To be shocked my friend is using the food bank?

[thatsmeinthecrunchcorner]

I've name changed as possibly outing and I'm fully prepared to be told that IABU, but just wanted to know if I'm understanding the food bank issue here.
Friend has 3 DC, 2 of whom are primary school age. She's never worked due to childcare cost and her DH had his own business, which he sold as they are trying to emigrate to Australia (her parents emigrated there years ago) and he needs to get some specific qualifications so he studies part time and works part time. She told me recently things have been very tight and that she has been using a food bank weekly for the last year. I was really taken back as they get takeaways, the DC get new up to date sports wear and go on days out to theme parks, where they also buy food. They have 'summered' in Australia every year to visit her parents for the 6 weeks holidays. She was saying a few months ago that flights have really gone up this year so they might not go away. I said I understand, we cannot afford a holiday this year so suggested we could do some day trips together with the DC.
Saw her yesterday and she said she's just booked, it was very expensive but "we can't not go, the DC really wants to go". I assumed maybe her parents paid the tickets (she said it was £3.2k) but then she said she'd built up some savings due to not doing a big shop as she was using the food bank now. I was horrified by this, I donate to the food bank as to me it's a lifeline for those who need to feed their family. It's made me think differently of her but maybe AIBU here? DH said the food bank is there for those who need it, she's not doing anything wrong so to speak, but surely it's not there to help people save money for trips abroad?

It’s up to the food bank to worry about this, not you.

Depends what kind of food bank it is really.

If it’s one that is a genuine referral led food bank, she wouldn’t be getting a referral if she had this money to spare so this is bullshit.

If it’s a community kitchen style food bank then you don’t need a referral and anyone can go, technically.

No, I wouldn't stop donating because I think a few people might be taking the piss. But maybe I'm missing the point here?The one she uses is non referral, so technically anyone can use it, but to me it's because you are genuinely struggling, not to save money.

It won’t be a means-based food bank, as you need to be referred to those from social services or GP. You can’t just rock up and collect without a voucher, and you can only take from a food bank a couple of times a month.

Many towns, including my own very smart, well-heeled Cotswold market town, have community pantries, where local food businesses place their surplus food which would otherwise waste. These are open to anyone at any time, with no eligibility criteria, and you can get a lot of good food as often as you want it. I’ll bet that if this is real, that’s where she is getting the free or very cheap food from.

To be honest this feels like another veiled benefit/disability bashing thread, of which we get lots lately, all feeling very much as though they are politically motivated and funded.

Don’t food banks require a referral? If so, she obviously fits the criteria if she’s there.

I would wind my neck in if I were you. She might be putting on a front and she actually really needs it.

I'm not worried about it, just taken aback.

I've never known a foodbank that you can use weekly, Im pretty sure thats not a thing

Community pantries are open to anyone.

food banks need a referral and are generally time limited (not all),

if it’s been a year maybe a community pantry?

No apparently a lot aren't now.

This.

But isn’t that a you thing? Are you seriously so naive you thought something totally self policed would only be used by the type of people you judge to need it?

in the real world there are all sorts of people and they have all sorts of ways of living

Oh and no-one's doing a big shop in a foodbank that's feeding a family of 5 for a week.

And no-one's saving enough in a year to be able to fly to Australia...

Is it a community pantry? They are different. My family use ours every week, its a way of reducing appalling food waste?

I use my local community pantry. They ask that everyone does, they have plenty to go around and don't want to have to bin stuff.

Food banks aren’t self policed. You have to be referred, and can only take from them a couple of times a month.

I thought u can't get fresh food at a foodbank? You surely can't get absolutely everything you need on an ongoing basis if you're feeding a whole family. Milk? Meat?

Before my mum passed away, she used to donate to a food bank weekly. She didn’t have a lot of money herself.

So yes, if this is a food bank that your friend is using, I’d be pissed off that people like my mum are subbing other people’s holidays.

if it’s a community larder.. then crack on. Open to all.

It's a 'community fridge' type food bank, which anyone can use and is designed to stop excess food going to landfill, you can use it as well if you want to.
The referral type is means tested and requires a referral from a health visitor, social worker etc so she's not doing anything wrong.
We use our community fridge to cut our food shopping bill down and stop excess going to landfill.

She's not using a food bank, She's using a community fridge/pantry which is for reducing food waste.

You can get food banks (not community pantries) that don’t need a referrral. My company sponsors some.

That would be a community pantry rather than a food back, which is about eliminating waste and is open to anyone.

Some food banks do have fresh food.

my local one takes co-op stuff that is close to going out of date so has some fresh stuff.

Is it a food bank or community pantry. There is a big difference. Community pantry is open to everyone and is not just about supplying to those in need but those that want to help food waste. You dont have to be struggling to use them and alot of people use them for preventing food waste.
Food banks needs referrals and are solely for those in need.

She’s using a community fridge/pantry which is completely different to a food bank. YabuZ