Food Bank Donations

janiebquick

I donate via the local church which usually has a list of what they need. At the moment powdered milk is is very short supply, but they don't seem to sell it in Sainsburys any more. And no, they don't mean baby milk. I think they have plenty of soup, but thanks for the heads up about pasta. I tend to donate tea bags, sugar and long life milk as most people need those.

Lizling

Cyberman60 wrote: »

Food banks need to check that only destitute people are using them. Unfortunately, they don't and many people that have no need to use them do because they love FREE food etc. This was exposed recently by a national newspaper.


I like this idea for stopping some of the ongoing fraud:

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/mar/26/payment-cards-emergency-assistance-food-stamps

Erm, most food banks only give food out to people who've been referred by a doctor, council worker etc. Frankly, if someone's broke enough that they'd choose to go to a food bank, I'm more than happy for them to get anything I've donated, whether they're actually destitute or just struggling.

Rates of fraud must be vanishingly small compared to the amounts of tax evasion, for example, since these are low value goods... unless you'd like to link evidence to the contrary?

gardengull

I have previously bought tins of custard and peaches-in-juice, which provides fruit, and milk from the custard. My food bank is general, rather than just for homeless people, so it doesn't worry about food having to be heated up.

I bought some cheap mixed Italian spices when they were on offer (food tastes so much better with a few mixed herbs!). Our food bank has asked for rice instead of pasta recently, and has an ongoing request for tinned tomatoes, and garam masala spices.

Winter_Phoenix

I always include toothbrushes, toothpaste, and loo paper, as well as tea, coffee and tinned/packet stuff.

Long-life fruit juice is something my local foodbank asks for.

meritaten

I think that would be ok - my son had to use a foodbank and the bags mostly contained tinned beans, tomatoes, etc.
they would have been thrilled to have gotten pasta!
perhaps the occasional tin of sardines, salmon, herring etc? wonderful protein sources - and many vegetarians will eat fish. look for tins which open without an opener if poss - but don't worry about it!

Dried milk - so useful! Sugar. Coffee and Biscuits. are they really 'luxuries'? don't we lucky ones take it for granted all these will be in our cupboards?

GwylimT

Ours likes tinned meat/fish, lots of protein and it can be eaten cold, alongside things like baked beans, mixed pulses etc. Each pack given to people also contains tea bags, a little freezer bag of coffee, a small amount of sugar and powdered milk, if there are children in the household they do a mini treat bag with a few sweeties and a bottle of squash.

They are often short of sanitary products, nappies, washing up liquid, toilet roll and showergel.

Drachenfach

This is the list from our foodbank. My church newsletter updates us on what they have loads of (currently a tinned tomato mountain) and what they would like more of.

Milk (UHT or powdered)
Sugar (500g only)
Fruit juice (long life cartons)
Soup
Pasta sauces
Sponge pudding (long life)
Tomatoes (tinned)
Breakfast cereals
Rice pudding (tinned)
Tea Bags/instant coffee
Instant mash potato
Rice/pasta
Tinned meat/fish
Tinned fruit
Jam
Biscuits or snack bars

LindsayGalaxy - you've inspired me to email the foodbank and ask if they want sanitary towels etc.

monnagran

I have helped run a church foodbank until recently and the most appreciated items are the staples - tea, coffee sugar, longlife milk, hot chocolate, tins of meat or fish, tinned vegetables, cereals, rice and tinned rice, tinned fruit and custard, crispbread or cream crackers and something to put on them - cheese triangles, marmite, peanut butter ( especially helpful to people living rough), toilet rolls, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes and face flannels. The occasional treat is wonderful. I remember giving a lady a packet of biscuits once and she just glowed with pleasure. "If you can have a biscuit with a cup of tea, it makes you normal, doesn't it?" she said.

Bless all of you who donate. Yes, some people will take advantage, but those who are really in need shouldn't have to lose out because of that.

x

Cyberman60

Lizling wrote: »

Erm, most food banks only give food out to people who've been referred by a doctor, council worker etc. Frankly, if someone's broke enough that they'd choose to go to a food bank, I'm more than happy for them to get anything I've donated, whether they're actually destitute or just struggling.

Rates of fraud must be vanishingly small compared to the amounts of tax evasion, for example, since these are low value goods... unless you'd like to link evidence to the contrary?

Nope, a reporter went into one and got a load of food, with no questions asked !!! It made me very cynical about the numbers bandied about regarding people in need of food banks !! It is not politically motivated at all is it !! Methinks it is.

McKneff

Well, the reporter should be ashamed of themselves, they must have gone in there with the full intention to deceive those lovely people who had given up their time and money in helping people who have difficulty in helping themselves.


We did have a gent come to us and ask us how he could get some food, he was obviously destitute and we told him he had to be referred to us bu Social Services etc.


He looked so embarrassed and upset, all but one of us, the leader, walked away and the one who stayed put them a couple of carried bags of staples together and he went away knowing he was going to have something to eat when he got home. Anyone with a smidgen of human decency would not take food from these peoples mouths.
.