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Original poster

food banks collecting in supermarkets

225 replies

TotallySociallyInept · 30/11/2014 17:18

I popped into a supermarket on my way home. Not in the town I usually shop. This town is notorious for it very wealthy residents the whole area is. There was someone collecting for the food bank in the foyer. Lots of people took a list leaflet (they didn't have to, the fb person wasn't in the way or holding them out to people) I took one too. As I went round I tried to get as much as I could afford for the bank. In the past I have come very close to needing a fb. So my heart goes out to people and families that need them especially near Xmas. I'm not at all well off now. But I felt I could do this even if I may regret it later on in the month. I spent about £25-30. I take ages to shop. So when I came to hand over 3 bags to the bank, I was shocked to see the trolleys almost as empty as I went in and the fb person surprised I was giving him bags instead of 1 or 2 items. I wondered if this was normal? if they collect in less affluent areas, do they get more donations because people have more empathy? Or is just me?

OP posts:
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AshesOfRoses · 30/11/2014 18:27

The one in Asda was full of advent calendars last week Smile We are not an affluent town. I've never seen a collection trolley in M&S.

Inthedarkaboutfashion · 30/11/2014 18:33

FWIW: I had a lot more money as a student and could have donated a reasonable amount. Now I live in an affluent area and probably look reasonably affluent to some especially when I get into my new car. The fact is that I gave up a well paid job to care for my disabled son. The car is a motability vehicle which is essential and which I don't own and my income has been reduced from £30k pa to £61 per week.
Appearances and postcodes can be very deceptive.

Bunbaker · 30/11/2014 18:33

Our local Tesco (in a reasonably affluent area) was handing out FB leaflets on Friday. The gentleman handing them out wasn't at all pushy and I had to ask him for a leaflet.

I donated a bag full of stuff into a trolley that already had quite a few bits in it, and there were crates full of stuff in the entrance.

I can't imagine what it must be like to wonder where your next meal is coming from.

Taz1212 · 30/11/2014 18:34

I don't live in an affluent area but I am affluent. I donate a sum of money each month to a friend who owns a corner shop. She does a weekly donation of food that is close to its expiration date and co-ordinates with a local food bank to see what they need the most each week. Once a month she adds my money into the mix. I'd far rather she got the profit than a large supermarket, plus I know my money is going towards whatever is most needed that week.

I also know quite a few people who donate directly to the food banks, asking before they go what is needed that week.

Looking at supermarket donations isn't the only way to measure this!

Original poster
TotallySociallyInept · 30/11/2014 18:39

I was thinking the same about how many bags. I thought if they were in my local one every week then it certainly wouldn't of been 3 bags everyweek but a what I could afford each week. I think that's why I'd Like to see one on a regular basis.

OP posts:
Nomama · 30/11/2014 18:46

We don't do regular collections as we are only too aware how many people are one pay packet off needing the bank.

So we wander round a few in the local area and hope we don't make too many people feel bad that they can't afford to give.

We also let the collection trolley stay half full most of the time, so people don't wonder why no one's giving - or feel that as it is full they needn't bother!

I do get odd looks on the times when we specifically ask for baking stuff. But I now have a leaflet that describes the classes I run. Now I get offers of help Smile

fluffling · 30/11/2014 18:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

FyreFly · 30/11/2014 18:47

I like that they had a chap at the entrance handing out leaflets with suggestions and making people aware. I wish more places would operate like that.

The amount of times I've gone in a supermarket, gone round, done my shopping, paid for it, and then there's a donation trolley by the exit with no proir warning. If I know they're collecting I'll try and get something, but it brasses me off the times they just don't tell you. The amount of donations they must miss out on because people just don't know they're there...

WorraLiberty · 30/11/2014 18:50

So when I came to hand over 3 bags to the bank, I was shocked to see the trolleys almost as empty as I went in and the fb person surprised I was giving him bags instead of 1 or 2 items.

And what is wrong with giving 1 or 2 items??

How do you know that those people didn't donate 3 bags last week and then judge others on an internet forum?

It's nice that you gave so much, but I think you've let yourself down by starting this judgy thread.

amidaiwish · 30/11/2014 18:52

waitrose in Richmond collects for the local food bank
i always add something, try and get something like a jar of coffee, a 4 pack tin of tuna etc.. they get lots of donations, i've never seen anyone hand over a bag full though? Isn't the idea that if everyone adds just one thing to their shopping it will make a massive difference?

the kids are bringing in food items tomorrow for the local food bank too, message sent home from school last week to add something to our grocery shopping from a list.

amidaiwish · 30/11/2014 18:54

i do really hope that waitrose donates the profit from these items to the foodbank! if they do, they should promote that as i kind of feel waitrose is benefitting too.

Floralnomad · 30/11/2014 18:56

I gave to the one in our local Tesco on Friday ,we are also in an affluent area ,and I bought some of everything on the list ( spent about £20) ,the chap did seem surprised with the amount and I think the norm is for people to give a couple of items . That said we were in Brighton on Friday evening to see a concert and my dd wanted to give something to a homeless chap with a dog on the seafront - I gave her a £5 to give him and he asked twice if we were sure - it's so depressing how little some people have Sad.

Ragwort · 30/11/2014 18:59

I collect on behalf of our local FB in supermarkets and last year a pensioner gave me a trolley full of food - saying she'd had a great year and wanted to share her good fortune. A local well known celebrity who lives near us just walked by without giving anything - yes, I know he might give thousands in some tax relief scheme or something but I would have thought, in an area where everyone knows him and fawns all over him be might have liked to be seen donating a few tins Hmm.

And, yes, before anyone else tells me I know this is a very judgey comment.

All our local supermarkets support us in addition to allowing us to collect food from customers. Smile.

buttercupbear · 30/11/2014 18:59

about every month i do a shop for the food bank, probably £50ish but you can essentially get nearly an entire trolley full for that. id like to think if i was in the position of needing a food bank people would be doing the same. it could be me needing one of them.

i think the reason the waitrose ones are empty is because even their essentials range is more expensive, asda one around here always seems to have stuff in. i don't buy stuff for the food bank from waitrose because for the same price i could get double the amount in asda, which helps more people (potentially).

Floralnomad · 30/11/2014 18:59

BTW I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with only giving a couple of items , people give what they can afford to give , it's just depressing that there are so many people in need .

chopinbabe · 30/11/2014 19:00

I usually donate a few things when I pop into Asda. I don't shop there very often so was surprised last week when I couldn't find the unmanned trolley in the usual place.

I asked at Customer Services and was told that it had been moved next to the security station, as stealing from it was becoming a problem.

AnnoyingOrange · 30/11/2014 19:02

Both Tesco and Asda locally have permanent trollies collecting for the food-bank. I usually pick up something extra with my shopping and donate it.

Darkesteyes · 30/11/2014 19:03

Fyrefly my local Tesco has a food bank donation point at the moment and that is by the exit so you dont see it until you leave.

In the entrance they have.......a giant Christmas tree.

Swopping them over would be a good idea IMO

GarlicGiftsAndGlitter · 30/11/2014 19:04

I wish supermarkets that had food banks also had little labels next to the price tags on shelves that said something like "Our food bank needs more of this!"

What a great idea!

TooManyMochas · 30/11/2014 19:08

So when I came to hand over 3 bags to the bank, I was shocked to see the trolleys almost as empty as I went in and the fb person surprised I was giving him bags instead of 1 or 2 items. I wondered if this was normal?

I live in an affluent area (without being affluent!) and our local Tesco has a permanent food bank bin. I only put in one item at a time, but try to remember to pick something up each time I shop, which adds up to several things a week. Yes the bin is mostly empty. Sometimes people have alternative ways of giving though. Our church does several collections for the local food bank during the year and does very well - personally we always give £30ish worth of stuff.

TooManyMochas · 30/11/2014 19:09

Just won't to add that the bin in our place is by the exit and a bit out of the way. I don't know how long it was there before I even noticed it.

WooWooOwl · 30/11/2014 19:10

Maybe people in the more affluent areas are more likely to have monthly standing orders to their chosen charities or are more likely to participate in give through work schemes. Not giving to foodbanks doesn't mean not giving to charity at all, there are plenty of worthy causes that people care about.

You really can't judge anything based on whether a few people give to the food bank or not. It's no different to there being a collection tin by the tills, and you'd probably never notice who did or didn't put any spare change in.

FamiliesShareGerms · 30/11/2014 19:13

I never thought to get more than one or two items each time I shop Blush

TwiggyHeart · 30/11/2014 19:14

Ours was empty but that's because it had just been emptied out back. I live in an affluent area but it's a university town. The lady in Tesco said that they always do well with donations from young, old, students etc. My DD is 3 and loves picking things from the list plus a few treats that she thinks someone would appreciate.

CaulkheadUpNorth · 30/11/2014 19:16

I co run a foodbank, if anyone has any questions. I'm also one of those people who takes Harvest assemblies at schools and takes all the food donated (for the foodbank, not for my tea). I've done it for three years and have found that the school in the more deprived area often donates more food which is suitable for the food bank, rather than those in more affluent areas.