Advice needed please on food for homeless

foreign_correspondent

Olliebeak wrote: »

What about your local allotment society - maybe an appeal to them might come up with some produce that is going spare?

Great idea! maybe asking on your local freecycle board may be fruitful too!

Olliebeak

Another thought, any bakeries near you? Maybe some bread that they have left over.

Savoury minced beef is always a good meal and can be s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d out with soup and broth mix (or lentils) to make a small amount of meat go much further. (Pre-soak the soup/broth mix. Minced Beef, onions, carrots, swede - any extra veg you can get hold of really - the drained soup/broth mix, chopped potatoes, mixed herbs, oxo cubes - simmer till veggies/meat are cooked and thicken with cornflour or gravy granules - add dumplings if flour and suet is available!) If it needs a kick to add flavour, try some brown sauce stirred into it (I always put some into my shepherd's pie gravy).

OddjobKIA

Jacket Pots.....Cheap keep them in foil and together will keep warm 4 hours..also easy to eat with cold hands and safer than soup

Savvy_Sue

There are reasons for supermarkets not giving near expiry food direct to groups such as this, but some will do it via FareShare. Would be worth seeing if you have a depot anywhere near you.

Having looked at their map, it doesn't look like it, but they might know of any similar schemes.

mouseymousey99

Just a thought here but how about asking the people themselves what they need? I know some people get sandwiches from places in the daytime?? I would think the ideas on here are all great - but until you have been in that situation?? Fully commend what you are doing by the way, absolute disgrace that in C21 people are in this situation.

Nessa56

Olliebeak wrote: »

Another thought, any bakeries near you? Maybe some bread that they have left over.

Savoury minced beef is always a good meal and can be s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d out with soup and broth mix (or lentils) to make a small amount of meat go much further. (Pre-soak the soup/broth mix. Minced Beef, onions, carrots, swede - any extra veg you can get hold of really - the drained soup/broth mix, chopped potatoes, mixed herbs, oxo cubes - simmer till veggies/meat are cooked and thicken with cornflour or gravy granules - add dumplings if flour and suet is available!) If it needs a kick to add flavour, try some brown sauce stirred into it (I always put some into my shepherd's pie gravy).

Savoury minced beef can also be streched with either raw porridge oats or a few handfuls of uncooked brown rice (good for fibre also)

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EagerLearner

Asking local restaurants may be an idea as at the end of the night they have lots of waste which could be eaten next day by those who need food. Check with them if they would be happy to work with the charity - I know if I owned a restaurant I would certainly agree to this.

Mappygirl

Hi, firstly just wanted to say well done on doing something to help the community.

Sandwich and soup might be a good option. The people your feeding may not be that hungry when you see them so at least with sandwichs they can take them and eat them when they wish. It's also not a messy option - people aren't going to be able to wash their hands/face/clothes if they are homeless. You could also give crisps/fruit/sausage rolls/cakes/pork pie etc. Soup could be taken round in flasks as well as tea and coffee.

I've done food runs with homeless people and now currently work in a hostel for homeless people and it is quite hard to see the situations some of the people are in - Well Done for helping them:T :T :T

nesssie1702

Sidney

Try phoning your local Environmental Health Department, they will be able to give you advice on all aspects of food. Not just from a Food Safety persepective but from a holistic "health" viewpoint too.

Any

HI,
It is great what you are doing. I always thought that one day I will own a restaurant and left overs will go to homeless. I think it is much better then to give them money as many of them just spend them on drink. Would I have a factory or something I would offer them a little jobs - under supervision of course. But that is just my dream:-))

I suggest chicken soup. You can stretch that seriously into big portions and in the winter it is very warming.
The longer you cook the chicken the tastier the stock will be. Then you just add lots of carrot/green fresh beans/parsnip/celery or whatever, noodles (even cut up spaghetti, but noodles are better) and it keeps warm forever. It is also supposed to give you strenght. Also for chicken stock you really only need marrow bones, you don't really need huge chunks of meat (though it of course help if you can have some in).