To think food banks aren’t fit for purpose

[ForFirmBiscuit]

I don’t need to use a food bank but when I did they gave me tins of soup, a small tin of meat pie, a litre of UHT and a small bag of oats, nothing fresh. I didn’t get much and I was really hungry as there wasn’t enough calories and it was insubstantial. It gave me loads of anxiety to be so hungry. It’s always been like that.
I think food banks should be supplied by the council and given proper budgets for good food, even if they made batches of soup themselves to give out it would be more filling than a tin of soup

And do you donate ether food, money or time to the food bank now?

I would like to but I can’t really afford to

Honestly op what do you want the volunteers of the food bank to do?

You need to write to your MP and demand they improve the benefits system and in my opinion not criticise the food bank!

You don't have to justify yourself to anyone OP. I doubt many would visit a foodbank unless they were desperate.

A tin of soup is around 200 cals for the whole tin - Heinz tomato is a little more at 225 cals - whereas Lentil is less at 190 cals

Have you considered helping out of you don't have the money to donate, you can always donate time. Then you can be part of the solutions you suggested rather than just moaning that charity isn't charitable enough.
People are fast to moan they don't get enough but are not so fast to help others get a share.

You could volunteer ? Even an hour a week to sort out donations ?
I did an extra shift this morning as they were short staffed and when I was making up packs I thought about this thread and actually felt quite down.
I know most people are grateful but some of the comments have saddened me.

I did hear one woman complaining that we didn’t have Pampers nappies only Boots ones.

Thank you for helping people I used to but working full time, caring requirements at home and with elderly parents and general parent life has left me very time short. I do miss it and I used to talk to the people and signposting when needed when they collected. I.ised to hand out coffees and sandwiches and support the local homeless with showers, clean clothing and toiletries.

I have heard so may people complain about the brands we have had, people saying the want halal because they get better quality, gluten free because heard they get a better mix and so on. It can get very disheartening and the OP is not helping with my feelings with this.
One can only donate what is donated and without people putting in we can't put out!

Ok but I’d love it if you and everyone else accusing me of being ungreatful for the brands or type of food would stop, because I didn’t say that. I just didn’t want to be hungry as it wasn’t enough food. That’s what I said.

If you think about it though, they give out a standard amount. It might fill me up, it might not fill up my husband. Either way, they only have a certain amount. They're not going to say 'go ahead and peruse the aisles'. If you took loads, someone else could be left with nothing.

I volunteer at a food bank twice a week and to be honest I'm on the point of leaving because of the venom directed at volunteers these days.

A few years ago, it was a different experience, I felt as though I was actually helping and making a difference to people's lives. I made friends with a number of people we supplied goods to, a few of whom are volunteering with us today.

But now, we seem to be thought of as a shop place, there to supply folk with what they want - you would not believe the effing and blinding I had today from two separate women because I only had supermarket own brand instant coffee and it was too hot for soup, so wtf was I thinking.... and that, or a variant happens EVERY time I work.
We have had to have people removed by the police, I have been spat at and called a stuck up cunt, but to balance that, we have some lovely clients who are simply struggling and need a hand to hold.

It's bloody soul destroying for anyone having to use a food bank, I get that, but we are volunteers who take verbal abuse on a daily basis. We do not deserve that.

As for still being hungry after receiving a food package, I'm surprised. We would always be sure to supply calorific foodstuffs where possible, tinned soup, but with bread to bulk out, or cereals with milk for example.

It's not perfect, but OP - do you not blame the Government for the position you were in? Or your workplace for paying so little? Did you notfeel a modicum of thankfulness that it was available in the first place? That people donated the food that left you hungry? That volunteers spent days ensuring there was food available.
But no. We didn't stay up at nights making soup for you.

I'm sorry if I sound bitter, I'm just so disillusioned at the moment, I've never felt so down and depressed about volunteering there.

@Fartooold sorry you're experiencing this. I had the same issue when I volunteered. We had a list for different types of household, eg a single person would get:

X boxes of cereal
X tins of tomatoes
X packets of rice/ pasta
X tins of soup
X tins of pulses

And so on. Then, people would unpack it outside and be SO RUDE about the contents + bring stuff in demanding to swap to brands etc. just got fed up in the end!

You are coming across very blunt and pretty ungrateful tbh. I sympathised with you earlier in your thread but reading your most recent comments it's difficult to be sympathetic. At the end of the day, food is food. You couldn't afford any, and were given some - moaning that it isn't fresh is a kick in the theeth for people who volunteer their time and donate.

what did I just say? Stop accusing me of things. I didn’t moan that it wasn’t fresh. I moaned that it wasn’t enough. I pointed out that fresh would be more filling. That said, there is filling food that can come from tins.

You're very much coming across like you think you're too good for tins. I don't think that's gonna fly at a food bank.

I don't think the OP is coming across like that at all. People should be entitled to food though and the government is just allowing charities to fill the gap when there shouldn't be one

Accusing you of things? You have been very blunt to people this whole thread!

I get it, I do. I grew up with basically no food and its had an impact on me my whole life. However, Complaining because you don't deem the food you are given for free acceptable is just so ungrateful and so rude to people who volunteer to help feed you.

I am autistic. Stop accusing me of things I haven’t said and stop inferring messages from what I haven’t said.

So am I.

Treat people helping you with kindness and respect. Be thankful to people feeding you.

This 100%

Tins are food though, and not necessarily bad. They're obviously not going to be for every day but if you're very stuck then it's not wise to stick up your nose.

Then maybe when you have stopped suffering from executive dysfunction and are more able to think straight, you can consider that it is difficult to know how I come across or know what someone else will infer from what I say, as is the nature of the autism spectrum disability. You may also be able to understand that I wasn’t ungrateful for what I got, and I was not unable to see that others had volunteered their time and resources. I was miserable because I was still hungry. Simple as

I'm going to ignore your ableist comments.

Here is where I'm struggling to understand why you are so ungrateful

Oh, I thought I mentioned I needed the food bank a while ago. Not now.

Totally understandable to have a moan when all you have to eat is a tin of soup and you are suffering with hunger.

You said you needed it a while ago, so really you've just come online to complain that the food people have donated, and the time people spent volunteering to provide you with food wasn't good enough. Whilst not currently (thankfully!) going hungry.

And also not helping to improve the food bank in any way for current and future people needing its help who may feel the same as they did.

I'm starting to think this is a troll post tbh