Food banks

[Tiredboymum22]

When is it acceptable to use a food bank?

Is it only when you have no money left for food or when you need to cover other household costs?

Does anything go to waste or is it all used up by families in need?

Our utility bills have gone up. We have a load of rubbish in the garden that needs collecting but I have no car. It’s also overrun with weeds and brambles and I thought I’d have time to do it but I have a toddler and child with additional needs, and no village!

I want to pay someone to collect the bins and sort the garden out so the kids can play in the summer, but I’m on a tight budget and I’m worried it’ll cut into our food budget.

We probably wouldn’t need to use a food bank as I’m good at making meals stretch and working with a tight budget. I’m speaking mostly hypothetically. I don’t want to take from a potential family who literally have no food. But someone told me it’s okay to use it for rising household costs and I’m morally unsure.

I think they probably mean rising costs like your energy bills increasing etc, not paying someone to empty your bins and clear your garden and then needing to use a food bank.

Most food banks you need a referral to use and they will look at your finances etc. it can be quite intrusive tbh

What about social supermarkets in your area?

There’s none in the area.

@Tiredboymum22 are there any food banks run by local churches? They usually do a good deal for a few quid x

Most food banks need a referral. Whoever is making the referral (usually health visitor, social services, other council official) has a duty of care to you to look at your financial situation to see if there’s anything else you would be entitled to.

I issue food bank vouchers and can categorically confirm we do NOT look into peoples finances 🙄

Different food banks have different rules. If you meet the criteria, use it.
You have a village, and the food bank is part of that. If it bothers you, commit to returning the favour by donating when things are better for you. It doesn't need to be soon.

I know someone that used our local food bank.
She said it all went in the bin as soon as she got home, it was rank out of date and smelled like the biffa bin behind the shop she worked in.
She porridge and cup a soup her way though 3 days.

Another one a dear friend of mine, said they wanted to know where every penny went to, and what she had at home left to eat, when was her next payday, what did she do with her money, why she had none left.
And because she was a childless single woman she is not a priority 🙄.
All that to get offered 2 tins of fish 4 stale buns 1 pint of milk, tea bags paster, 1 tin of beans and a tin of tomatos, a pack of biscuits and 2 bags of salt and vinegar crisp and a bag of rice.
That was enough to last her 3 days apparently.
She stayed at mine for a few days, untill pay day.

No they don’t. I don’t know why you’re seemingly trying to frighten people off from possibly accessing support- maybe OP won’t use one in the end but others who are reading may see your (false) comment and be put off.

They ask about any recent circumstances which has led to struggling to buy food but they aren’t intrusive, people don’t have to show bank accounts or provide an overview of their financial history.

Then surely you should !!

I donate to a food bank from my own tight budget because I hate the idea of any child in my area going hungry. I do not donate so some bone idle man can rock up and help himself to free food.

(rethinking my foodbank donations rapidly.....)

@Meadowfinchi don’t make the rules love

You need a referral for most food banks, you can’t typically just turn up and the referral system checks you are genuinely in need and can also help you make sure you are claiming everything you are entitled to.

Some independent or church led ones you don’t need a referral though, I know the one I volunteer at is used a lot and there is often very little or nothing left at the end of the day, we don’t get anywhere near as many donations as we used to a few years ago because less people can afford to donate and we are supporting more families than I’ve ever known at the moment so it’s not great. It may be different in different areas though.

Have you looked at apps like OLIO and Too Good To Go? You can get free or very cheap food on these. Gander tells you which products are reduced in some supermarkets too (Iceland is one)

I do not donate so some bone idle man can rock up and help himself to free food.

That didn't take long.

Nope.

I would with an attitude like yours. Give willingly, or not at all. Would you be okay with a 'bone idle' Woman getting help?

Give because you actually want to help anyone, not because you've got some kind of romanticised "helping the poor kiddywinkles" scenario going on in your head.
Donations shouldn't come with strings attached.

You choose feeding your kids over paying someone to clear up mess you've made in your own garden, surely? It only takes half an hour a day to get a start on.

You cant dictate where the donated food goes too.

Ask on local Facebook groups if anyone would be willing to give their time (and car) to help you take stuff to the tip.

The only thing I would say about Too Good To Go is that yes it can be great to get a bargain and it’s really good for reducing food waste, but it’s usually not the best option for a family who actually need food.

You can pay £3-4 for a bag and end up with a few donuts, a sausage roll and a croissant for example and while that sounds great, if you need to feed a family it isn’t when £4 could have been a loaf of bread, butter etc to do a couple of meals.

I don't know. You presumably need to use it if you're asking. I mean someone might have spent all their money on booze, fags and crack but it wouldn't really be anyone's business. Assuming you actively need food for whatever reason and you've no money in the budget then I'd say it's reasonable.

You're not expected to only use it if you're sitting in the dark and cold with six months rent and CT arrears.

No but I can expect a professional food bank run by a national charity to prioritise those in genuine need, which is who the food is intended for.