aibu to buy instant latte for the foodbank

[painochocolate]

My DH says they'd prefer pasta and tinned goods but I like to buy three of whatever treat I'm getting for myself and put two in the foodbank. So this week it was instant latte. He thinks that's nuts. Aibu?

Small packets of teabags will be for a single person. Medium for a couple or small family, and a large box for a large family.

There has never been a 'bloody riot' ever, especially not over treats. Everyone gets a treat in their box as standard (trussell trust) and then there are treats on the 'extras' table (as explained in my previous post) which people can help themselves too.

I always give some bits off the Needed List but also some treat bits. Bad enough being short of money for food. Nice to have something nice too.

Gosh I didn't realise oil would count as a treat! Thank you!

A typical food parcel includes:

• Cereal
• Soup
• Pasta
• Rice
• Tinned tomatoes/ pasta sauce
• Lentils, beans and pulses
• Tinned meat
• Tinned vegetables
• Tea/coffee
• Tinned fruit
• Biscuits
• UHT milk
• Fruit juice

Source: trussel trust

People are given the chance to take out what they don't like. As you can see, no crate would have squash, but there's likely to be some on the 'extras' table. If you got coffee and wanted tea, we would try to swap it from another crate.

I'm sure whoever receives it will be delighted OP - those who struggle financially need a treat just as much as everyone 😙 yes I'm sure tinned foods and stuff are probably more standard practical day to day items but a treat never goes unnoticed. I always make sure to put some cakes/dessert/rice pudding etc in my donation as a pudding is nice for kids and keeps you warm and full in the winter. Xx

What's interesting is that the people who work in the foodbanks emphasise the essentials, whereas the people who have had to use foodbanks in the past say how much difference little treats made to their morale.

It is actually possible to virtue signal anonymously on Mumsnet. It happens here all the time

@Lovegood thanks for the information. A lot of whats on that list I wouldn’t eat (or know what to do with - a tin of lentils for example). I know people would say (if I was ever in that situation) I should be grateful (I would be) but it would be a total waste giving me tinned meat or fish because I literally would not eat it.

Yes!

food banks will ask your cooking/food storage facilities so if you’ve only got a kettle because you’ve escaped from DV or your house has burned down and you’re in a B&B they can provide something much more appropriate for your needs.

not everyone can heat up a tin of beans or have fresh or UHT milk to hand because there isn’t a fridge.

instant coffee sachets are a good go between. So is coffee creamer

and an instant latte or cappuccino (or bars of chocolate or cake or biscuits or a nice shower gel) can make you feel more human and that people do actually care when you’re in crisis.

give the hug in a mug OP and throw in some instant hot chocolates too.

Yes, I hear you! Which is why we have the 'extras' tables I described above. The list was made by nutritionists but of course doesn't take into account personal taste.

So, you might not want a lot on that list, but take loads of fruit, veg, eggs, bread, etc from the extras instead.

And anything anyone doesn't want from their crates goes on a table for others to take- so it all gets taken in the end, if that makes sense.

My neighbour volunteers at our local food bank. She says they put a set amount of basics in the parcels, then everyone can pick three things from the treat table and whatever they need from the toiletries table too.

They are also running a school uniform bank over the summer and have asked for new socks and pants.

OK I won’t bother.

Honestly you’re the self indulgent one. Telling all us plebs who put stuff in the food bank that we’re only doing it to make ourselves feel warm and fuzzy.
I’m a single parent with no help from anyone else. I earn £48k so I’m not poor at all. I donate about £150 per month to various charities. I do this because I care about those causes. I have no need to make myself feel warm and fuzzy by donating to the food bank. In fact, it’s a bit of a pain because I sometimes forget, then have to grab stuff when I’m already at the till . I have plenty of costs to cover for myself, and would happily use the money I spend on food bank food. So if you don’t think they want my purchases I’ll keep the money myself!

I always include san-pro and roll-on antiperspirant in my donation at the supermarket, so that women who use the food bank can have the dignity of personal hygiene, as well as our family donating money direct so that the food bank can get whatever else they are running low on that week. San-pro shouldn't be a luxury, but I worry that women desperate to feed their families might consider it to be one, if they can't get it at the food bank.

Food banks can get more than £1 worth of food from a £1 donation because they buy in bulk and make deals with food producers. That doesn’t mean that they’re don’t desperately want and need donations of food (and often toiletries) from the public. Don’t let the sanctimonious twat put you off.

The list I found for mine says no san pro. I think they must get it in bulk somehow. Maybe the big companies donate it directly? Deodorant is near the top of the urgent list though.

Much better to buy actual pasta I think. Goes much, much, much further than 1 pot.

These threads are nearly always started to virtue signal, but I think giving in general is more complicated. It's really easy to walk into a supermarket, see the food bank bins, and remember to buy a few things extra, than it is to find the food bank's details and make a bank transfer. It's also a lot more doable to buy a few extra things now and again than to commit to a monthly direct debit.

If shops didn't allow us to donate food, food banks would definitely not recieve the equivalent in cash instead. So this is a false dichotomy.

Not when people don’t have a way of cooking it! That’s why lots of just add boiling water products are on the lists.

I would buy it. Some people who use the food bank only have access to a kettle. With no fridge etc.

At ours, san-pro is sometimes even on the "particularly urgent" list, so I'm assuming they don't have the same arrangement? I tend to give it whether it is on that list or not, as women will always need it, and it will never go out of date.

@Mmhmmn yes if a person is in a B+B room with only a kettle then a Pot Noodle is 1000 times better than a big cheap bag of pasta. Because how are you going to cook the pasta?

Ah fair enough. I'm learning a lot from this thread.

Yeah like instant mash

Different foodbanks have different needs and ways of doing things so just check with your local one first. Mine has toiletries on the urgent list right now.