Travellers foodbank challenge.

[Devilesko]

Posting for traffic and suggestions.

We have started the fb challenge again this year as it's needed more than ever.
We challenge family members to buy an extra weeks worth of food and donate to food banks. Nobody is left out, we all have to rise to the challenge and want to, tbh.

I have posted on dozens of pages asking to remember to include san pro.
If anyone has suggestions that might be forgotten, I'd appreciate the heads up. Also, just to let the people in supermarkets and food banks aware, as this is usually done on such a big scale.

So far I have family in Leicester and Cheshire signing up. But will post other areas as I become aware.
Any suggestions will be very helpful.
Tia.

Can you add any of the pictures here ? It would be nice to see

Obviously removal of any faces as needed

I think it's a great initiative. Would echo "Free From" and stuff that can be consumed without needing a kitchen - yes noodles etc but also cereal bars and the like. Yes also to small boxes like cereal multipacks that can be split if necessary.

And puddings, treats, chocolates, maybe some magazines - CBeebies one that always comes with a toy, that sort of thing.

Tin openers!

This is a lovely thing for your community to do OP. Thankyou .

Thanks DawnMumsnet

I did post for legitimate ideas and am so thankful for those who post.
Thank you so much for the deletions, I'm typing on fb all the suggestions given, especially that of checking the local websites.

Bloody hell!!!!

So many links to the challenge, so many posts explaining it and still demands for more!!!

It's simple. For the last few years travellers have coordinated large donations to food banks. As Dev is doing here, they often ask if anything is much needed, maybe not on the usual list.

They don't donate so they can.take advantage of the scheme. They don't argue about any of the items we say we don't want. Locally they do offer to deliver to some far flung places (and no, not to case the joint) and have added small Christmas trees to our list... from our local farm, they take his 'thinnings' and take them round.

I'm as aware as anyone of the issues some travellers cause, I've posted about it a few times. But it REALLY isn't right to leap to the assumptions some here have!

Ideas to donate:
Hand wash
Shower gel
Shampoo
Conditioner
Deodorant
Toothpaste
Toothbrushes
Toilet paper
Washing up liquid
Antibacterial spray
Laundry powder
Pet food

Google your local food bank, they usually have a list of what they are short of.

Dear Lord, don't ask me to post links
I'm useless, but will try when pictures of trollies start coming in. I'll get a young person to show me. I'm on a desktop not phone.

Nappies, wipes and baby milk

Probably better to give cash directly to the food bank if you can.

That's what my local food bank are saying atm, they update it every month or so.

With many children out of schools for various reasons, are food banks looking for stuff to help with that? Like the pens, notepads, maybe used books etc?

...didn't load for some reason.

OP also did a very interesting AMA thread about the Romany community recently
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/AMA/4023429-Im-a-gypsyologist-AMA

If no-one has already suggested it, pet food, baby stuff nappies etc.

Oh and tin openers.

My best friend is from the travelling community OP (showmen not Romany) , sadly her dad died a few years ago so she has her own chalet with her partner and so does her sister and her mum has hers all on the same piece of land they own, and yes of course they pay their taxes. When they did this challenge they all chipped in together did a big trip to Costco and donated it. It's a great challenge. I hate the discrimination and assumptions about the travelling community, when I first knew her as a teen and visited for Sunday lunch for the first time her dad even said to me do your parents know where you are and are they ok with it? I told him my dad dropped me off. My family aren't bigots like a lot on here.

I used to work with a food bank, toiletries are always welcome, treats too, hot chocolate, jelly, custard/steamed puddings, plus baby and pet supplies

Yes! We've just had a whip round for can openers

Tins of non pork meat are high in our list at the moment.

Not chocolate or advent calendars, we have a regards donation of those.

Paper plates and bowls at the moment. Many clients don't have spare crockery and can't even begin to put on a 'spread' to make what they do have seem more generous. Thinking that through helps... a couple of bowls with crisps in makes the most meagre table seem more fun.

And this year we want wrapping paper. Our usual supplier went out of business. Many parents are so relieved when they see a roll of it on the Help Yourself Shelf.

Shame the op didn’t make her post clearer.

Shame you can't read, OP was perfectly clear and if it had said "white county families" instead of travellers there wouldn't be so much faux confusion.

OP: Our local bank is always needing sanpro, usually some of the "free from" items, especially lactose or soy free. A few treats are nice, especially at this time of year.

This page on the Trossel Trust site allows you to enter a postcode and get items needed by your local foodbank. For some reason sanpro isn't always listed although I've never come across a foodbank with enough of it!

www.trusselltrust.org/get-involved/ways-to-give/donate-food

As the way this challenge is done, it's representing everything people could need rather than three tins of value beans and one of spaghetti to stop them starving - as a result, I'd suggest;

Washing up sponges.
Dish brushes.
Bin bags.
Washing up gloves.

Tea towels.
Hand towels.
Reusuable lint brushes - the velvet type, rather than sticky rolls.

Hairbrushes.
Combs.
Afro combs.
Products for Afro/curly hair.
Nit/flea combs, whichever is the cheaper of the two - they're the same thing, but one is usually far more expensive than the other.
Hair bands.
Toothbrushes (soft bristle)
Tinkle facial razors - somebody who hasn't been able to afford to deal with their facial hair could feel too embarrassed to take a male shaving kit.
Flannels/face cloths.
Plasters - preferably clear ones, as they are less likely to have things in them that people are allergic to.

Small sewing kit.

Socks.
Gloves.

That's so cool op. Love this ♥️

As there are a lot of people who volunteer at food banks on the thread - for things like toilet roll is it best to stick with buying 4 packs of toilet rolls or if I was to get one of the big multipacks which often work out a lot better wokld the be able to be split to the individual items and distributed as needed?

(I hope that makes sense!)

Small packs please. At the moment we are loathe to break down larger packs.of many things.

I know, that's more expensive, but that's just how it works.

@Devilesko it's a fantastic thing to do, well done to you and the Travelling community.

Our local foodbank asks for things like cooking oil in 500ml not 1 litre amounts. So worth checking.

I donate to the foodbank every week and donate what could make a meal for 4. So this week I bought a Fray Bentos steak pie (the ones in a tin), 2 packets of Idahoan instant mash, a tin of carrots and a tin of peas. I know the FB will separate them but somehow I find it easier to shop for a complete meal.

Our local FB is currently asking for hand sanitizer and for snacks to go in school lunch boxes.

I often buy packs of 4 toothbrushes and some toothpaste. New toothbrushes are a luxury when you're broke

@CuriousaboutSamphire

Small packs please. At the moment we are loathe to break down larger packs.of many things.

I know, that's more expensive, but that's just how it works.

That’s fine that’s how I do it now it was just with PP mentioning having done a Costco shop it crossed my mind

So much outrage over MPs voting against meals during school holidays. Yet, when somebody is doing something proactive and making a difference, they get shot down.