The Foodbank Donation Thread

pumpkin89

'Anything you wouldn't eat yourself. The Trussell Trust offers a good measure for deciding whether something is suitable: do not donate anything that you or a loved one wouldn’t want to eat yourselves.'

I appreciate there are going to be different views on this, but I think it's really unhelpful advice.  There is very little on the Trussell Trust's list of recommended donations that I would personally choose to eat or to feed my family, because I prefer fresh food.  That doesn't mean I don't want to help those who don't have the facilities to store and prepare fresh.  IMO it's more helpful to look at the list of what your local food bank is asking for.

I have to say, it's also quite offputting to read that food banks are disposing of donations.  People donate to help others and it surely should be for the recipients to decide whether they want a particular item or not.

MSE_Laura_F

Many food banks do accept fresh food - check with your local.

Food past use-by/expiry date has to be thrown away for safety reasons as per the Food Standards Agency guidance.

Brie

pumpkin89 said:

'Anything you wouldn't eat yourself. The Trussell Trust offers a good measure for deciding whether something is suitable: do not donate anything that you or a loved one wouldn’t want to eat yourselves.'

I appreciate there are going to be different views on this, but I think it's really unhelpful advice.  There is very little on the Trussell Trust's list of recommended donations that I would personally choose to eat or to feed my family, because I prefer fresh food.  That doesn't mean I don't want to help those who don't have the facilities to store and prepare fresh.  IMO it's more helpful to look at the list of what your local food bank is asking for.

I have to say, it's also quite offputting to read that food banks are disposing of donations.  People donate to help others and it surely should be for the recipients to decide whether they want a particular item or not.

There's always going to be something that you buy in a supermarket/shop for yourself that the FBs will want to have.  If you only eat fresh food/meat/veg then focus on the non food items.  Ours was out of toilet paper this week - and I don't know anyone that willingly does without that!!  And don't forget that what they want this week may differ radically from next.

As for disposing of stuff - for a lot of us it's swings and roundabouts.  Someone recently donated a couple of dozen  boxes of "sleepy time" teabags.  None of the clients seem interested in these, particularly as the labels had no English on them so many wouldn't even know what they were, so they are put out where anyone might be able to take them.  I spotted them and because I know some Dutch was able to spot they were something I might like.  I mentioned this to the FB manager and she was quite happy for me to take them away.  Next day I brought in my bargain 90 tins of tuna which I know the rough sleepers and single elderly types will like.  I think the volunteers go even a week without some of them bringing in something to fill a hole in the shelves.  

And for things past their BBF or use by dates - they also get put out where someone can choose to take them.  We also ensure that if something is going to expire soon (like next week) we hand it to someone and let them know rather than waste things.  We do keep an eye on our more vulnerable clients who may not understand the significance of date stamps and try to steer them away from something that we might know will cause them a problem.  

As for disposing of donations - unfortunately it is mostly fresh things that get thrown away as they are stale or mouldy.  Particularly a problem now with everyone's allotment overflowing - we have so many big squashes and only so much space to store them!!!

beanielou

Also bear in mind foodbanks are regularily donated things that are very out of date(sometimes years) , half used items & things that have no labels/dates.
You would be amazed & surprised.

Retronaut78

Beanielou yes this is the case I'm afraid (2013 rusty tin of grapefruit last summer, mmmm!!). Maybe I should explain a little more what I was referring to when I said we dispose of them. It doesn't necessarily mean 'sling it'.

Someone said about giving our guests the choice, and absolutely this is something we aim to do as much as possible, but we also have a duty of care towards the vulnerable adults (which is how foodbank users are considered) we support. Someone in food insecurity may feel they have to accept unsuitable food, that they'd be rude to say no or may be refused food if they did, and in those situations respecting someone's choice looks a bit different. 

At the start of the thread something was said about how someone felt valued to get some fancy biscuits. Let's put the boot on the other foot with OOD food: giving someone a food parcel full of OOD things likewise says 'this is what (all) you're worth', and this is nothing to do with with whether another person would be happy to eat it. From an edibility point of view it's probably fine, but as well as food we try to give people dignity too. 

When we get something we can't give out, *something* has to be done with it. That may mean giving it to somewhere else with different rules (as usually happens with bleach and razors), it may mean the volunteers taking it (as usually happens with the boozy Christmas puds). Foodbank staff are surprisingly resourceful with this! Ultimately some things sadly have to be binned as we're out of options or the food is just not fit for human consumption.

Some people may not like the thought of alternative uses having to be found for their donations, but the thing in this case is to check what things your foodbank can accept, and donate within that.

beanielou

Yes indeed @Retronaut78. 

I once had a lengthy conversation with a person wishing to donate several pairs of prescription glasses to our foodbank who was unable to take on board that we were unable to accept them & give them to clients. 

Our record was something dated 1993 which was the year my DS was born 30 years ago!! 

Brie

I used to do collections at work for the local FB and was shocked that people would give OOD stuff but also things that they had opened, used some and then decided (I guess) that they didn't like!!  It's like giving filthy ripped clothes to a charity shop. 

Our FB does more than food, household goods etc, and someone last winter had bought themselves all new duvets so decided to give the old ones to us because so many people couldn't afford to turn on their heating.  It's a great idea in principle but the manager had to tell them to take their duvets away as they were so filthy.  The donor assumed that people would want them no matter what or that the charity could afford to get them all dry cleaned!!  It's cheaper to buy a brand new (albeit cheap) duvet than to clean one.  All that can be done with some stuff is to chuck it away.  

Brie

Here's a fun good news story for you.....  went into the FB a week back and the volunteers were struggling to unload boxes and boxes of lovely fresh baked bread and pastries.  Imagine a fully stocked large Lidl "baked in house" bakery section.  Turns out that's what it was! 

The day before someone had done all the baking required for the afternoon rush but somehow, for some reason, it was never put out for sale.  So at the end of the shift it was all bagged/boxed up ready to be delivered to the FB in the morning as they don't sell day old "fresh" bakery stuff.  So we're talking about 40+ sour dough loaves, 60-100 baguettes, whole trays of croissants, maple twists, donuts, 100s of rolls.  A small portion was put out for the day's customers to take home, some things like brownies were put on the tables where they can have a cuppa while they're waiting for their bags of stuff or when chatting with the volunteers.  And the rest was bagged up into smaller portions and loaded into the big freezer.  The frozen stuff them gets pulled out as required over the following days to give people something lovely to munch.

I was sitting at my table waiting for some budget clients and said to a colleague "I wonder if someone did it on purpose?"  She looked shocked at the idea but agreed that it could happen if there was someone who wanted to ensure we got lots of bread and other things to distribute.  Obviously we'll never know for sure.

Cherryfudge

That's such a nice story @Brie!

@Retronaut78, good points, well explained thanks.  

@beanielou I'm sure the wrong prescription would give me a headache as well as not helping my sight, and I'm sure foodbanks don't want random glasses to add to food parcels. However, as you may know, there are charities who accept prescription specs. Our local Spec s@vers had or has a collecting box for them. I'm guessing they check what the prescriptions are so they can be reused.

We ended up with extra bedding when DS2 moved out so it went through the washer and on to the women's shelter, which was able to accept it. In a hotel I'd use the bedding provided, which other people have used, so it isn't the reuse that's the problem, but the condition of it.

beanielou

@Cherryfudge. So true about opticians taking glasses.
You cant please everyone!