for my payg packgage so not a lot, really in terms of how much food I could get for that. My children's school uses Parentmail so without my phone I would be in the dark about school communication too.

@evaperonspoodle - the weekly food bank works well as it creates a community and ongoing support. People can meet with family mosaic there every week to help with benefits. It helps with isolation and people who are too unwell to seek help any other way. With the larger package it can be difficult to spread it out over the 2 months.

As others say someone's situation is not always resolved within a few weeks/months. It took me 5 months to get any benefits. Then another 14 months to get the 'reduced work capability' amount (although I should have been assessed for it immediately) and I'm still not getting any help with my mortgage, although this should have kicked in 9 months after I made my claim.

The 2 monthly package food bank doesn't give any help beyond the food. So I suppose they serve different purposes.

Thank you again to everyone who supports food banks. I was a bit scared I would be flamed for using a food bank but everyone has been so supportive - much appreciated.

How are you paying the mortgage OP? That must be stressful.

The world is really changing. Internet is essential for many. All school letters are now emailed to us...there's no paper copies. We pay for lunches and trips online too. The cost of WiFi or a phone are fairly minimal and giving them up wouldn't even cover a week's worth of food for a family.

Thanks so much for the helpful replies, especially coffee x

@formerbabe agree - internet is essential.
@DianaT1969 - I am just paying the interest but it is still very difficult to cover. I have just been put on the 'limited work capability' amount so the increase will really help. I just don't understand why they can't help me when if I was privately renting I would get help and the rent would be a lot more than the interest on my mortgage. I'm 3 months behind so I am hoping I will get some back dated money so I can pay it off.

Independent (often Church run) FBs tend to have different policies to the Trussel Trust FBs, the one I help at is very well supported and we try to be as generous as possible to people, we would never turn anyone away, even if they don’t have a referral. Yes, we do get a few ‘chancers’ but accept that as a fact of life. We also share out food to less well supported FBs.

I was in the North of England last year and spoke to someone at their local FB who said they actually drove a van down to ‘richer’ areas to collect excess food stocks from ‘wealthy’ FBs. It is truly shocking that FBs are still needed and so widespread, I would imagine nearly every town has one now. .

I used to run the warehouse at a very well supported Foodbank, and we were overrun with some items, and yes, used to do swaps with other banks. The main warehouse supplied 7 banks, and the items we always had loads of were tea, cereal, pasta, beans. The referral system worked well for us, as it stopped any onus being on the volunteers to be in any way 'gatekeepers' to the food, they didn't have to make any decisions about who was deserving or not. If they had a voucher, they got food, end of story.

As for sugar...I was working there when that changed. Basically they came under pressure to act in line with NHS recommendations and not have sugar on the 'staple' list. Of course we, like most banks, just took it off the list and asked for it unofficially. So it was published, but when we were asked, as we often were, what was needed it would be included. It would then go in the allocations if we had it.

But of course you could argue that the bank supplies most things, freeing up any spare pennies for things that weren't supplied, like sugar.

The food bank I volunteer at is totally different. Clients are allocated points to spend in each area, fresh, store cupboard etc. There is fresh fruit and veg, bread etc as well as clothes, toiletries, toys and household items. Everything is laid out like a shop with an emphasis on choice and healthy eating. I wish more food banks would do this as prebagging means food gets wasted if the client needs halal for example.

l used to volunteer at our local food bank until l had major surgery. Everyone was lovely, and so kind. People would get at least two big carrier bags of food and toiletries, etc, and we gave them choices wherever possible. One man even gave me a hug when l brought him his bags of stuff from the storeroom.
One lovely lady came in with her daughter who was about eight, they had no cooking facilities apart from a kettle, and the volunteers were amazing, they sorted out loads of stuff for her that didn't need cooking (tins of tuna, supernoodles, etc). l have to admit, that night l came home and cried with anger and frustration that people are living like that in this day and age.

We had about three ladies who used to take home the huge slow cookers, and they made meals for the local lunch club on Thursdays - that was free too, for anyone who wanted to go.
After my surgery when l was on benefits and really struggling, the lady who runs the food bank came round with about four carrier bags of stuff for me. l stood and cried at the front door, l was so touched and humbled. Technically l wasn't allowed to use that foodbank as l was a volunteer there, but she knew l couldn't travel to the next town.
Once l got on my feet, l took a 'big shop' back to the food bank. They do an absolutely fantastic job, and all on donations.
Cafelatte2go - most supermarkets have a donation point where you can leave items for your local foodbank. l'm in West Yorkshire too, l think you probably live where l used to!

Just to say that I volunteer for Home Start, and my branch keeps a supply of food bank items (obtained from Harvest Festival, and Christmas, collections) which are available to anyone who uses their services upon request. So, if you use Home Start, ask if you are in need - they might be able to help.

Nomad that sounds a very interesting system, we also give people as much choice as possible, we don’t do pre-packed bags. It, hopefully, gives people a little dignity if they can actually make a choice about what they are going to eat (& avoids waste).

7 items is an odd amount but they all work differently. Here you get 3 days worth of meals plus toiletries and household items, but are restricted to 4 times a year. A family gets more than a single person etc. If you need more within the 3 month window you need a referral plus are asked to volunteer for a session and see the advisor to help you sort out finances

I wish more food banks would do this as prebagging means food gets wasted if the client needs halal for example.

We do something simialr but we do pre-bagged. Nothing goes to waste in them as they are tailored for groups with different requirements and we check with the client for swaps when they arrive.

If we deliver we check before we go, take extras in the van or run back out with swaps as needed.

We also do a 7 items version of the bag. But it is for other things, like cleaning stuff, sanitary towels, pens/paper, pet stuff. It depends what we have and what the need is, but it is over and above the usual bag/box.

We also have a Help Yourself Shelf with odd things that come in, or things we only have a few of and won't be getting more of. Short dated stuff can go there too.

OPs bag doesn't sound as though it has any formal basis. No nutritionist input, no consideration for meal making. To me it sounds like a pick and mix top up bag. Or a bag of some food for someone who has had the official amounts and is being given extras by a bank that doesn't have a lot to spare!

Hard as it is, you do have to remember that food banks are there to support people through temporary hardships, between jobs, starting/beginning benefit claims etc. We cannot feed clients for extended period of time, we just don't have the resources. Yes, we cheat, we do give more if we can, but 3 boxes of food each designed to last for 3 days is the norm, whichever bank you use.

Just seen your update about your difficulty Re mortgage and no help. Nothing practical to add but my sympathies. I have ended up staying in jobs that have wrecked my mental health due to this - and when you take it down to brass tacks, basically the Government have decided that they will pay a landlord who is in this for profits’ mortgage (at a higher amount) than help to keep you in your own home at a lower amount each month.
Please don’t take this as benefit bashing, it isn’t, it’s just wanting a low cost option that is fair for everyone. I was told that HB used to be paid on interest until the 1980’s crash that meant the expensive Boroughs of London were suddenly faced with massive bills from ex stockbrokers with huge mortgages who then claimed HB (or whatever it was they could claim), and that’s why it’s for rental properties only.
It sucks and it’s unfair.

@Foslady - exactly they're happy to pay a landlord's mortgage (in full, perhaps) but not the interest on my mortgage which seems so unfair. But what makes it so frustrating is that they have told me there is a loan available to help but try as I might I can't get anyone to give me any information on it/tell me how to apply - I've been asking for about a year now

www.savvywoman.co.uk/2018/02/state-help-mortgage-payments-youre-unemployed-ill/

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en/articles/government-help-if-you-cant-pay-your-mortgage/amp

Not sure if either of these may help

Out local food banks give enough food for he household for three days. You are only allowed 3 vouchers every 6 months.

This has been a really enlightening post. I had no idea that there were limited allocations or pre packing. We always do an extra bag with our weekly shop in Sainos that goes into the foodbank box. Whilst not been at all critical of other donors, it was apparent that the vast majority of donated stuff was basic range - lots of tinned beans, pasta, pulses etc etc. Thats obviously very important.

But I thought in my liberal middle class guilt tripped way, that if I was unfortunate (and many of us are only a few months salary from relative poverty) and lost my job and needed help, I could probs manage to feed the family on basics- but kids would miss the extras- decent biscuits, brand cereal, ketchup. We look for treats as well on offer - theres always three for 2 haribo or Mr Kipling

Mini but what happens if people are desperate? Do you really turn people away if they have already had the 3 vouchers in 6 months? The FB I volunteer at is an independent one so we don’t have to stick to rules like that, we never turn anyone away (we are fortunate in that we are very generously supported). We know that a few people are probably abusing the system but then we just give them very limited supplies of pasta and beans or other items that we are overwhelmed with.

When I’ve donated I’ve given the obvious stuff mentioned above (pasta, beans,cereal,tea).

Can you give me an idea of what they are short on so I can give that? Don’t mean to hijack the thread. It sounds so tough for you and anyone that needs it. Bloody awful that we need them in this country at all