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.

My understanding of food banks are that they are for people who are desperate. So desperate they cannot feed themselves for a day or so. Perhaps their benefits haven’t come through and they have absolutely no money. They need help.

I have though wondered whether people use them who don’t really need to. Who do have some money, who are happy to sit in front of someone who they know won’t check finances and spin a sob story. Such people do exist.

I would expect someone to walk or use public transport to use a food bank. If you have a car and put petrol in it you probably can buy some food.
I watched a programme once and the number of cars turning up at the food bank was far too many.

Nobody should go hungry, but if you are asking for free food, you need help. So asking about your situation should go hand in hand.

Do you work? I maybe would try and earn the money another way - selling things, surveys.
The evenings are getting lighter so you could go out and do it little and often - once you have an amount to take away you can ask/pay the council to do that.

Nope! still alive and well

No, it's not. There are various levels of poverty starting with relative, meaning you have an income of 60% or less than the median, right through to destitution where your income is insufficient to meet your basic needs for survival.
The first group are often in fragile circumstances. They are usually participating in life beyond mere survival, so may have jobs, some non essential spending, but not enough money to participate in their society at a level that would be considered normal in that society. So they tick along day to day, but occasional or unexpected expenses such as new shoes for children or a broken cooker or the car they need for work fails its MOT and it tips them into crisis.
They are undoubtedly in poverty because they can't afford basic things in life, but may still be able to afford to eat.

Are you renting from a housing association @Tiredboymum22 Are they moaning about the state of the garden.

So do I, and we do look into finances 🤷‍♀️

i explained in my first answer to your casual ageist sexism.

There is zero need - since you are not describing a criminal to the police - to have mentioned age or sex at all.

When you are an older woman with all the tedious ageist sexism being directed at your cohort, then you will understand.

I’m not trying to frighten people off, I’m just stating what often happens. It’s not to shame or hurt people but we look into finances before issuing a Foodbank voucher to see if we can help with finances, why it’s happened etc. there is a limit in how many foodbank parcels people can have in a set time etc. it’s not always as easy as rocking up and asking for food. Obviously church run banks ect may be different but they don’t exist in all areas.

Dear lord, yes. It's utterly ridiculous and so predictable.

The kids school might also have a food bank as well. One at my local school supports families in need and no questions asked about finances etc. The school are aware of the families that may need it.

Food banks surely can’t be there to cater for people who would rather spend their money on something else? Genuine question, I thought there are supposed to be for people in dire straits and no way to get food.

I think it just depends on your morals I wouldn't use one unless I had no other choice. But some people will grab whatever they can get. And thats not aimed specifically at op its just some people are like that some arent

I highly doubt this is something I will get upset about when I'm an older woman

In absolutely any walks of life, you will get piss takers. Anyone who have worked with benefits, grant giving and foodbanks knows this, there are grabby people in all walks of life. But I would not have a problem at all giving you a referral voucher to a food bank ( I can refer to one of the big national ones) I don't see the problem helping someone wanting a bit more comfortable life for the summer for her children and if a food bank voucher would ease it for a week or so absolutely.

In my experience, the ones with a massive sob story where they can't feed the children etc etc are the ones that ones given a food voucher, don't use it after all. Very odd.

The fact the OP asked the question shows she is a decent person.

To answer the OP, I don’t think you can go to the food bank and say you need help because you spent any money clearing up your garden.

Ask you Council if there is any help for clearing ( explain your children and lack of car). They may say no, they might say yes.

I understand why you're asking OP, but my personal view is no, this is not what a food bank is for. I understand you can't afford to both clear the garden and buy food, but you don't need to clear the garden. If I couldn't afford food after all the essential bills had gone out (rent/mortgage, water, heating, transport costs so you can get to work) that would be when I'd use a food bank.

Nobody is getting ‘upset’ (in fact why not go the whole hog and say ‘hysterical’) 🤣

Calling someone ageist and sexist for saying older woman is bizarre if it hadn't upset them

😂😂

This^^

i used food bank when I didn’t have the money to buy food. I didn’t have the money because I was paying for a barrister to fight ex over contact with kids. That could be considered a choice others think I was wrong to make.

the key thing is put food back in once you can afford to. I won’t got to the shop now and not put at least a ton of veg in the food bank collection. In the end I’ve put in more than I ever took out having donated weekly for over 10 years now.

you don’t really get choice in what you are given. It’s all very cheep options not great quality. We were doing tinned fruit for lunch as you don’t get bread for sandwiches or anything fresh. If you are prepared to eat like that to afford the garden sorting for your kids it seems fair to me.

just make sure you become a regular donator in future

@5128gap explained clearly how poverty isn't as simple as you think.

Well you should do, your clients could be missing out on a higher level of support.
A review of family finances could reveal an obvious gambling addiction and the family could benefit from signposting to services that could help them.
Or could reveal the family are spending loads on incontinence products for a disabled family member when they could qualify with support for those costs.
Its irresponsible not to look more closely at a family's finances with a view to further helping them, when they are so desperate they are accessing a food bank just to be able to feed themselves. The time for being precious about people's 'privacy' etc has passed, they need help to get themselves out of that situation long term!

If you’re only giving on the basis of your idea of whose deserving, maybe you should rethink why you donate at all?

@Tiredboymum22 Might be worth downloading the Too Good to Go app? Very reduced items from local supermarkets that are nearing their sell by/use by dates.