Food Bank Donations

tessie_bear

im a keen supporter of food banks and make donations but was surprised by an advert i saw for the local one saying that what they needed most was
sugar
steamed puddings
treats for children

none of the above would i class as nutritionally useful and wouldnt donate any of them...i go for food with some food value and am surprised they would ask for such rubbish

Maitane

I suppose a pudding or a treat might not seem nutritionally necessary but there's a lot to be said for something treat-like to keep spirits up. Think about a lot of people who use chocolate or other sweet things as a pick me up.

Sugar makes porridge and bland cereals more palatable in the absence of fresh fruit, makes tinned tomatoes taste a little more like jarred pasta sauces and can be added to tea. The calories might also be useful where the rest of the intake is very low otherwise.

peony40

I must admit for quite a while it did not occur to me to provide biscuits, puddings etc. then I read somewhere about how nice it is for people to have ordinary everyday little treats to keep their spirits up. When I thought about it I realised how I would like to have some little treat to get me through what must be a most stressful time. Also, I would think that the treats would be distributed out within reason per bag.

Maitane

I've always wondered if recipe books would be any use to food banks - like where someone hasn't learned how to cook.

Between me and Mr Mai, we've got a million and one 'student'/'on the cheap'/'all of the above for one' style cookbooks bought by well meaning relatives and there are some quite smart recipes.

Mojoworking

There was an interesting article in the Liverpool echo yesterday or the day before. Thetwo cacathedrals have set up a joint food bank. The thing that struck me from the article was they do tell people "no". A couple came in to ask for food as they had just got back from holiday and had nothing to eat.

I do applaud them as these are the ones who put me off donating and it was their choice to spend their money on a holiday - it wasn't circumstances beyond their control. The problem is people feel it is their right and if so n so is getting it free thdn I should. Regardless if so n so is in a worse position. Hope that makes sense.

inkie

I run a food bank, and we ask for an agency referral before food is issued. We also ask the agency to let us know who will be coming that week, so we have an idea of the right number of parcels to prepare.
occasionally, I will get someone come asking for help in a crisis, who does not have a referral, and in that case, I will interview the, make an assessment and go from there. it's not just about giving out food. we also work with people to sort out their finances, do cook n eat courses and have a community allotment to teach people how to grow their own, and to provide the fresh stuff for our food bank, which is so often lacking in food banks.

Maitane

Oooh Inkie, while you're here do you think cookbooks are any good? I'm just preparing a box to donate and might pop them in if they could help.

flubberyzing

I live on a fairly tight budget myself, but try and donate something each week when I do my main shop.
I try and give something that would make a whole meal. Something like a bag of pasta and a jar of sauce, or a box of cereal with a carton of long-life milk.
When I'm even more stretched for finances, it's something like a can of baked beans or some sort of tinned veg.

blackandwhitebunny

Maitane wrote: »

I've always wondered if recipe books would be any use to food banks - like where someone hasn't learned how to cook.

Between me and Mr Mai, we've got a million and one 'student'/'on the cheap'/'all of the above for one' style cookbooks bought by well meaning relatives and there are some quite smart recipes.

A lot of food banks give out photocopied recipes tailored to what's in the food parcels.

inkie wrote: »

I run a food bank, and we ask for an agency referral before food is issued. We also ask the agency to let us know who will be coming that week, so we have an idea of the right number of parcels to prepare.
occasionally, I will get someone come asking for help in a crisis, who does not have a referral, and in that case, I will interview the, make an assessment and go from there. it's not just about giving out food. we also work with people to sort out their finances, do cook n eat courses and have a community allotment to teach people how to grow their own, and to provide the fresh stuff for our food bank, which is so often lacking in food banks.

My local foodbank has also trained volunteers in stock control and food hygiene and other skills and then helped them find employment.