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.

I volunteer at a Community Fridge. We are all different. Ours was set up to reduce food waste. I have said this upthread but I will repeat it again, I am overjoyed when I see anyone and I mean anyone taking bread from our Community Fridge.
No one wants to see anyone swoop in and take the lot. But that's not what's been up for debate here.
Our Community Fridge is generally overrun by bread and I find it incredibly irritating that after I've volunteered my time to get the food there, I then have to volunteer my time to remove it and take it for animal food/composting because that person 'in need' hasn't walked through the door.

Please take the bread.

The volunteers I know have told me that they really want ANYONE to take the food as they always have loads left when they close. Should I not believe them?
Many people have said they donate money or pay a membership fee.

For our local one, you don't know when it's going to close, it changes every day depending on volunteer availability. Many of the volunteers take bags and bags of food themselves to save waste.

WellI think it is clear that no one above poverty level is welcome and was wven openly stated we shouldn't be takimg part in anti food waste initiatives, so everyone above that level using these, stop.

Apparently it doesn't matter that food will just waste and the anti food waste initiatives will close, as some pps already pointed out happened. 🤷

I also think Thatcyancat that you doth protest too much!

You also think a community anti waste initiative open to all is the same as a dedicated food bank specifically for people in food poverty, so what?

The amount of food wasted, and not just from domestic homes, is a real issue. The figures are established. We do know that a lot of food is wasted and not eaten, even after being reduced, even after going to a community pantry.

Anti waste initiatives exist to combat this. Yes, there are people who abuse it, like the stories that were told of those who hung about just to swipe everything as soon as it appeared, but there's no suggestion that this is what OP's husband, or most people, do. For whatever reason, a lot of food gets wasted. It might be that there simply aren't many people in food poverty in the area, or they don't yet know about the service, or they feel ashamed to use it (which is why community initiatives for all help to destigmatise it) and so on. For whatever reason, food is being wasted.

There is absolutely nothing virtuous in calling for food to be wasted rather than eaten by someone who isn't in food poverty when it isn't going to get to someone in food poverty before it goes to waste. This isn't morality, this isn't frugality, this isn't even care for people in food poverty. It's straight up virtue signalling. Posters have literally tried to justify food waste rather than adapt their position and give up a bit of feeling self righteous and indulging in self serving hyperbole.

It's absolutely ridiculous.

There's been a few things said on this thread - such as yellow stickers are already available for poor people to buy

I can walk to my local supermarket but in the last flat I lived in the nearest one was two miles away. There's a reason why some pantries are set up in certain areas. In my area it costs five pounds return on the bus to get to a supermarket less than a mile away from my home.

Realistically someone living below the line isn't going to spend five pounds on bus fares to buy YS food at 8pm at night.

Im in Scotland and a lot of the community pantries in this area were set up after covid to help with food insecurity. People feeling isolated. The one where I used to live had school uniform banks and they gave free sanitary products. The area I used to live in had around 80 per cent of people living below the line.

I give back when I can - because I know what it's like to be in food poverty. Transport poverty and fuel poverty. There's been a distinct whiff in this thread of let the poor use food banks. You only get donuts anyway. Why would a poor person go to Waitrose

Maybe if people knew how hard it is for some poor people to actually walk through the door of a food bank they might think differently.

It's completely correct that community pantries aren't means tested, but in some cases that's to stop poor people feeling stigma than anything else.

The OPs husband can do what he likes. The set up is such that he can take his bargains weekly. I actually applaud anything that tries to help food insecurity - Im personally only sorry that there wasn't one in the area I live in now sooner. It would have helped me a lot when I was really struggling financially. And if other pantries aren't about helping people in food poverty and just getting rid of a lot of surplus food that's fair enough

When the community table near me was take what you want I was always mindful to leave things for other people - some folk were happy to take everything and leave people with nothing

A lot of poor people get stigmatised daily as it is. You know the assumptions that if you are poor you go to food banks so you can spend money on your cigarettes and iPhones.
There's a lot of assumptions made about poor people as it is, particularly those on benefits

There's a councillor in Yorkshire who asks people to donate. She runs an emergency referral service. People need to show they are in need. She'll top up people's fuel and deliver food parcels. A lot of people in that situation really are too proud to admit they are struggling - and wouldn't walk through the door of a traditional food bank

It's a shame in 2025 we are still having conversations about food poverty

as an olio person who sometimes gets 30 loaves of bread - I literally have a box by the door and anyone who comes to my door gets encouraged to take some - even the postman

I actually didn't say at any point that I would prefer for food to be dumped than someone on a high income taking it.

I have no idea of the incomes of the people who use my community table. I go and get what I need and then I leave.

And the reason I mentioned second hand clothes was only because lots of things end up in landfill. Not just food. Clothes, all sorts of items. If you are going to sit and applaud someone for being "eco" for saving food. There's other things people could be doing as well to keep their carbon footprint down

I also wear second hand clothes - because I lived well below the line for a long time.

I don't understand why you're assuming people who care about food wastage don't care about anything else? I would imagine there is significant overlap between those who save food from landfill and those who save clothing from landfill. You don't have to applaud them - just drop the baseless indignation.

Ok, I went back and looked again. Here are the pertinent paras:

Oh and by the way. For people shouting about landfill. Loads of things end up in landfill. Clothes. All sorts of stuff. If someone really wants to be eco then they need to think about extending that to other aspects of their life. Like not buying fast fashion or not flying long haul.

Taking from a community table once a week really doesn't help much re stuff being thrown in landfill sites. I buy second hand clothes and I have done for almost twenty years. Anything that no longer fits me gets donated back to charity. There's more to being eco minded than taking food from Olio or a community pantry or table

So you trivialised the issue of food waste by calling it "shouting", an obvious belittlement. Then you said using a community table once a week does little to help (so I guess it's not clearing shelves before the needy?).Then you said that loads of things ended up in landfill, basically justifying food waste with whataboutery. Plus a load of deflection and clothing and non food waste and being eco in general; more whataboutery.

The discussion isn't about clothes or plastic waste. It's about food waste. Anti waste community pantries are open to anyone, very much including those in food poverty (who won't reveal their circumstances by using them since they're for everyone), exist to reduce food waste, and they still have to chuck stuff out. You're not wrong that other stuff gets wasted too, but this is just irrelevant deflection to try to play down the fact that these initiatives do reduce food waste, and to justify letting food go to waste if it can't always be directly piped only to those in dire need.

The consensus from people who run community pantries is clear: they're there to reduce waste. That's their aim. Deciding that only people in the worst situations should use them and everyone else should just let the food rot is the "only people on the breadline should use charity shops and Vinted" argument, and as a champion of second hand clothing and eco living, I'm sure you don't want that.

I saw a Facebook post today about a community larder in my area - around two miles from me and I don't know the area well so I probably won't use it. It highlighted that it was there for people who are struggling and no referral system so anyone can use it - again that's to try and stop the stigma of people who have nothing and don't want referred

Im actually a qualified addiction worker and I worked in homeless hostels for a long time back in the day. These things would have been a lifeline for the young people I was working with at that point in time

I'm poor because I had to give up my job (self employed in a gym where you got no wage) after being bullied to the point that I was nearly at a breakdown and then I got stalked for over a year and wasn't well enough to work and I have ptsd and then just as I was about to go back to work I smashed my leg to pieces. I eventually got disability benefits after a long fight but only for a short time and I'll be back on the bare bones very soon -and at that point I might start using foodbanks out of necessity

I don't have any animosity for anyone using any service - even if they are rich. I just know what it's like to be very poor. I couldn't have used food banks after I broke my leg. I was housebound for six months after and it took a lot longer than that to get disability benefits as I was denied twice and had to go to tribunal

I saw a Facebook message from the mobile foodbank than runs four miles from me. They are inundated and are referring people on to a foodbank that allows walk ins

Anyway I don't really care too much. I don't think the OPs husband is a horrible person. I just know what it's like to be on the bones of my arse as someone on here put it

No more than that

But other community food hubs are for food about to be dumped in the bin !!

we have one near my house and there’s literally food left on the doorstep at the end of the day when they are closed saying please take and loads is never taken and then just torn up by foxes or chucked out -
doesn’t it make sense to have anyone who will use it tow it rather than binned.

there’s heaps of places specifically for people struggling and needing help

loads of community pantries are not for that they are literally to try and combat food waste.

There are not heaps of places for people struggling and needing help. There might be where you live but not where I live. And many other places in the Uk

Sweeping generalisations help no one. They really don't. I am quite aware that some pantries are there only to combat food waste. Others aren't

i don’t understand how this is such a massive argument. 2 places exist one for those in need and one to combat food waste

if he’s taking from on combating food waste then it’s fine if it’s the other type then it’s not

it really is as simple as this.

Agree.

we have both here.

NO OUT OF DATE food goes or should ever go to food bank. Absolutely not.

The community Food hub is exactly that, all the supermarkets waste.

sometimes it gets used to make into cakes or muffins or crumbles, and soup, lots of soup, again these cannot go to the food bank. however, can go to local fundraisers.

The out of date produce is usually bread, we now have a breadcrumb machine thing.

anyone can take it. Usually we have a tonne of wilting flowers, which we then sort out and make small bundles and leave at gate of cemetery for people to take or share.

Agree!

But the problem is posters who simply cannot think outside their own direct experience. They may have come across a community pantry/fridge scheme in their own wee village or town which does have an ethos of alleviating food poverty and simply cannot comprehend that other similar schemes work in a different way. Does not compute.

So that's why you get all the vile, disgusting, should be ashamed nonsense.

Today's example from the Saturday food waste stall I visit.

Deliveries can be super varied. Today is a bit dull and not varied at all. There's food waste from a Lidl two towns over (people in that town don't do pick up on a friday) from last night. Bread and sweet things only. Plus a few crates from our local Lidl retrieved this morning, and a couple of bags of sourdough and treats from Gail's one town over (Gail's share their leftovers among several local groups). Nearly all bakery. One crate of strawberries and tomatoes, visibly past their best.

The queue is a mix of working people, not working, people with kids, older people without, a couple of people struggling in society.

Today it is pouring down. Usually we leave quite a few crates still full and a message goes out on our local food waste whatsapp group. Today we're told to fill our bags as much as we can.

Why? Anything that isn't taken and gets ruined by the weather goes to the pigs on the local farm. They do try to shelter the food the best they can but when the weather is really poor there's a limit. This stall is just outside the main volunteer's house on the street - there's no cover.

Do I feel guilty for taking a good bagful despite having two working adults at home? Not in the least. It is literally going to pigs if I don't have it.

If your local place is not like this, fine - different places, different rules. But use some imagination and don't assume people are being awful for taking some leftover croissants...

the project was called "Book Crossing" I believe it lost traction when bombs started being left in public places and police advised people not to do it also to report things being left in public places. https://www.bookcrossing.com

We have one of these at church. They take a humongous amount of food from the surplus organisation and local supermarkets - way more than they can possibly give away.

If the purpose of the initiative is to reduce food waste, then it is genuinely open to everyone from any background.

It's not a food bank so it's for everyone...that said there are people who use them who don't have a lot of money. During my maternity leave a few years ago, we were struggling so these places were a god send. It's the right thing to do, to leave this food for those who need it more, to stock up when you're capable of buying your own food is pretty shitty.

Yawn. Have you read the many, many posts from users and volunteers saying they want anyone to take the food away otherwise it goes in the bin.
They often have trays and trays of bread or 400 bags of sugar, or crates of potatoes.
Those who need it are either not coming to collect it (a whole other thread about accessibility there), or they don't want it.

I would feel as uncomfortable as you and would say so to him , in fact if it’s not out of tightness it would give me the ick !

Try reading the thread @cleo333

I echo this after spending the morning of my day off finding somewhere to take the food that hasn't been taken.

Once again, please take the bread!

If it's for everyone, intended to reduce waste, then it's not shitty for anyone to use it and reduce waste. We have plenty of people here from these anti waste initiatives who say they want the food used, not left to rot. Using these resources keeps them open.

I'm sorry you had a difficult period and glad these places helped you, but it really is entirely beside the point. There are also people who can't afford brand new clothes, does that mean it's shitty for people who aren't struggling to use Vinted?

There was a post on one of my Facebook groups yesterday for one of the local anti food waste schemes.
A massive amount of Greggs left overs available.
The post literally said "First Come, First Served".
Definitely didn't say "oh but you must be poor"
😂