AIBU? food bank cheeky fucker?

[Zoofiller]

Before I get my ass handed to me.....

Disclaimer: I believe strongly in food banks, my job relies on their excellent work, I donate occasionally and recognise that all people from all walks of life can get caught out with unexpected bills/Enough money to make ends meet.

It may be affecting my judgement as I work with homeless people who have absolutely nothing.

I have an acquaintance who is well know for being beyond tight. Eg. Down the curry house will order & pay for £4 veg dish only, eat everyone else’s food and refuse to split costs. She has been challenged on this.

She claims constant poverty (which we all used to give sympathy to), all whilst seemingly going on a weekend away every couple of months, eating out weekly, a luxury holiday this year, home renovations, concerts and recently drinks and Christmas shopping in a big city. (FB tags)

However, she has stated that she has a system to work the food bank. In this area you can claim 3 times a year. So she has stated that she is rotating between different children’s centres and the school to keep getting food vouchers.

I have distanced myself and am trying to ignore but.....

Am I being unreasonable to be irked about her using the food bank in this manner?

I'm sorry, OP, I'm sure you're great at your job. I just can't understand why you know so much about a mere acquaintance yet have done nothing about it.

Just be very sure of your facts.

I'll leave it there.

Food bank criteria is being on low income.

Not where I volunteer. The food bank (Trussell Trust) issues vouchers to all sorts of agencies in the local area. Some have strict criteria (Council), some have none. That’s as it should be. Some people with very high incomes can have short term emergencies - such as the family whose bank account was hacked and all their money stolen.

Food banks may be a ‘national disgrace’ but they provide a very quick lifeline for some people who really need food in an emergency.

@SweetSummerchild
You are doing a really good thing.

Where we are there are two, church run food banks where anyone can turn up and will leave with a hot meal and bags of food.
They'ree great, the Christmas parties are something I donate to every year..........but I'd be daft to think there won't be people out there who take advantage because plenty will. And that's just sad, because it means that those who need it have less.

There's only one food bank that I know of that goes down the referral / voucher route.

She's limited herself to 3x a year because visit 4 is the trigger for SS involvement.

I'd have no hesitation in grassing her up, especially as she won't be charged or hassled by the police. In the long term people as mean as this tend to go a bit crooked, which seems to be what is happening. If she gets caught for something small, it might nip it in the bud.

YANBU. Food banks are for people who need it. Some people might have nice things they bought in the good times and now they've fallen on hard times, some people might be plain crap at budgeting, both of those nonetheless do need the food now. But deliberately gaming the system is immoral and dishonest.

Makes you wonder about the sudden explosion of food bank need.
It makes my blood boil that CFs like this are taking away from the truly needy. 😤

@DameFanny - there is not an unlimited amount of food in food banks. What op is describing is pretty awful - taking food from the hungry is pretty crappy.

@LyingWitchInTheWardrobe

Yes absolutely fair point. Everyone’s thoughts are being considered that’s why I posted here - it always a really good leveller

@SweetSummerchild

You guys do an awesome job, truly. When I’ve brought people in, they’ve been treated with such kindness and many bad days have been turned into not so bad days.

I really don’t want people to bash food banks, it would be nice if we didn’t need them but currently we do and I’m eternally grateful for all the support that they offer

Something that occurred to me, though (given that OP doesn't know this person all that well) could she be someone who's been suckered into an MLM, and therefore all the social media bragging be just bullshit with stock pictures or photoshopping? And she might actually be broke enough to need the foodbank because of the amount of money the MLM is scamming from her?

Nope not a MLM agent

Zsazsajuju - it's not an unlimited amount, but it's also not a zero sum - as a PP has said, there's all kinds of discretion the people use when filling a box, and I've never heard of someone with a voucher being turned away because they've run out of food.

So no, I can't get that worked up over someone putting in time, inconvenience and travel time for no-brand cornflakes and an encouraging smile from an old dear like DM.

Stories like this plus overspending on summer holidays, Christmas etc are why we donate to the animal shelter collections instead.

I’d distance myself from anyone using a charity like this too OP.

Report her. Food banks are for people who need food and can’t afford anything else, not people who go on holiday.

Can I ask those of you that work in food banks a question?

I donate weekly in our local supermarket which has a trolley at the end of the checkout. If I were to buy a bigger amount to take directly to our local food bank, what items would be needed or appreciated most? I'm thinking of doing a shop closer towards Christmas with the sole purpose of donating to a food bank.

Immoral and disgusting. She needs to be exposed.

I would have no issue reporting this woman... It's just fraudulent... She's pretending to be in need... When she isn't...

It makes the people who are ashamed to use FB then make it more likely they won't attend.... As they'll feel under more scrutiny

I've just returned from a three hour stint at Tesco, handing out the Fare Share/Trussell Trust shopping list to shoppers to ask them to consider buying something from the list to donate today (Tesco are adding 20% of the cost of anything donated as a cash donation to the organisation)

This is what was on their most wanted list:

 Tinned meat
 Tinned fish
 Tinned veg
 Tinned soup
 Rice
 Dried pasta &
noodles
 Tea bags
 Instant coffee
 Tinned fruit
 Tinned baked beans

I've seen lists that add UHT milk and long life natural fruit juice.

Thats awful. Please report op. Food banks are there for those at need. Thinking we should have used them when husband made reduntant and we sofa surfed five years but we didnt as family gave us food and beds but not everyone so lucky to have that net. Having been that close please op report her...shes stealing food from hungry people

@saraclara

Thank you

@RickOShay And @Zoofiller, thank you. As frustrating it is as a ‘job’, it definitely has its good days.

It's disgusting!

She's on a par with those arseholes who steal charity boxes from the bar in pubs.

report where possible. I know someone who is using a foodbank. apparantly they have been told to by ss but I know for a fact they don't need to. they have money they just refuse to spend it.

Despicable woman. You should consider reporting her.