Bloody he'll, we have FOOD BANKS in the UK

[Jux]

People in our country cannot afford to buy FOOD.

Other people donate food to food banks so that people have something to eat.

Are we living in the 13th century? It only needs the super-rich to start donating tracts of land for us commoners to 'work' and we're back there.

It makes me furious. It's such a catch 22 situation too: People need feeding so the welfare state is supposed to be there as a safety net. The safety net is taken away so people go to food banks. Because people are using food banks the need for the safety net is denied.

When you think the food allowances MPs have at their disposal and yet we can't even feed people??!!

It's like something out of Dickens.

A friend is a homelessness officer, and uses the Food Bank a lot for the people she deals with. Most of the major supermarkets do contribute, at least locally - Waitrose, I think she said, are particularly good.

It's a lot more complicated than party politics, Jux. B&B did some things that strengthened our credit rating (which C&C are riding on now) and various social intitatives they're now extending and claiming as their own. They also failed to invest in housing and infrastructure, plus other cock-ups that we're now suffering for. Toynbee was saying nobody's telling the truth (which is why we started Frothers) and urging the opposition to do their job - tell it.

As it could so easily be some other combination of unelected numpties making the current mistakes, it would fall to whichever one was in opposition to shout out the reality. Miliband's just parroting the other two, so not filling the opposition role at all adequately.

It is very debatable whether or not the deficit can be blamed on labour. There are actions they could have taken re banks which would have prevented it, and promotion of industry which could support us now. OTOH, the deficit was actually worse when they got into power than when they left.

Anyway, I agree that blame doesn't really matter compared to making sure people actually know about this stuff - it's not jutifiable to me that in such a rich country (and we are still rich) people are relying on food banks.

If any readers want to do anything positive to help, you might like to have a look at the Trussell Trust, which has been active overseas and then from 2004 in UK.

This is a hidden problem, which is much longer lasting than people realise..

I know it's far more complicated. I'm afraid that dh tends to lecture whenever I mention anything political and I switch off because I really can't just listen for up to 20mins without getting word in edgeways, particularly when I know the axe he's grinding, and I just want a sensible discussion. So, I used to be far more politically involved and savvy than he was, but over the last 10 years have lost track and can't seem to catch up.

We have a badly needed food bank in Lincoln, they regularly collect outside our super markets and the school's harvest Festival food goes there

Our foodbank opened here last year; the DDs' schools are a donation dropoff point. How the fuck are we all in this together :(

what sort of things do a food bank provide? is it just the cans, or can they do fresh stuff? Shudder to think when I picture what we collected as a small school for Harvest festival. Lots of tins, packets, nothing fresh at all. How can you donate? (normal person not rich billionaire btw)

I'd speak your school and find out where your harvest festival supplies went.

Here all the local churches have a box you can put things in and have lists of what kind of food they accept... nothing fresh no, but I understand they top up donated by the public tins and dried pasta etc with some fresh donations from supermarkets.

I had a food parcel from the salvation army this xmas just gone. It really did help

I'm getting a leaflet from the church - one of the dispersal sites - tomorrow and let you know what they accept. I had a vision of donating masses of fresh fruit, but from what you said, TeWihara, I shall have to think again.

Oh, btw, anyone who has a food bank near them. Do you know what they do about donated tins which are out of date? This is apparently a quandary about which the Food Bank Committee here is cogitating. Can't put it in the boxes of course, but could put it in big bins with "out of date, help yourself if you want (at your own risk)" labels, or "out of date, 10p a tin (at your own risk)". Or just dump it.

Seems a shame to waste it if it's only a week/month out of date, but clearly can't be included in the food boxes themselves.

On the basis that I shan't be able to depend on anything at all by the time all this not-in-it-together austerity shit kicks in, I've been checking out canned foods - planning my own back-of-the-cupboard food bank. They're actually pretty good. I can get a decent range of fruit & veg, without stupid amounts of sugar and with almost all the original nutrients intact. Vit & Min supps would make up any lost bits. Canned fish is fantastic value and I've developed an addiction to canned tangerines! Meat's a bit of a problem but, thinking back to student days, you can do miracles with things like corned beef and lentils/beans.

I think that, if I were still reasonably well-off (or become well-off again whilst we're still in crisis - hah), I'd include vit-min supps in my donation. And make the tins juice/water/oil preserved ones, rather than syrup/brine. Wholemeal pasta & rice are much more filling than the white ones, and peas/beans/lentils are great fillers.

It's so depressing to be talking like this. Te's right: shouting will make more of a long-term difference than donating. Meanwhile, I guess, families need feeding so there are my contributions

Oh, and tinned tomatoes and passata! Actually more nutritious than fresh! God's gift to the poor

Oh, dear, Jux :( Isn't tinned stuff supposed to last about 10 years after its best-by date?

TBH, garlic, I don't know. I used to think it lasted as close to 'forever' as made no difference. But I think a charity couldn't actually give tins past their date away. My friend from this afternoon seemed to think it was a no-no. Lots of people (dh for one) throw away stuff almost immediately.

I always keep my yoghourt until it's 6 weeks past it's sell-by date (gooseberry yog is so horribly sweet otherwise). I would have no qualms about past-sell-by-date food, but that's my decision to make and you can't impose it on others in the name of charity.

Right, I have the list of what our food bank can take, I expect it's universal.

Fruit juic,e 1 litre
Fruit squash, bottle
UHT milk, 1 litre
Sugar, 500g
Tea bags, 40 bags
Coffee, 100g
Pasta, 500g
Rice, 500g
Noodles, packet
Savoury rice, packet
pasta sauce, Tin or jar
Cereal, S or Med packet
Cereal, Weetabix
Cereal, Oat so simple
Cereal bars, packet
Soup, tin
Baked beans, tin
spaghetti, tin
Potatoes, tin
Meat / meat meal, tin
Fish, tin
Veg, tin
Tomatoes, tin
Rice pudding, tin
Sponge pudding, tin
Fruit, tin
Custard, tin
Baby food, jar or packet
Biscuits, packet

No fresh fruit, veg, meat, fish or cheese - goes off too quickly. It is a stop gap and it won't hurt you to go without fresh veg and fruit for a couple of days. A box contains supplies for 3 days.

So now we know what we can contribute.

I volunteer at the food bank in my home city-no trussell trust here, its run by a group of churches. I started helping after having a three month period with no income other than child benefit (which i had to use to part pay the rent or be evicted) as I had a change in circumstances relating to my benefit claim (I am not yet able to work due to ill health

there is about 60 people (often one person is collecting food for a whole family) coming through the door each week at present and most of them are using the food bank because of delays in their benefits. It seems the DWP is very scared of overpaying benefits and this is partly why food banks are becoming more and more necessary.

Its a shame there can't be a system of interim payments (you can only have 3 'crisis loans' -benefit advances- a year) for people waiting to hear about their benefit claim although i can see that it would be hard to get the money back if the person is not actually eligible for the benefit.

our food bank gives out a tin of 'meat' ie chilli con carne/tuna/hot dogs, tin of potatoes, tin of carrots or peas, tin of beans,bag of pasta/rice, tin of soup,tin of fruit,tin of custard/rice pudding. tea, coffee,dried milk,sugar.toilet roll,shampoo and toothpaste if they need it. Its meant to last one person 2 days.

tin openers are always needed, you would be amazed how many people come through the doors with literally nothing to their name :(

Really? Tin openers too. I notice there's no bog roll or cleaning products on the list I've got, but I suppose it is a food bank and opens tomorrow. I'll mention it to my friend who has been involved in its organisation, but I expect they'll stick to food in the early days.

Just remembered, we've got a couple of old tin openers which I can't use as I had to get a special disabled one! Mind you, most tins have ring pulls now, don't they?

Jux I think your list is very thorough and its great you're getting involved, its really rewarding work. I can only manage an hour of time a month at present due to my health problems but it really does all help. Any foodbank would be really grateful for a donation as comprehensive as your list. I agree its shocking and scary that there is a need for foodbanks in the UK