Food Parcels

[FeelinFagin]

We received two government food parcels today. I think DH must have said okay on the phone call he got after he received his shielding letter. I have medicated hypertension but presume not needing to shield so don't know if the second box was down to the fact we're a family of 5?
The thing is, he's still going to work. Granted it's isolated with no one else around in his work area, but going to work means technically not shielding. We've also been going shopping (albeit as rarely as humanly possible) as theres 5 of us and need to eat.
I haven't seen a delivery slot at Tesco since all this began, even staying up after midnight to nab a slot.
I just feel guilty that we should probably not have the food parcels. We do have food and we still go out when we have to (DH drives, I don't)
So, should we call up asap and cancel the boxes or use the opportunity to not have to go into the public shopping? What does the MN jury say?

I don't envy anyone dealing with all the administration of all this, it must be a total nightmare.

I signed up to the scheme, not because it was free, but because I usually do my shopping once a month, and with how frantic it was everyone suddenly shopping online it meant that when I went to do my usual shop, every slot was booked for a month with the supermarkets I flit between, so like so many I was up at midnight refreshing and queuing etc, and finally got one a month ahead, so when I got that shop it had been 2 months since my last one. I don't have any way of getting shopping other than online, and can't afford to do weekly shops and I wasn't going out of the home before all this anyway, except for medical appts. so as I said previously, swallowed my 'I don't need help' and signed up, and going back to my comment about the admin being a nightmare, the system is slightly different in Scotland than in England.

I'd asked about changing to fortnightly because I saw a pp had managed to do that and thought it a good idea. I mean let's face it, 2kg's of spuds for 1 person for a week is a lot of spuds. It's disheartening to hear that people may have it stopped for this reason.

Also as an after thought, as a pp mentioned, the letter says we can had stuff back to the driver, well in my area, they just drop and go.

I also did want to say again that I am extremely grateful to our Gov, the drivers, the admins, the pickers and packers, anyone involved in this, because thanks to them I know I'll have food in, and although I still haven't had this weeks box, I still have some food on my shelves, and because of the contents of the 2 boxes I have had, I've had more nutrition than in months (corners of my mouth are finally getting crack free) So thank you to everyone. Stay safe, be well, and thank you everyone here for being so supporting.

@ALongHardWinter I'm on Lisinopril every day for hypertension. There's no reason for my high blood pressure. My weight is could be less not too bad, heart and kidneys are fine, no diabetes etc. I think I read that people with high BP are more at risk with Covid-19 but I think it's more "diabetic with high blood pressure" than just random high BP. So I'm pretty clueless as to why we got two boxes unless it was because of our family size.

Call Tesco, it's an 0800 number I'm sure is on Google and get a priority slot. Takes 24 hours. I can always get a slot now (DS is shielded) so have cancelled the box as financially we don't need it. Eat what you've got, cancel future ones and shop online

@4Smalls How on earth can he tell who needs a food parcel just by looking at someone on their doorstep? The person answering the door isn’t necessarily the person shielding, and even if they were there’s no requirement to look ill in order to be eligible. You both sound very judgmental. Be glad you don’t live with someone with a serious condition preventing the entire household from going out!

he thinks a good chunk of the people he delivers them to don't need them. unless they're returning to the house with their suoearket bags how would he know? We're shielding, my 4 yo, who is the shielded one, isn't allowed to open the door.

@FuzzyPuffling I wonder if you live mear me. Also got the largest onion I've ever seen an a fray bentos pie. I like them tho, I like the pastry lid! Cancelled now as I have a priority delivery slot with Tesco

The biggest onion ever
Bag of carrots
Bag of potatoes
6 Apples
6 oranges
Rice
Pasta
Pasta sauce
Porridge oats
Tea bags
Coffee
UHT milk
Bread
Tinned tomatoes
Tinned beans
Tinned soup
Tinned fruit
Tinned hotdogs
Tinned meatballs
Tinned pie
Tuna
Shampoo
Conditioner
Bar of Soap
Toilet roll

@FeelinFagin @ALongHardWinter I’m aware this thread is about food boxes, but wanted to jump in. Some shielding is about hypertension (high blood pressure), medicated or not. According to a recent study, those with hypertension were twice as likely to develop acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) - the serious COVID condition which leads to the need for a ventilator, interventions, and HDU stays (27.4% vs 13.7% in the study).

HOWEVER, the caveat to the study is that they felt it might also be age-related as those with hypertension were older, and those who developed ARDS were on average 10 years older than those who didn’t (average age 58 vs. average age 48).

So it’s just to be aware of - whether you are medicated for your hypertension or not, they are still studying it and not completely sure, but there is some data that if you have hypertension and get COVID, it may be much more serious.

Our local food bank is gratefully receiving and a taxi firm is collecting unwanted items. Costs of food have escalated hitting the poorest badly.

People have been much more community minded gifting unwanted items.

@JustStayHome

Crikey the contents of your box are far superior to ours, we got about half that this week, including the bag of rotten potatoes and half a cabbage! Pasta sauce but no pasta etc. I really am concerned for anyone that is solely relying on e box where we live this week as it will be detrimental to their mental health - sunny but can’t go beyond the front door and here’s some very basic and minimal food to see you through!

We've just had the as same Stay but no meatballs, pie or hotdogs. I did wonder what we'd make if that's the only food we have. Pasta works last a Doyle of meals with the pasta sauce and some carrots and onion. Chips and beans. What would u do with the rice? Tune, ovine and castles maybe as a cold salad? Obviously it's good people food

SleepingStandingUp our box this week sounds about the same as yours. I've certainly never got shampoo or conditioner!

I wonder if it does depend on where you live? I'm in north Cornwall.

RightYesButNo I didn't know that. Thanks for the info.

I get the boxes too, I’m in Scotland and the only one who has to shield in our house.

First week we got 3 boxes!! I called and asked why, they said because there’s 3 in our household. I told them one of us was 5 and didn’t need her own box 😂 I only needed one a week. They wouldn’t come for the extra, said to give them away, so I left 2 boxes outside and my mum picked them up and distributed them out to family. Changed to one box a week.

The next week I got 4 boxes 🙈 same again, called and told them and they said to give them away so I did.

Thankfully since then it’s only been one. Brakes leave them at my door around 6am on a Thursday morning so can’t even tell them when they come!

In our box
Bag of potatoes
Bag of carrots
Loaf
2 cartons uht milk
Jar of bolognese
Bag of pasta
Bag of rice
2 x tinned tomatoes
2 x tins beans
4 x tin soup (mostly either tomato or scotchc broth)
Box of 12 porridge sachets
Massive tin mushy peas
Tin of fruit
Bag of apples
Bag of oranges
Wee poly bag with coffee sachets, tea bags, miniature shower gels, shampoos etc
Tin of tuna
Packet of shortbread
Tinned meatballs or hotdogs

It’s the same every week, I’m drowning in bolognese and tinned tomatoes now. I keep them going though as you can’t get beans, pasta etc from Asda deliveries. It will get used or donated at some point. The potatoes and carrots are so fresh, they’re my favourite in the box

A lot of people seem to be getting the boxes that don’t want or need them. I am volunteering for the local food bank and we have had lots of people asking if we can collect their boxes and put them to use as they don’t want them but can’t seem to get them stopped!

@FuzzyPuffling we got a miniature soap and two minatire shampoos.

I did get meatbls, chicken one. My niece will receive them gratefully I'm sure as no way could I get DS to touch them.

He dumped, knocked and was pulling away before I opened the door so no way to send it back, I'll try again online to cancel them.

I've certainly never got shampoo or conditioner!

We got one it had 4 hotel size samples of hair and body wash and 2 crushed mini hotel soap bars.

Weetos
Defrosted frozen bread
1 carton uht milk
2 sachets of rice
meatballs I think
2 tins mushy peas
2 tins soup

Cant recall all the rest- no tuna or bolognaise (no pasta)

I called the slip on the invoice- Bidfoods or similar and cancelled with them

I’m in a similar area to @FuzzyPuffling on the Cornwall/Devon border. In my box (first one) I received

3x tins tomato soup
2x tins baked beans
1x tin tuna
1x tin meatballs in tomato sauce
1x jar bolognese sauce
2x litre long life semi skimmed milk
1x pack of rice
1x pack of 2 portions pasta
1x box of Cheerios
1x large pack digestive biscuits
1x frozen loaf of bread
6 eating apples
6 oranges
Bag of potatoes
Onion the size of a small melon
1/2 large red cabbage
2x individual servings of fruit cocktail in plastic pots
50g pack of instant coffee
20x teabags (looks like a box of 80 has been split between a number of people)
5x mini hair/body wash
1x toilet roll of the sort you’d find in a local public toilet (single ply and not very robust)

The contents would make an interesting week’s menu - breakfast would be fine so long as you are happy to have just cereal. Lunches ok for 5 days (beans on toast, toast and soup) and a dinner or 2 (tuna and pasta with a dollop of bolognese sauce, onion and potato and red cabbage mixed with more of the bolognese and meatballs plus rice or pasta. Great for morning/afternoon tea or coffee and a biscuit or 2. Something to spread on the bread would be useful - tube of longlife cheese spread or a jar of mayo that could be mixed with the tuna, even a jar of jam or meat paste. Some tinned vegetables in addition to the cabbage and onion would be useful; maybe a tin of ham or corned beef or the like as others have had in their boxes would be useful.

However, as a person who is shielding and has only been out to take her babies to hospital (5 days apart and both in the back of a blue light ambulance) before the 23rd March lockdown announcement, I’m grateful that the government are providing us with this service and I will be able to make use of it all as I have a freezer with stuff in it.

My mum has just had her second one, she doesn’t need it as she’s been able to get supermarket delivery slots (although her reoccurring Asda one is only monthly! 🙈) but she’s reluctant to cancel the boxes because of the way the criteria is worded it might take away her Supermarket delivery. She’s coeliac so there’s lots she can’t use so that goes straight off to the food bank. I agree with whoever said about the onions, the ones she’s had have been bloody enormous!

I will be able to make use of it all as I have a freezer with stuff in it. I think this is the how, that they're topping up bits but T some point, people who can't get out or get food in will run out of the bigger stuff too so hope thry get help to sort delivery slots.

Hoep your babies are doing OK, I've been there with one let alone two xx

We only got three tiny hotel sized body washes this week. We shall be getting grubbier! Used to get two decent loo rolls, now just one grotty one and two jars of pasta sauce, now just one. At least one, and often more, of the tins is dented every week.

We definitely think the box is getting smaller and poorer quality.

Still, I'm not really complaining (especially since I was told on another thread that I was ungrateful, insufficiently humble and twisted for not thinking it is wonderful. (I repeat, furlough pays up to £2500 a month, we are only "deserving" of £30 a week of cast offs.)

Rememberallball I reckon you must live quite close to me!

@FuzzyPuffling, we could walk to a certain pasty factory from home without breaking a sweat!! If that makes sense then, yes, we’re likely very local!!

@SleepingStandingUp, thanks they’re doing ok after their trips to hospital in March but one decided to have a miserable day today and has gone to sleep tonight with a temperature of 39c 😢 hoping it’s a ‘normal’ virus!!

rememberallball I'm rather nearer a certain cheese factory!

@FuzzyPuffling, was very disappointed this week - no bowling ball onion 😩 but we did get chopped tinned tomatoes and tinned mushy peas! Also a bonus is my baby twins ate the red cabbage in their mixed veg purée!!