Food banks

[Parker231]

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

Posted in AIBU for traffic.

I’m a volunteer at a local foodbank. We are getting desperately short of donations and run the risk of not being able to help those who need it.
I’ve attached the link to search for what your local foodbank needs (everyone is different as to what stocks they have). If you are doing your shopping tomorrow, it would be very helpful if you could add a couple of items for the foodbank. Thank you

Are brand names always better quality? Supermarket own brands are usually just as good so I would go for quantity.

@lydiarose

Can I ask those of you that are volunteers, if I was going to spend, say £5, is it better to buy 10 'value' items at 50p each or fewer of the more expensive brand names? In other words, which is better for you - quantity or quality?

I don't volunteer at the food bank, but I tend to get supermarket brands, but not the 'value' ones. I think that if I needed the food bank, it would et me down a bit if everything I was given was the cheapest possible (and sometimes cheap and nasty)

Some value stuff is fine. But there's a big difference in some things (breakfast cereal springs to mind) so I buy the standard own brand, not the real low budget stuff.

Get me down, even.

I should have said that in my voluntary work, I refer people to food banks. It's worth bearing in mind that many people who need food do not have great cooking facilities (if any, in some cases). I've referred several who only have a single cooking ring. So things that are easy to heat up, and contain protein (so tins of minced beef or other meat and fish) are useful. Bags of dried pasta aren't much use to some.

I just like to say that some food banks are independent and won’t be on that link. Ours is and is run by a church based community project because there are no others, no one has any pressure whatsoever to join the church or do anything other than pick up food and that’s explicitly stated.

My area chose to not be part of the Trussell trust due to some of their policies, and there are things they supply that trussell won’t allow. I know they absolutely refused to have a jobcentre worker there “to help” (that help being into work). It caused a lot of division in the community amongst those who felt it was helpful for people to be directed into work and those who are, shall we say, more realistic regarding the dwp.

@Bigeggsinapackoften

No sorry. Local trussell trust have allied themselves with a very evangelical Christian organisation who use the food bank to recruit through the back door.

I do give to a food bank but not one with those sort of values.

The same happens where we are which is a shame I prefer to help people I personally know who need help with bits of food shopping and hand me down clothes and toys Charity begins at home

Forgot to add

When donating, if possible please remember those on special diets e.g. gluten free/nut free/diabetics as they may be left with very little due to lack of donations.

Also most of the people I know who struggle aren't people claiming benefits or unemployed
A lot of people work but outgoings are so much and with rent/ mortgage, bills, and huge childcare bills - people who don't fall into the threshold for getting any help whatsoever
These are the people who need extra support
People who do work, do contribute but are basically worse off financially than people who don't work at all and have everything paid for

I like the Morrison’s bags that you can buy. Bought one of those the other day. Can’t remember who it goes to though 🤷‍♀️

@LittleOwl153

Can I ask If I was to put a bunch of plastic bags in the Food Bank trolley would they be gratefully received?

Can I ask If I was to put a bunch of plastic bags in the Food Bank trolley would they be gratefully received?
Strong bags are always welcome.

Thanks for remindr. Was going to donate food but see I can donate money so have just done that

Here they are asking for just tinned sponge puddings, custard and creamed rice, to be honest junk we can do without. I wish we could donate healthy food like apples which are good at being kept

@myheartskippedabeat and in ours those people were targeted by the dwp worker to find better paid work and make better life choices. The lack of basic understanding was dreadful, well to anyone whose not had the delight of our jobcentre staff (the nicer ones having long since left).

There’s no requirement for benefits in ours. It’s based on need for any reason. Three referrals are allowed a year and only via specific people who are specifically trained in recognising need e.g. if not on benefits that will not automatically mean you’re refused.

@saraclara

Thanks for the reminder. I too wish that the donation trolley wasn't at the other side of tills. I see it and think 'oh no, I forgot again!'

Once a year the Trussell Trust has permission to put volunteers at the entrance of my local Tesco, handing out short shopping lists of things that are needed. I volunteered one year, and most people were really happy to take one and add something to their trolley. Of course some people were rude, but one kind man made my day. He did his own shopping, and then came back with another trolley to do a separate shop for the foodbank!

That's what I get involved in, standing at the entrance to the big local Asda superstore, and asking people if they'd like a shopping list - it gives ideas on the most needed items - jars, canned goods, plus dry goods like big bags of pasta and rice that can keep a family fed for several meals. Sometimes people need a bit of inspiration for food banks - so it helps take all the thinking out, when they're already scratching their head for their own family!

@babybythesea that sounds like a great arrangement by your local Tesco, I'm pretty sure ours isn't that organised. It's a medium sized store and the entrance tends to be filled with seasonal bargains like compost in summer and pumpkins this time of year.

I will nip in on Tuesday and drop a letter to their customer services team who are very responsive - just to suggest the ideas you've mentioned. Thankyou, hopefully it will really boost the donations for the Christmas season. Our Tesco does donate quite a lot already (cash and products) but I'm sure they can do more.

I looked up what my local food bank needs: tinned fruit and will put those in on Tuesday when I go shopping.

thehygienebank.com/

Can I also recommend this organisation if people are interested - like a food bank but for toiletries and cleaning products. I’m not sure how much of the country it covers but we have a donation point and warehouse locally. The local one definitely doesn’t have any religious connections!

@MrsFezziwig

thehygienebank.com/

Can I also recommend this organisation if people are interested - like a food bank but for toiletries and cleaning products. I’m not sure how much of the country it covers but we have a donation point and warehouse locally. The local one definitely doesn’t have any religious connections!

Thank you

@Monsterpumpkins

Will they take unopened bags of pull ups?

The Golden Hearted group on Facebook will

@gogohm - the foodbank parcels are designed by to provide a balanced diet. There is no reason why someone shouldn’t have sponge puddings and custard.

I’m sure everyone in Mn has chocolate, biscuits and pudding on an occasional basis.

We are non denominational and will not do the MP poverty porn pictures.

Check Facebook / Twitter / web page for what you local foodbank want or need. At the moment we have huge quantities of soup, pasta, baked beans, cooking sauces, tinned tomatoes, cereal, tea, vegetarian meals / pulses. But it changes & just because TT are short doesn't mean your local food bank needs it....... We have linked up with our other local foodbanks & if they are low on something we send it over.

We would love to see bags for life.... and there was a previous poster who said they were only asking for BfL - you may well live in our area. If you see a request for squash and fruit juice in the next couple of days you are.....

You can donate anything you want.

We currently have loads of veg boxes made up by a local allotment group.

We love it when we have loads of fresh fruit and veg to give out.

But sheesh why shouldn’t folk have sponge pudding and custard in the cupboard for a rainy day?

@gogohm

Here they are asking for just tinned sponge puddings, custard and creamed rice, to be honest junk we can do without. I wish we could donate healthy food like apples which are good at being kept

It's about calorific food that everyone will eat that doesn't take much time, facilities or fuel to put in a bowl.

When you are looking at people with very little of anything healthy eating is usually pushed further down the list of essentials.

Which is why, a few years ago there was a sustained set of threads about odd donations.

You'd be surprised at how divisive oat cakes and lentils can be.

I was always well meaning about picking up a few bits in my shop and dropping them into the food bank collection point. Some reason I didn’t always do it. Our Morrison’s put a trolly full of pre filled shopping bags at the entrance for you to grab , pay for when you go through the check out and donate on your way out. Genius. I do it ever week now . More shops should do this.

Reading the thread just before mine. Yes, not the stuff I would choose to “feed the hungry” but clearly well thought out for affordability by the person donating / calorific / easy to store / prepare. Sometimes I’m really surprised how much food the can put in a bag for around 3 pounds. It’s such a good idea.