Food bank items

Lleucu

recipe cards - good idea - can be offered at the time, eggs also a good idea and comforting as well as versatile.

yojibop

How about a pack of raisins? They can be used in cooking or eaten as a snack, good for kids as well and quite cheap to buy basics sultanas.

Tinned sweetcorn? Very cheap but again quite versatile.

I agree with flour, maybe corn flour, gravy powder (basics for about 20p is still nice and even if they didn't like something tinned they could change the flavour with gravy powder and some herbs).

Tinned tomatoes definitely, these go so far and are versatile.

Own brand rice pudding/the 6p custard you add hot water to (would be nice with tinned fruit or fresh fruit or on its own).

Box of jelly for a treat? I think you can get a pack for around 30p.

Cotton wool for those with babies as they can use that with water instead of wet wipes for nappy changes. Buy the pleats not the balls as they go much further for the cost. (Sainsburys baby event is the cheapes I have found).

Basic tomato ketchup? Around 20-30p in Morrisons for their own brand but will mask the taste of foods they are not as keen on and good for those with fussy eaters (kids).

Morrisons own brand pasta about 25p.

Rice/noodles.

Hope some of this helps. You have inspired me to have try and get some bits for our local food bank (money is tight as my Hubby has been made redundant but I am sure I can find a few pence for some basic items).

ragz_2

I certainly wouldn't include thigns like biscuits or crisps, not essential or healthy. Defintiely some oily fish like mackeral though as that is very nutritious.
We did our food box for the harvest festival yesterday and I included loo roll and shower gel, though not sure if it will get used.

sophlowe45

from my experience of giving food to young men, they never accepted anything with fish or vegetarian food even if they were really hungry. So I had to get alternative stuff, they loved meat, blt sandwiches and stuff you get that is leftover at the end of the day from EAT or Pret. There also used to be a huge amount of pastries, and croissants which everyone really liked, but very unhealthy as they were having several in one go.:(

Sushi grew on people which I found surprising.

snowleopard61

flubberyzing wrote: »

Personally I'd pack boxes with EITHER tea OR coffee. Or more likely, neither! It's not an essential. I'd rather have a few extra tins of beans. You need to think "nutrition" rather than "luxury".

Admittedly, while I've mostly had to watch the pennies, I've never actually gone hungry. But if the chips (!) were down, I think the one thing I would seriously long for if I couldn't have it was tea, and there would be no substitute. It's certainly the hardest thing I ever gave up for Lent, in the days when I did such things.

It's also one of the very few things I'm fussy about, enough not to buy a basic or value brand - though in a food parcel I'd be grateful for that too.

liz545

Some good ideas so far, few more to add:

- packs of instant 'just add hot water' couscous; they're easy to make if you only have access to a kettle, which people might do if they're in B&B/hostel accomodation.
- tinned tuna - it's a bit more expensive than mackerel/sardines, but it's a bit more appealing to people who don't eat fish. Easy to add into rice/couscous/pasta to make a meal.
- sausages - Poundland often have the Mattessons smoked sausages, they're nicer than canned hotdogs and you can stretch them out with veg/carbs.
- peanut butter - it's a better source of protein than jam.
- a packet of biscuits and some teabags. It's not all about nutrition, there are some little things that make you feel like a human being!

thriftyniftyme

liz545 wrote: »

- a packet of biscuits and some teabags. It's not all about nutrition, there are some little things that make you feel like a human being!

I often think this when I'm picking up bits for the foodbank. I think how demeaning it must be to have to admit that you cannot feed your family and to have to rely on charity. In those circumstances I think a cup of tea is not so much a drink as a virtual hug?!

meritaten

it is demeaning! my son and his family were in dire straights because his benefits got stopped from a malicious report. for over a month my OH and I paid thier leccy and gas, food, and the small amount of rent not covered by housing benefit! we couldnt carry on - we were in danger of needing a food bank ourselves! he had contacted everyone he could for help...........but, no money was coming in while this was sorted ............he found that you could self refer to SS and get food bank help! great...............except, SS came and looked through his kitchen cupboards and fridge, and brought up Two carrier bags of tinned food! yes he was grateful, but, Me and OH still had to buy them the basics, Tea, coffee (its not just a drink to my son, it actually helps him prevent or calm an asthma attack), sugar, milk, breakfast cereal for the kids, bread, marge, cheese, flour, loo rolls, soap and toothpaste! by the time a food bank is required the bare necessities are usually desperately needed!

ragz_2

Our local one actually has a shopping list
http://hailsham.foodbank.org.uk/resources/documents/foodbank/Hailsham-FB-website-shopping-list.pdf
and a recipe list http://hailsham.foodbank.org.uk/budget-recipes-by-celebrity-chefs (very brief, they should just send them to this site!)


just checked and you can get one of everything (mostly smart price) from Asda for £6.20. I chose tea over coffee as value tea is drinkable, value coffee is not! And went for second cheapest biscuits as rich tea were slightly cheaper but I thought bourbon creams were a little more luxurious. I take back my earlier post, people do deserve biscuits

skipsmum

I've worked with teens in hostels who have used food banks and many of them could not read the labels on value tins (let alone a recipe), due to either illiteracy or being a non-english speaker. May not be a problem for the OP, it depends on area demographics, but its worth being aware of. Cereal is good because you can open it and see what it is without it going off.

Also, tea or coffee definitely. Warm drinks are vital in the winter and most people will have the skill and equipment to make it. Its practically a cultural thing in this country, warming and reassuring.