Does anyone know someone who has had to use a foodbank?

[furryjammies]

I'm very lucky that I have never been unemployed - although at times, especially when the kids were young we hardly had any money and I had to be really careful, buying huge bags of potatoes and cooking everything from scratch to save money - no holidays, nights out etc. I don't know anyone who is living in poverty, although I do know some who got heavily into debt - mostly because of going on lavish holidays etc. Do any of you have friends who have had to rely on a foodbank and if so, what were the reasons? Not judging at all just wondering how common it is.

Yes but I have no sympathy. It’s a mum and dad at my daughters school. And they just keep on having kids. So far they have five and the mum is pregnant with her sixth. It’s ridiculous.

Those who are sceptical about fod poverty should watch the film " I Daniel Blake."

I have. Because I was poor and living in a refuge.

Excellent hashtags, I'm all in favour of starving children because they are unfortunate enough to have parents you perceive to be feckless. Have a lovely smug day. Enjoy it because you never know when you might need some help.

Dont agree with 'poverty is not a spectator sport' attitude. If people are paying good money to prop up sections of society they have every right to make reasons and causes their business

I'm reminded, by this post, that my fish tank needs cleaning out. There's a visible layer of scum on some of the rocks, god knows how scummy they are underneath. Thanks poster.

Yes- loads as I refer people.

It is mixed why: short term issues often (sudden house moves/6 month flits, relationship breakdown) but some is disorganisation/lack of planning and poor life skills (which they need help with but isn't available)

Yes. She had brain cancer. Is that a good enough reason for you?

Gosh of course it common but it's not something people want to talk about.

Yes a couple. One a NHS nurse who had no choice as she was already surviving on dry cereal once a day so her kids could eat, one an old friend who had lost his job and had a 6 week wait until he could get benefits (he sold everything he could to afford council tax, bus tickets etc), one who's husband left her and the kids along with secret debts and another who's wife was in hospital and they'd both been on zero hour contracts.

It's a disgrace and my heart breaks everytime I think about the fact that there are families struggling to that extent

This isn’t going to end well for you OP...... just FYI.

We run one. People are from all walks of life. A lot of single dads at the moment trying to juggle a job, childcare costs etc. A couple of months back we had a spate of student nurses.

Yes there's the somewhat feckless who turn up with bottle of vodka in hand but we aren't judgemental, we just tell them no alcohol on site. We know some come because they spent their money on drugs and alcohol but plenty are in financial problems despite doing everything by the book

I don't know anyone who's told me specifically about using food banks, but I've got a couple of friends who are really poor, so it wouldn't surprise me at all if they had. Marriage breakdown, landlord selling the house, ill-health, kids with disabilities, redundancy/job loss, childcare issues - it doesn't take much to go from being reasonably comfortable to skipping meals and being cold and wet.

I have had contact with foodbank volunteers and users through work and they certainly don't offer a free for all for the feckless. Users come from all walks of life and most of them feel ashamed at having to take free food parcels in 2019 in the 5th wealthiest economy in the world. The places I have had contact with all require a referral.

One thing to be aware of is that many users won't have access to a kitchen and cooking utensils and also may not have had the opportunity to learn even the most basic food preparation skills. Donations such as uncooked pulses, rice, pasta etc do require some skills and equipment. Things that can be microwaved simply are very welcome as are tinned proteins such as tuna.

I have observed that a lot of the donations in the collection box in our local well-heeled Sainos are basic range with a lot of tinned beans, tomatoes etc.

I am really not judging others donations but I have a principle of only popping in what I buy for myself- this is really easy if you look at the BOGOF offers plus I always try to throw in treats. I always thing for example a family can probably manage to get a basic meal out but maybe have to skip tomato sauce or Nutella or Mr Kipling cakes.

Thank you to some of the really sensible replies and those sharing anecdotes on here, rather than sneering at the curious.

It’s reminded me that I haven’t put anything in for a few weeks - I’ll be including extra tinned proteins and no cook/low cook foods in my family shop this week x

I know three families who either are in, or who have in the last 12 months been in food poverty. In all three cases both parents work, but on zero hours contracts. Their children are in my ds's class in school and are his friends. The school was washing the uniforms of one of those families for a while too as they had no washing machine, no bath, and no money for the launderette. Their youngest was often sick because their flat was full of damp but their dodgy-but-cheap landlord wouldn't fix it. They have more hours now and have moved, are much more comfortable, but it could happen to anyone.

Another friend and her partner were referred to a food bank just over a year ago, when they had a load of unexpected expenses (including a loss of earnings from a nasty injury resulting in now permanent disability). Again, both parties working.

It's really shit.

These are Victorian levels of poverty of which I feel bitterly ashamed. Royal family with their gross expenditure on one thread, hurrah! Give them more dosh. How's that "cottage" looking over at Frogmore? Refit going well? And working parents without the bloody bus fare to a food bank on another. This is England.

I volunteer at a foodbank and we help people from all walks of life. Our services area always confidential but to give you a few examples of people i've helped recently we had a gentleman who was his mum's full time carer (less than minimum wage to be a full time carer) and she committed suicide. So from the day she killed herself he was no longer getting his carer's allowance but he suddenly had to organise and pay for funeral costs and then had to discuss with the council about bedroom tax as now he only needed one room not two. It can be very harsh whilst grieving for a parent to deal with that. So he was having to look for employment straight away but most companies pay after you have already started so he you still have the initial outlay of travel costs, food for lunches, suitable work attire/shoes. Another person was ex military who lost his accommodation that was part of his job when he got made redundant he lost his housing so went to the council who gave him a sleeping bag!!! We also take care of women and children who have escaped dangerous situations and left their homes in the night with nothing. They are being sheltered but still need basics and toiletries. When people visit a foodbank we try and signpost them to other charities and organisations who may be able to help them.

I haven't, only because they weren't around (or at least I dont think they were) when I needed them. So I went hungry.

I always try to donate to these foodbanks. It iks shocking that in 2019, people are still relying on them.

Anyway, what is your AIBU?

I don't understand how we frequently read about companies and shops closing down with the loss of thousands of jobs but oh no the unemployment figures are great, as my Gran used to say you can make figures suit any bugger but you'd have to be up very early to catch me out.
It's disgusting that people who are working are still in poverty and also disgusting that others feel so smug as to look down on them
So OP have you got enough info for your piece now or has somebody else in poverty got to contribute

We haven't, but ways we've avoided it have included buying food instead of paying rent, me skipping meals and telling DS that I'm not hungry, pawning absolutely everything that wasn't mailed down and running up debt.

When I can afford to donate, I put in things that can be eaten straight from the packaging but also don't go off (tinned tuna, biscuits, tinned fruit and veg, dried fruit, cereal bars). And stuff like toothpase, shampoo, body lotion.

In the days before food banks I made food parcels up for one of my friends quite often and invited her kids for tea five nights out of 7 ........she was living the highlife, earning minimum wage and paying bills. Things are better now, solely because her partner moved in

Also, can I just say to the poster who said that Victorian times hunger is not the same as today's hunger. I have gone for days with nothing to eat. Want to know what happens? Your organs start to fail, so your stomach bloats as you can no longer pee - your abdomen fills with fluid. You're in horrific pain and your stomach has shrunk so badly that the concept of food makes you vomit. Eventually you go into organ failure. I've almost died as a result of this. In 2017.

It depresses me how little those with wealth actually know.

I came very close when I first became a single parent & had to give up my job due to ill health. Some weeks I only had £20 to feed & clothe myself & DS. I managed by not paying bills, getting behind with my rent & help from my parents. Every week now when I go to the supermarket I always put a few extra things in my trolley to leave in the collection for my local food bank, with universal credit looming in the near future I may need one myself one day.

I don't think you'd necessarily know if your friends had had a really tight spot.

People often keep these things to themselves.

I don’t think you helped yourself here by linking those needing to use food banks to your feckless with money friends. You are not going to get the required responses now.