DH is using community pantry for free food

[cookingaroast]

There is a community pantry in our village, with the purpose being to cut food waste. I completely support cutting down on food waste, and the food provided is all from supermarkets who would otherwise throw the food out. My issue is more I'm a bit uncomfortable with us taking the food.
We are both in the tech industry and both fall into the higher tax bracket for our salaries, more than capable of paying for food ourselves.

I've said to DH I don't think we should be utilising this resource and leave the food for others who need it more than us but he loves the bargains (free food) he gets from it. He genuinely wants to show off the stuff he's picked up whenever he goes - which is usually once a week.

I guess I feel a bit uncomfortable that this free food could be a lifeline to people. I do like charity shopping and getting a bargain but I don't feel as bad, as I'm paying what they decide they feel it's worth and the money is going to charity. This is completely free and run by volunteers.

My local scrapstore often has a loaf of surplus food from shops too. They post on FB with pictures of it asking people to take it. The reiterate that you do not have to be in need to take it.

My local one doesn't. It says several times on their website that anyone can use it.

I think it is often difficult to tell. There are services in my area that are referral-only or advertised as serving those in food poverty which is very straightforward, and then there are those who advertise as 'open to all' or 'all welcome' but in practice they aren't really meant for/used by everyone. I've seen communal hot meals at churches advertised on Olio. Lines can be blurry.

Why is it disgraceful?

It's a community pantry to avoid food going to water not a food bank for people struggling and he is using the food not wasting it.

I don't see the problem. If it was food meant for people struggling then yes that would be disgraceful because he is depriving people who need it more but in this case it's open to the community to avoid having to throw the food away.

A community kitchen is open to anyone, there's no shame in using one no matter who you are. A food bank requires a referral so that's totally different

Why? Just out of spite? You'd rather food get thrown away than someone save a few quid on their grocery bill? To what end?

I once found a book hidden in a public place and inside was a note saying it was part of a massive global project where people read books, then leave them somewhere for others to find and read, and then leave somewhere else, etc. Books would be shared for free all over the world and travel internationally. Hurrah!

So I took the book home and started reading it, and it was some kind of weird pornography from start to the point where I stopped reading. I think it was intended to be read as some kind of running allegory but whatever the message was, I wasn't prepared to wade through graphic descriptions of bestiality and women doing obscene things with ping pong balls to find it. Book ended up on the bonfire.

It's not a food bank it's to prevent waste, I'd say why not.

Hi @cookingaroast

My charity operates a community food hub. It has a number of objectives.

It increases community spirit, by people donating to know they are contributing to their local society.

It reduces food miles. Local allotment owners put produce directly in there. Apples have travelled 400yds rather than 4000 air miles.

It reduces food waste. Any local stores with surplus that would otherwise be thrown away, donate.

It provides food support to those in need.

Now, just taking those 4 objectives, the first 3 are things that people choose to engage with. The 4th is not a choice, it's a need.

Many people use our hub, but it's staffed with volunteers, so we always hold back enough for those priority users, because some people are just grabby and take their fill just because it's free, with no thought or consideration. Lots of people like the food we have for "green" reasons, and that's great, but it's like there's an unspoken rule that if you don't need then you don't continuously take take take without giving anything back. Whether that be a donation, or volunteering your time, it's the decent thing to do.

We advertise ours as reducing food waste because it helps people who are in desperate need, but too embarrassed to be seen taking "charity hand outs" feel less stigmatized in coming along. Food banks need referrals and it's not very dignified to have to get one, when you're already in a difficult state, in my opinion.It's often the people who need it most, who are the last to take. This doesn't appear to have occurred to your husband, but I can assure you, it's not in good taste what he's doing. It's all one sided and just a bit grabby. Give back. It's a community pantry. It's a wee bit sad that he needs to be told that.

You are overthinking this.

Your DH is saving food from going to landfill.
Make a donation to the charity ever so often to support it and admin costs, but keep using it as that's the way it'll be available to the community....

We have one of these in our town and they’re designed to cut food waste (we have a separate food bank for those struggling) so don’t see the problem at all - it’s to be used, and will likely just go to waste if everyone doesn’t get involved.

A food bank, and a community pantry are very different things, if someone needs a food bank then of course both could be very helpful to them.

However... I used to volunteer at a community pantry, and because the donated items are generally close to their expiry we encouraged everyone to take some. In fact, if people didn't then we'd have to chuck it out anyway which felt worse.

So you actually want (for example) 5 loaves of bread and several packs of some kind of cake on/past their best before date, 3 bags of slightly limp carrots and 4 packs of wilted basil on a given day that need to be used within a couple of days or frozen? I mean if they happened to have corriander as the herb instead I guess you could make a big batch of soup but would you even get through the bakery stuff? Or do you just resent the idea of anyone better off getting cheap food as a matter of principle regardless of whether or not it makes a difference to anyone else?

Is it a free one or is it a set fee though? We have one locally that you pay £8 per bag. Still way cheaper than in the supermarket. Everyone can use it.

Are you serious? Means testing people? It should be down to the morals of those attending places giving out free food not to want to take it from those less fortunate than themselves. As for food being left over, how do you know that and if there is, it should still be given to the needy not the high earners!

We have a community food group which is open every Friday and the aim is to reduce food waste.
I went along one morning to see what was going on and spoke to the organisers who were adamant that everybody was welcome and, whilst people experiencing need were obviously included, the aim wasn’t to operate as a food bank and that no one should feel that they couldn’t take part.
I’ve been a couple of times and filled a bag. Your husband isn’t doing anything wrong or to be ashamed of. Make the most of a community facility and, if you need to feel better, donate something to the local food bank.

It may be that there are similar offerings nearby which aren't part of the network. Hubbub have set criteria for network membership. It's worth a Google to see if you can find something closer.

Yeah....I probably would have chucked that away too 🤢
My local railway station book shelves are usually the latest chick lit or crime novels. It's pretty good.

Another good resource for combating food waste - but very few and far between and there is criteria job wise or benefits wise - is The Company Shop

Just had a look and there is one very close to my house (in a large village with extremes at both ends of the scale as I mentioned above) and it clearly says "Yes it is completely free, all we ask is that you only take what you need so that we can help as many people as possible". As I said before, they run out more often than not.

So it would be the height of selfishness if the OP's husband rocked up there and filled a bag. I mean in theory he could I suppose but I would say that a family of two higher rate tax paying earners does not fall into the category of needing free food.

Then the ‘open to all’ shouldn’t state ‘open to all’ - it’s pretty simple. Words have meaning.

How about being able to choose neither?

Yes perhaps the words "no referral needed" would be better but one of the reasons that these places exist, food waste issue aside, is because of the stigma surrounding food bank use. So I would imagine "open to all" helps users feel less shame about going there.

They are really good. I am a member of one but its about 30 miles away so I am yet to make the trip, but my friends mum (who put me on to it) saves a fortune by shopping there.

Give it the "needy" how?
It's literally there available to collect.
If no one collects it then it's going in the bin.
They won't be delivering it to people personally.