Crazy Cat Lady Chapter 3 - A New Beginning

beanielou

joeyjimbles wrote: »

The foodbank I support in town has put out an appeal for food items that don't need to be heated, or just need a kettle due to fuel poverty. Given how cold it's becoming, that's so sad.

Yes, its sad & sadly in this day & age the reality for many including the working poor who are often forgotten.

SpekySquarehead

Good on you CCL for putting time and money aside to help those in need. Inspiring actually.

Hope you feel a bit more like yourself soon.

crazy_cat_lady

Morning all :wave:
I have to say it's actually my form class that are the most inspiring. I teach in a seriously deprived area myself, and suspect that I have kids in front of me every day whose family rely on food banks, but they are rallying round and bringing in whatever they can to fill the box up. Given that these kids are 12 or 13 years old I am very proud of them. I have to confess though, I hadn't thought about loo roll and that would be a massive crisis, so I will buy some next time we're out. I didn't know that food banks also took pet food, and I have some cans of cat food that none of mine will entertain at all so I'll bring them in for the box as well.
I am also incredibly proud that my form class won the inter-form competition about issues that are important to them in Parliament. We had to pick issues that are important to young people and discuss why they are important and what the government could do to solve the problems. My lovely lot have tackled homelessness, knife crime, single use plastics and improving mental health services. They are quite disappointed that the prize is some bunting for my classroom, but I have explained to them that the greater prize is empathy and understanding, and realising the importance of having a say on issues that are important to them.
Anyway, other than that, life continues in the same vein. I am tired and want to sleep all of the time. Work will not allow that - nor will the kids or cats. Plus we have norovirus sweeping through my school and kids and staff are dropping at a mega rate. We managed to avoid it last half term when it hit ds school - I really hope we miss it again. I couldn't be doing with norovirus on top of financial struggles, motivational struggles and a flea infestation.

1LuckyLady

Sounds like you have a lovely form group CCL. We put a few items in the foodbank box when we go, I often put in a jar of coffee, a bag of porridge oats and a bottle of squash. I hadn't thought about loo rolls or toiletries.

I hope you manage to stay clear of the norovirus too.

f0xh0les

Ooh no! Keep well away from that norovirus nonsense, nobody needs that right now.

We were busy from the minute we opened the f/b to the closing time today. Never stopped filling bags for a second, there was always one more slip that came down just as we thought we had finished. We have started to get fresh fruit and veg and bread as well, donated straight from the supermarket or F4reshare for people to take.

I bet there are kids in your class whose parents are using the foodbank. You can't stereotype who uses them, as honestly you get every type of person coming in, but the kids who have just left care and are trying to live on their £41 a week break my heart. Whoever decided that you can charge more money for gas and electric on a key/card meter was an absolute immoral animal - we have rented in houses with them and it is daylight robbery.

Fuel poverty needs to be addressed.

We had one family of 5 who only had a kettle and a microwave. We often get young men in who only have a kettle. That is when you have to get a bit creative and end up running all over the warehouse looking for bits and bobs and things you can eat cold, like joey says.

crazy_cat_lady

I will check in properly tomorrow lovely people - I am just too tired tonight to do anything other than find something decent to watch on the box and sleep. Full supply of cosy blankets and cats - at least I'm used to the flea bites now.
It's been a busy and emotional bit of a week so I'm hoping for and really looking forward to a lie in tomorrow. I have hair appointments for all 3 of us, and some exam related work to be getting on with so I need a bit of down time tonight.
Just also thinking that there aren't too many more weekends until Christmas so I really ought to be getting on with sorting through the present stash and wrapping stuff up. Time is really flying by (unless I think about my house and financial situation so I won't)

Baileys_Babe

Just popping to give you a hug and say thank you.

I am so impressed with you keeping on top of the Christmas preparations despite a demanding job, house to run, family to love and care for, it's inspiring me to get somethings sorted, I may even wrap the presents we already have.

Buffythedebtslayer

f0xh0les wrote: »

Ooh no! Keep well away from that norovirus nonsense, nobody needs that right now.

We were busy from the minute we opened the f/b to the closing time today. Never stopped filling bags for a second, there was always one more slip that came down just as we thought we had finished. We have started to get fresh fruit and veg and bread as well, donated straight from the supermarket or F4reshare for people to take.

I bet there are kids in your class whose parents are using the foodbank. You can't stereotype who uses them, as honestly you get every type of person coming in, but the kids who have just left care and are trying to live on their £41 a week break my heart. Whoever decided that you can charge more money for gas and electric on a key/card meter was an absolute immoral animal - we have rented in houses with them and it is daylight robbery.

Fuel poverty needs to be addressed.

We had one family of 5 who only had a kettle and a microwave. We often get young men in who only have a kettle. That is when you have to get a bit creative and end up running all over the warehouse looking for bits and bobs and things you can eat cold, like joey says.

That and Joey Jimbles post made me cry. What is going on in this country? 6 or 7th biggest economy in the world and we have food banks everywhere. And people are desperate. It is wrong. Utterly and totally.

Buffythedebtslayer

CCL - my form keep me sane, they are lovely kids and really try and work hard in some times crappy circumstances. The kids definitely make the job.

Hope you have a good weekend XX

f0xh0les

Buffythedebtslayer wrote: »

That and Joey Jimbles post made me cry. What is going on in this country? people are desperate. It is wrong. Utterly and totally.

The benefits system is broken if you are not a regular user or if you have a change in circumstances or an addiction problem. The good thing is that there is no need to be hungry anymore. There is starting to be a joining up of the voluntary section and the supermarkets. There is less waste, more is diverted from landfill, more people are being fed. The help is there. The public is behind the foodbanks. There should not be any shame to using a foodbank in the same way there is no shame in going to the dr or going to citizens advice. Don't be sad, it is people helping people. Grass roots action. Nobody needs to go hungry anymore.

Sorry for hijacking your thread CCL, but the f/b is not a miserable place to be, sometimes it feels more like a toddlers group, or a coffee morning. There is no judgement, just filling a hole that needs to be filled so nobody slips through the cracks.