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?

I’m sure I’ve read somewhere that treats cause a bloody riot because they can’t give them to one person without giving them to everybody. They have to standardise the packages so it’s not seen as favouritism.

I have to say that I totally agree with this. A lot of virtue signaling going on

i dont eat tinned peas myself as i am lucky enough to have a freezer and i reckon not everyone has a freezer, so bought a tin of peas for the foodbank

I always include sachets of hot milky drinks or cuppa soups in winter because, while not terribly nutritious, they are warming and easy. I also avoid anything, like raw pasta, that needs cooking.

I donate to Banquet every month by direct debit. They have better buying power and can get what the food Banks are short of each month.

I mainly do online shopping for myself so rarely go into a supermarket, but when I do I try and get something more treaty to put in the box.

I do get the dilemma of getting one branded vs multiple ‘saver’ items, so tend to go middle of road and just pick something nice that’s on special offer.

It sounds like that’s an ok approach to take based on what volunteers here have said

there shouldn’t need to be such reliance on food banks - but unfortunately there is and so I don’t think it’s right that all people receive is the most basic value stuff.

Meh I think you're being harsh. At least she's donating. Most people don't.

Maybe combine with chucking in some bits they've specifically asked for too.

There needs to be a way to donate via online shopping. We have same issue.

Whilst I do think money is more useful, money can also be misappropriated more easily than food, so that’s a big part of why people prefer to give tangible things like food, which is less likely to be misused.

You can write in the notes that it's for the foodbank

@painochocolate I got hooked on ''coffee mate'' while living years ago without a fridge- I much prefer it in coffee to milk, and the price of it now is extortionate.

Treats in food banks surely are a good thing.

Years ago, my school used to do harvest festival boxes for 'Pensioners' - they always asked for sugar and tea!

I read a similar thread on here a few years ago, and a MNer who had had to use foodbanks said that she really appreciated getting some non-essentials alongside the essentials. She said it was horrible not being able to give her kids an occasional treat when she was picking them up from school and every other child seemed to be getting something from their parent at pick up.

I think that, if you are having to use a food bank, the odd treat is arguably more important than at other times, because anything that gives you a little lift will help you cope a bit better - whether that is a nice latte for yourself or a little chocolate bar to give your kids.

We do the big shop online now, but dh will put things in the basket at the Co-op if he remembers, and we donate to the Trussell Trust, but when we were doing the big shop in person, I used to fill a bag for the food bank, and I put in mainly essentials - tinned soups, tinned meat/fish/veg, coffee, tea, UHT milk, cereal, sugar etc, sanpro and toiletries, and some treats - chocolate biscuits, cake bars - individually wrapped where possible - and ling life desserts.

This is where I donate. You can nominate a local food bank if you want or the money can be used where it’s most needed.

I appreciate not everyone can donate a regular amount each month though.
https://www.bankuet.co.uk/

We just did a big collection at work and when we dropped it off they were over the moon we put in things like tooth brushes, sanitary products as they says they struggle for things like that

https://www.ocado.com/browse/occasions-entertaining-30941/gifts-178265/donate-food-vouchers-261104?showOOS=true

I'd totally put those in and hot chocolate you can make with water

Great idea!

Milk just doesn't last half a day without a fridge in summer .

@Jumbojade I give what I would eat
So I know own brand jam or peanut butter is fine and toothpaste
But if I'm looking at say a brand of coffee and know I've tried it and it was vile, I would give the one I would drink

Yeah I usually buy what I'd buy myself tbh

I did go for own- brand items and things from value ranges, rather than branded, because it meant I could put more in.

I did look for 2 for 1 deals on things I needed, so one for us and one for the food bank.

Just wondering if it would be better if food bank users could have a Tesco voucher, or similar, and choose their own items? Obviously those donating would then have to give money rather than items they’ve bought.

Instant latte sachets? I would go for instant coffee and completa powder milk and sugar packets. Sound a bit not first necessity products but I get where you are coming from and it is not a bad idea tbh. Lots of people like coffee.

Some of the comments on here seem like some people think you are literally handed a bag of food and it’s “like it or lump it” or “you get what you get” etc (for example someone said they would be gutted if one of their items was instant coffee because you can’t make a meal out of it). But that’s not how food banks work is it? Surely people say what types of things they need and they will get given these items as much as possible. There would be no point me having coffee - I don’t drink it. I would prefer a bottle of squash. Obviously I can just drink water but if food banks give coffee/tea they can give squash if it’s been donated. Surely they don’t just hand over a bag of random products to people?

Hello!

As a leader of two foodbanks (trussel trust) for years now, I can say yes, by all means put treats like lattes in. It's not self indulgent as the unhelpful person said! Everything is appreciated and yes why shouldn't the clients get a nice thing or two?

We of course ALWAYS need the essentials (and would, for example, prefer 2 own brand products rather than 1 branded product) to fill up our crates, which are in a set format of 3 days of emergency food.

FYI:

Extra treats like your lattes go on our 'extras' table. So for those who don't know, the clients are given their crates (which include food for 3 days) and then we have tables with extras on; one table for fruit and veg (bought in from a wholesaler), one with bread items and eggs (again, bought in from monetary donations), one with extras such as lattes and nice things like sugar, oil and squash which don't go in the crates as standard, and then a toiletries/household products. These extras really make a difference.

The feckless users would sell them like they did milk tokens though. At least giving physical food means the kids of those type of people would have something to eat.

I don't see how it's virtue signalling. It's mumsnet not Facebook