Thoughts on Foodbanks

[GlasgowSWFB]

Hi there. It would be really useful to hear your thoughts about foodbanks.

Have you ever been to one?

Have you ever donated to one?

Do you have any criticisms?

Do you have any questions?

Thanks.

Thank you for donating.

That's disappointing about the foodbank not collecting from the supermarket. It sends out the wrong message. To be honest, we have had issues with that occasionally. We generally aim to empty them three times. But it can be difficult with limited resources especially drivers. It can also be unpredictable with the collection points ticking over where one emptying a week would be enough and then (possibly as a result of a news story) it can need emptied more than daily. We have an arrangement that the supermarket will phone us to let us know.

Thank you.

I actually don't think it is judgemental to comment on smoking. Have you seen the price of cigarettes these days? They are extortionate. I believe that people also need to help themselves, and the way the world is at the moment, we're all having to make cutbacks. I don't know how I could honestly make peace with myself that I was using foodbanks whilst literally sending money up in smoke. But that's just me.

Only thing I would say is that I've done some work with adults with learning disabilities and with autism. Lots of them smoke. It's a bonding and social ritual that many find accessible and that sometimes reduces the stress of social encounters (like visiting a foodbank). And of course it's addictive. They're often wrapping their own cigarettes / giving and taking and swapping - one cigarette is a friendly gift and token. May not have affected the people you saw but worth considering.

The foodbank model is indeed flawed. In some ways it reminds us of the definition of a camel as a horse designed by a committee.

We definitely want to see people choosing and buying food with their own money. There's no way we could give out cash - it simply wouldn't be sustainable. There needs to be a more equitable rebasing of the tax/welfare system and action to control the worst abuses of the gig economy and zero hours contracts.

Universal Basic Income sounds like an idea worth pursuing and it is significant that this isn't a left wing policy but draws support from across the political spectrum. Your reference to the studies may include pilots of that.

There is a point that many people aren't aware of about supermarket foodbank donations. We weigh the donations received and get 20% of a notional amount per Kg from the supermarket. This can run well into 4 figures in a year. Significantly, this goes a long way to bringing the effective price to the donor down and also guards against the criticism that the supermarkets are profiting from the extra sales.

We would love to give people more of a choice but the logistics of how we operate make that very difficult.

Thank you.

Hi,
Do many people visit because of the wait for benefits to start (I think I heard that is 5 weeks?) or waiting for the first pay of a monthly paid job?

If so how do you square 3 days of food with weeks of no money? Can they return 3 days later?

Do foodbanks offer extended provision for people who are at work daytime hours (plus commute)?

I think I heard some food banks help organise emergency credit for utilities? Is there any provision or do you see any scope for emergency petrol/fuel /public transport for someone who can't afford to get to work? Do you think these types of things are inside or outside of your remit? Do you signpost people anywhere else for these types of help?

Sorry for lots of questions.
Perhaps just answer what you find relevant.
Thank you

No. Yes. No. No.

Thank you for donating.

Have you ever been to one?
Not physically because ours deliver. But I have has food parcels yes.

Have you ever donated to one? Yes.

Do you have any criticisms?
I don't like Bran Flakes! I know you can only give what you have, and some will argue that "beggars can't be choosers " but i think i got a box every time. They taste like cardboard. Mind you I'm exceptionally fussy about cereal and don't like most of it.

Do you have any questions?
Nope.

Agree we shouldn't exist. Thank you for your donations. They do make a difference. ❤️

Sorry to hear that. It is an uncomfortable truth that some people will try to take advantage of foodbanks. We try to guard against it while not being too suspicious or judgemental. As far as we are concerned, the main people who take advantage of foodbanks - are politicians.

Take care..

Yes, I've been to a few, but never as a user. And yes, I have donated.

What I would say is that not all foodbanks are the same, so I think it's really hard to make general comments or criticisms. Some are incredibly well run, responsive to local needs and do an amazing job not only at helping people who are in need of emergency food support but also at addressing the underlying causes of food poverty. Others are frankly chaotic and badly organised, run by people who might be well meaning but haven't really researched the local need adequately or thought through how they can make their services sustainable.

No questions.

I would add that I think the grass roots community led initiatives are much better than the top down approaches that are parachuted in from outside. I also think the ones which have paid staff tend to be much more effective and efficient than the ones which are run exclusively by well meaning volunteers.

It can be difficult for foodbanks to prioritise who gets food and who doesn't. Referrals are given out pretty freely by other professionals, which can lead to foodbanks getting swamped. Then there is the problem of how you help those who really need it without creating dependency. I know that some foodbanks limit the number of times that clients can use them, which is fair enough as it isn't supposed to be a long term solution. But what are those people supposed to do after that if they still can't afford to eat?!

Really, it isn't for the foodbanks to fix the problem of so many people having negative budgets. The government needs to step in and do something. It's going to get so much worse in the coming months and I don't know how the foodbanks are going to cope under the pressure.

We agree that some people use foodbanks because they are irresponsible but in most cases - whether working or non working - it is because their income is simply not enough to pay for essentials never mind luxuries. I am sure many of the people we serve do budgets like you mention.

We don't want people to become dependent on us. That is easier said than done when they would go hungry without our help.

Our food parcels are almost entirely non perishable food. However, we use the packing lists drawn up by the Trussell Trust in consultation with nutritionists to be as nutritionally balanced as possible. We buy in food (using donated funds) to keep that balance.

We have heard of food parcels being provided that could be described as "gross". They are far from being ideal but are designed to make the best of a bad situation and certainly not for use for extended periods.

Thank you for your work at the homeless shelter. We don't deal much with the homeless but a lot with people who are in emergency accommodation having previously been homeless.

Take care.

Thank you for donating. It makes a difference.

We agree that there is a wide range of foodbanks. We think we are well run thought not "incredibly". There is always room for improvement and a lot of that is about being more responsive and proactive. Our "ideal" situation is where we can help with a short term emergency and then the people move on. Sometimes they come back with donations which we are delighted to receive from them. That is not because of any expectation for them to "pay it back" but because they know first hand the difference it made.

I donated regularly to the independent food bank where I used to live and now give to the community larder run by my church (so, different model, anyone can go to it, pay a small amount and get some food of higher value than they paid). I am wary of ones run by evangelistic charities. I tend to give stuff that I was buying anyway but is on BOGOF or 3for2.

I've never needed to use a food bank myself.
I don't think food banks should need to exist, but whilst they do, I'll support them. Preferably one with strong community links and well run.

I am very critical of the ones that won't stock formula milk so stopped donating to those food banks. The reasons for not doing so are cobblers.

The community larder has a Fareshare subscription so is redistributing surplus food as well as donations from people and businesses. Sometimes this results in some strange surpluses (some revolting herbal teabags that nobody wanted was memorable. As was the enormous pile of parsnips!)

The local food bank on town here is under the Trussell trust umbrella but it's associated with a very aggressively evangelical church. I can't volunteer for them as I don't support their brand of religion. So I don't give them anything.

I do donate to an independent food bank in a nearby location but I donate money not food. So that they can buy whatever they are short of every month.

I gave large weekly food & toiletry/household goods donations for many years.

I decided to stop because helping foodbanks stay open seems wrong.
I think they make the problem worse.

The more foodbanks take on the responsibility for feeding people, the more foodbanks seem to be required.
Because they take responsibility, the govt can ignore the issue, just making occasional statements that mean nothing while yet again cutting payments made to the poorest in society.

I used to think it was a good thing.
I now believe they are very harmful.

If people had to sit on the dwps doorstep starving in front of the staff or on their MPs doorstep doing the same & there was no ability for anyone to hand out a foodbank voucher (which costs them nothing as they don't pay for the food) to make the problem go away, they would have to deal with it.

Look at who is having to use foodbanks.
Imagine the photo ops when it's a nurse sat there with her children seeking help while the govt are deciding not to give her a payrise anywhere near inflation & announcing they are freezing benefit rate rises so her tax credits won't be going up either.

It's not just unemployed people by a long shot.

It's also not just people who have a sudden unexpected temporary disaster that might happen once in ten years.
People are in need of that help week after week & they are still in need years later because their full time essential job doesn't pay enough for kids to wear supermarket shoes & some second home owner landlord is putting the rent up because they bought an 'investment property' & they want an income from it so they can go on holiday.

I think food banks contribute to the problem far more than they help.

They are so embedded now, most only accept people with a voucher from someone in 'authority', so those in 'authority' are now deciding who is worthy of a food bank parcel as if it was a benefit & counting it as one.

I have nothing but sympathy for those who are in need of foodbanks.
I still think foodbanks are awful & I will never donate again.

Thanks for that. I can share that feeling. I am a Christian and that is why I got involved and stay involved (although I am no longer a church member). All three of our branches are hosted and supported by churches. However our chair and our manager are not Christians. We have no requirement for volunteers to be Christian. We certainly make no distinctions among those whom we serve. There is no evangelism and I wouldn't be involved if there was. Thanks for highlighting the independent foodbanks. We are part of Trussell but are a small independent charity, self funded. Thank you again.

That may be your foodbank. It is not, however, what the one where I am does. It targets the vulnerable to recruit for their church.

Thank you so much for that post. There is so much that I agree with.

I regularly ask myself the question that you asked yourself "are we doing more harm than good?" "Are we letting governments off the hook?"

Thus far it has always come down on the "good" rather than the "harm" side. But I will continue to ask the question.

I also ask the question "if all foodbanks closed tomorrow" would governments at all levels step into the gap?

Thank for that. Thank you for your donations in the past - they will have made a real difference to those who received them. And thank you for raising some very important issues, most of which I agree with.

I regularly ask myself the question "are we doing more harm than good?" Thus far I haven't come to the conclusion that you did. It's important that the question is asked and that foodbanks have an "exit strategy."

"If every foodbank closed would governments at all levels fill the gap?" I can't answer "yes" to that one. I anticipate that one response was "we were right and they were never needed" and I know that isn't true. We were needed. We are needed. We will be needed for some time to come.

I hate that we are "embedded", acceptable (never!), "part of the welfare state" - no!

We generally require a voucher. But the referrers are mainly people who are working to address specific issues and help people out of crisis. We see ourselves as a back up to them. "Worthy" is not a term we accept - "in need" is. And we do what we can to ensure that the referrers are lined up with that.

I totally respect and understand your decision not to support foodbanks. I don't think I will ever come to that decision myself.

Can I quote some of what you have written on our social media?

Many thanks and kind regards.

I'm sorry to hear that. I have heard of other foodbanks doing that. We wouldn't have a part of that.

We haven't used FareShare but I have heard stories like that from friends of ours that do. It seemed an obvious solution to the problems of food waste and hunger and a lot of good has come from it. However, as supermarkets and others have taken other steps to reduce food waste and as emergency food need has increased there is an increasing imbalance. Surplus food quality and quantity have gone down meaning that what is getting through to the "front line" is diminishing and becoming more random.

We have had occasional strange donations. The dozen jars of fish soup lasted a long time but fortunately had a long date on them.

Not at all. I'm a single mum working full time, making ends meet.

I hardly ever drink (maybe once a month), I don't smoke, I cook from scratch, we don't have takeaways or food deliveries. I can't afford them.

Why would I feed someone who wastes their benefits on cigarettes? They obviously aren't short of money. But I will always help a mum struggling to provide for her child. There is a massive difference.