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.

As the neighbour had apparently 're donated some of the items, I don't see why others cannot do the same.

@Hawkins001

And for every person who might do that, there will be thousands who devour every morsel they are given.

How does you highlighting this non problem help?
What do you do to help those less fortunate than yourself?
Nothing I'm guessing, as why else would your priority on this thread be posting inflammatory nonsense?

When I donated to my local food bank a couple of weeks back, I donated three m and s, mixed shortbread tins, and every so often when I buy tinned vegatables, I donate some of them to.

And to answer why I brought up the issue, is the ops point about food banks running out, and part of the problem, is people not re donating items they don't want, which another op, started a thread about.

@Hawkins001 Glad you took the unwanted food back, very good of you.

Can literally anyone access a food back then? Your neighbour doesn’t need food if they are this wasteful, they’re also very selfish!

Threads like that do so much damage. If even one person keeps bringing this up, there will be others who start to blame foodbank users for all of their own problems.

It was not me, that made the previous thread about their neighbour, but to donate to a food bank, the supermarkets near me have collection trolleys for items

Some of them might. One local to me is struggling because of decrease in food/fund donation and increase in demand.

Oops sorry @Hawkins001 I don’t have my glasses on 😳
Yes I always pop some stuff in the trolley/box, usually pasta, a nice jar of sauce, coffee/tea and sugar/long life milk.

That's ok, I'm just as bad at times, that's the thing if we all try to help and do our part, it all helps

Our local foodbank has told me that they're at capacity for food. That's because all the local churches do harvest festival and they get huge numbers of donations from them and some schools too. That doesn't mean that they don't need stuff though.

They'll probably be okayish until Christmas as people think of them while buying Christmas stuff, but it'll be January when they struggle. People don't tend to think as much about donating at that time of year, but that's also the time they can get overwhelmed with referrals as people lose the Christmas job/realise they are running out of money/have to spend more on heating etc.

But also for people who do pop a tin in the basket regularly, do consider donations by direct debit. It often doesn't feel as directly helpful as putting a physical object in, but it means that they can buy food, and especially food they're short of, at times when it's lean pickings. The money does go directly to help people, none of the people running it are paid in ours, so it's either to buy food, or petrol costs, or other ways of helping. It also, if you do it monthly, means that they can budget and know that they'll have a certain amount coming in each month that means that they can work out what they can afford to buy.

They also tell me that the number of referrals they're currently getting is far greater than they've had for several years and more are coming each week.

I don't think they'll flat out run out but it will get very very tight. I'm being a lot more mindful of items that they explicitly request as before I'd just buy a couple more of general tins of beans for example and think job's done. I do worry though because many families are having to choose between heating and eating. Work for a long time has not been a route out of poverty and I'm hoping the wider consensus is people take note this has all happened under a tory government and our current PM could personally finance an end to the need for food banks and still have enough money left over to buy an island. But I digress..

And then you have some people throwing away good food items they get from a food bank, it really is a puzzlement with some persons perspectives at times.

24 hours later and you're still spouting the same gossipy shite 🤯

our current PM could personally finance an end to the need for food banks

Some European countries are moving in the opposite direction:

June 2022
Spain is aiming to crack down on food waste

The bill also includes measures to force supermarkets and restaurants to work with neighbourhood organisations and food banks to limit waste. Medium- and large-scale businesses involved in the food chain will have to submit plans to prevent waste, with the priority placed on donating food prior to its best-before date.

The legislation will now head to parliament for approval, and the government hopes to have the new law in place by early 2023. It follows similar efforts in France and Italy.

www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jun/07/spain-fights-food-waste-with-supermarket-fines-and-doggy-bags

Feb 2016
French law forbids food waste by supermarkets.

France has become the first country in the world to ban supermarkets from throwing away or destroying unsold food, forcing them instead to donate it to charities and food banks.

Now bosses of supermarkets with a footprint of 400 sq metres (4,305 sq ft) or more will have to sign donation contracts with charities or face a penalty of €3,750 (£2,900).

“Most importantly, because supermarkets will be obliged to sign a donation deal with charities, we’ll be able to increase the quality and diversity of food we get and distribute,” ... “In terms of nutritional balance, we currently have a deficit of meat and a lack of fruit and vegetables. This will hopefully allow us to push for those products.”

www.theguardian.com/world/2016/feb/04/french-law-forbids-food-waste-by-supermarkets

Many food banks are run by charities or funded by council money. Donations from supermarkets only make up a small % of the donations.

I know a small council funded food bank that has been told their funding will be cut or stopped by next March so they have recommended charging a small few for a set amount of items to keep the food bank going, i.e. £5 for 20 items. In the councils words not mine - 'people must realise food isn't for free' so I guess council funding across the country for food banks might end at some point.

Just for info.

I do online shopping with Sainsburys, it is possible to add a donation for FareShare - from £1. Ocado also do, though they have a minimum of £2.50.

I tried to do a charity donation through Morrisons but it said 'Item not available' on the final bill. I don't think Asda offer the facility, not sure about Tesco as I don't use them for online.

I find it easier to just add the donation from my favourites list then remembering to physically put something in the donation point in the shop.