What will be the answer when foodbanks start running out of stock

[ItisallPooh]

I know more and more people are having to utilise food banks. In our area, a huge employer shut its doors last month for the last time, many families had mum, dad and sometimes even grandparents working there. I personally know quite a few families really worried about affording everything.
Whilst I was doing my weekly shop, it occurred to me that it has been ages since I put more than one item into the food bank trolley. To be honest, there are times I have struggled to even put one thing in. Costs are rising so much, our two income public sector incomes are not stretching far at all.
I noticed that the food bank trolley used to be piled high. It never is nowadays. And more and more people are having to rely on them. What happens to the people who are struggling when even the food banks start running low on stock?
I keep thinking about it all evening. Our family are doing ok, not brilliantly but we are coping but I remember growing up being hungry and knowing that I couldn't ask mum for something to eat because she had no money left. We were living off benefits as she was undergoing cancer treatment, we had left my dad and our business as he was abusive. Our situation did eventually improve but it haunts me. I hate the thought that there will be families in exactly that situation with the added issue of heating and electricity costing a fortune too.
Food banks are wonderful but working families SHOULDNT have to be accessing them. Their wages should cover it. What a state this country is in. What is going to happen when even the food banks are struggling to help people because other folk can no longer afford to put stuff into them.

@Intru

oh those people... the ones using it to pay rent & electric. Damn those pesky kids needing to eat & have showers.

yes, some might be forced to 'divert it' from booze & weed, but many more will already be using it for essentials.

I suppose there's always theft or prostitution 😒

Food banks need to be rationed to those most in need. The first step should be a referral to a charity like Step Change who can go though all their outgoings and help put debt management plans in place. Plus make sure they are claiming all benefits they are entitled to.

I’m sure there are some people who have genuinely cut back everything but there will be those who still have expensive phone contracts/smoke/Netflix etc where savings could be made. And then look at the big stuff like moving somewhere cheaper to live.

I do feel there is a large proportion of society that feels entitled to live however they want, hence record amounts of personal debt. No-one has the right to a particular lifestyle, if you can’t afford it you can’t have it.

There needs to be much more done in school to help children learn to budget and take responsibility for themselves financially.

There have been articles on the BBC about children having to share a toothbrush, a young mother with a newborn who can’t afford to top up her electricity etc. In the mothers case she was with an older man who already had 3 children, and would have known when she got pregnant their financial situation was difficult. Why bring a child into that? And in the background of the pictures were all sorts of toys/clutter which just aren’t necessary.

In most cases people have got themselves into a situation of food poverty and need help getting out of it so they can be self-sufficient in the long term. Not given ever increasing handouts which will make the problem worse.

Food banks should be a short term safety net for those in dire need.

There's definitely a risk of food banks being unable to cope eventually. But in the short term they could increase supply considerably with a big publicity push reminding people of the need.

I'm pretty sure there's still a fair number of people who could give, and have given at various points but happen not to at the moment because it's not been explicitly highlighted (obviously it's implicit in the cost of living crisis news stories, but it's not received much of a push).

Just to draw attention to the fact that food banks are not the only food resource. In our area new food initiatives are starting up, whether that is produce ( veg and fruit ) sharing initiatives, or food cupboards, food fridges, soup kitchens etc. I think OLIO ( food sharing website) is excellent. The supermarkets and major food retailers have started their own initiatives. Many of the initiatives are available to anyone, anonymously. It is right to mention baby formula, nappies, period products are also essential. IMO a healthy, free to all, simple school dinner - pasta/sauce and a piece of fruit, would at least protect the children, along with free period products in schools , allocating more space to allotments and orchards(instead of selling it all off for housing) - no I’m not saying that struggling people should grow their own, but those of us who can, will grow stuff if they have the space and generally it’s free food and gets shared. Authorities cannot be relied on to resolve this issue. It is disgusting that a wage does not cover necessities. It is disgusting that there is the suggestion that schools should be forced to cut their food provision further (see post from a school governor over the weekend) Ultimately, sadly, it is up to each one of us and our communities, to watch out for each other, to put what we can in the food bank trolley, volunteer at a local initiative if we can, use and promote OLIO ( I love OLIO) and make sure we have no wasted food in our own homes. (Sorry if that comes across as preachy).

Such an interesting subject. I donate most weeks. I wish there was no need for food banks though.

In my less charitable moments I sometimes think that smokers should be banned from using them.

But that would be punishing their children.

Hopefully those with money will donate here www.trusselltrust.org/appeal/

I am finding what I donate has increased in cost by about 50%. At the moment I still give the same amount (ie number of items) but I'm grateful when I see our food bank is not asking for anything and I dont need to. Then I put things away for a post Christmas parcel because January is when things get really tough here.

@Underanothersky yes. And no. If it was made clear and parents chose to still smoke then it would be the parents responsibility.

Some parents feed their children fizzy drinks and that’s punishing their children long term. Some parents don’t give their children fresh fruit or vegetables. Some parents don’t vaccinate their children. Some of these parents are uneducated and have limited funds, some are highly educated, have well paid jobs but take the “easy” route/don’t think about their child’s health.

Children are reliant on their parents making good decisions for them in every area of their lives, every day.

I would like all schools to be funded properly so that the schools can provide healthy snacks and lunches (and actually also breakfast and an early tea if needed too).

This is exactly why I loathe those types of posts and think the people who post them are utter pieces of shit.

A throwaway remark and it becomes accepted wisdom trotted out by others.

You searched for someone on FB and went diving far enough to find a comment from a few years ago because you were so committed to proving a stranger you’d read about was not one of the ‘deserving poor’? Really?

What a deranged thing to do. Imagine being so consumed with contempt for your fellow humans that you’d devote time to this. Utterly bizarre behaviour.

Already twice in this thread people have said part of the problem is “people should move to somewhere cheaper”

Ok so do you have the £1000 or so it will cost to move? And where are all these cheaper houses because I don’t know anyone who looks at a list of houses that meet their needs and goes ‘actually I will have the more expensive one that I cannot afford’ and I do know a lot of people who are in unsuitable housing that is too small or quite far from their job but still costs more than is fair, because it’s all they can get.

haven't RTFT but what you see in the trolley isn't necessarily representative of what they get.
I donate money monthly to a foodbank. Recently, since we are OK financially, I have actually upped my donation, as I'm aware that many more people are struggling.

The trussell trust will have to spend the millions they have in the bank ? The apparently open door policy of many will return to referrals only so those in most need are prioritised ?

They have worked well for people on low incomes, yes. The minimum wage has increased at a far higher rate than has inflation, and the tax-free allowance has risen just as far, taking many lower-earners out of paying income tax completely.

I can’t get my head around the thought process here. If a parent is spending money on cigarettes rather than feeding their children then it is they who are “punishing” their children, not a food bank who could quite reasonably telling them that they should not be queuing up for free food when they are spending money on smoking.

Whilst I imagine most food bank users are people whose circumstances have changed and they have fallen on hard times, there are a few who do not need to use them but use them so they can spend their own only on treats and other things. About 2 years ago I was dropping off a load of tins to food back and arrived a bit early so waited in queue. I heard 2 women with pushchairs with toddlers in discussing which tattoo they wanted next. One said she had nearly saved enough. I was pretty shocked she was using food back as could not feed her kids when she was at same time saving for a new tattoo. She already had several up her arms. They opened centre them so I handed over bag to volunteer who took out tins and put on bench. Straight away this woman said oh can I have that corned beef and tuna? Volunteer handed her a carrier bag and said yes. I really think the answer is for schools to teach basic budgeting in PHSE in school. Prioritising bills is something everyone needs to learn. Not all parents have these basic skills so can't teach their children.

I did wonder this the other week, how many people would be unable to donate food. I've stopped too, because we cannot afford to anymore.

OP you can see what happens. People blame the poor. Same old same. It is why those most likely to donate to Foodbanks are those who have been there because they understand the reality.

Corporate sponsorship has been cut massively as well. Many are also tightening their belts in preparation of higher bills.

I wish supermarkets offered to give unused points to food banks, I know sainsburys let you donate them now.

I literally typed a name into Facebook and it was the first thing popped up. All of 10 seconds. And I first looked wondering if they lived near me and maybe I could help. That ok?

That thread was deleted for being a lot of goady rubbish.

People can make up anything they want on the internet. I have seen people claiming things on here that can not be true as it is not how the benefits system works.

@MissTrip82 it actually really depressed me - every time these stories are in the media I start out thinking how awful, theyve been really screwed etc, wonder if they are local to me maybe I could help. And I feel so gutted when I discover actually someone is in debt because they bought their kids all the treats I deny my kids, to save money.

I agree with @MummyGummy that teaching people how to budget and how to prioritise their spending is essential. If a child grows up in a chaotic home with parents who have no budget skills they won't have been taught about which bills must be paid first and saving up for a rainy day. That is why government should get schools teaching budgeting as a life skill. I had a Sixth Go tutor group and in Year 12 as well as UCAS applications I made them all learn Uni skills. These consisted of learning how to make an omelette, vegetable soup from scratch, cheese toastie, a spaghetti Bolognese, a toad in the the hole and cheesy/tomato bake with.breadcrbs and parmesan topping. I got them looks my up ingredients such as a dozen eggs and find highest and lowest prices they could find. So they could see choices had to be made between free range or battery eggs, size of eggs and price. I have them fictitious scenarios where they had to work out how to survive when they did not have much money to last term. We also discussed laundry, how to sort, hot v colder washes, different detergents etc. All this took 30 mins twice a week and students worked in teams that I put together. Many students had their eyes opened. They all learned which were cheapest hot foods to cook if they had little money. I will always remember one girl telling me she could now make omelette, salad leaves and have an apple afterwards for less than she could buy her Costa coffee for.