Food bank rollercoaster. Huge empathy to Fury!! Is it just me?

we have one food bank which is self referral and the people who run it are aware of a minority that abuse it but they only provide basic foodstuffs and certainly wouldn't provide luxury coffee unless it was Christmas

the basic point though is that they shouldn't exist in the first place, everyone should have enough money from their income to afford warmth, shelter and food

I don't see anything wrong in having ground coffee on a wish list - if a pack of Lavazza has been donated why shouldn't it go to someone who would enjoy it. I don't drink instant coffee and if I fell on hard times and had to resort to a foodbank I'd be very pleased that some kind soul had donated proper coffee.

I think all foodbanks make an effort to give their clients a few treats e.g. chocolates and fancier biscuits to relieve the dreariness of pasta, bread, tinned beans, long life milk etc.

I too also thought people needed a referral, I also thought there was a limit to how often you could use food banks.
I do find what you are saying depressing, but sadly not really surprising.
A lot of families genuinely need help at the moment, and it’s a shame if that help is going somewhere it’s not needed.
I will continue to donate, it’s a bit like foreign aid, you can’t be sure what’s getting through, but you have to keep trying.

I don’t have a problem with people who buy from charity shops and sell on at a profit. I’ve done it myself - I’ve bought Villeroy and Bosch cocktail glasses, a Jenny Packham evening gown, several mid century Swedish glass vases etc and sold on eBay later at a small profit. Such items aren’t reserved for a certain section of the population, and some people make a small income doing such trading. I give loads more to charity shops than I buy from them, I pay the asked price, so the charity gains funds. Same with stuff I give away on Freecycle - if they are dealers no problem.

I work for a Trussell Trust Foodbank and don’t recognise your scenario WWWoW as we take referrals only.
However a small FB opened up in a local village during lockdown run by well meaning volunteers and it was a very different story there from what I heard from a friend who worked there.

One of our town's food banks has changed its name recently to reflect the fact it's a community hub. Food donated by the big supermarkets to save food waste is available for anyone to take, within reason.
A community fridge has food only just within date and outside the shop are racks of older fruit and bread which disappears quite quickly.
If genuinely in need I am sure you still have to be referred by SS and there is budgeting advice available, tea, biscuits and chat
I donate (there's a list of daily requests, shampoo, tinned food mostly) but also take up to 5 items myself. i am not needy
M&S sourdough bread, chanterelles once and even a tube of truffle paste!
I am saving it from pigfeed/landfill

I volunteer at a community store which is not a food bank but the ethos is to make good food available for all. There's a community.meal weekly free or by donation. A "pay it forward" scheme so you can buy a token which anyone can redeem in exchange for a bowl of soup or cup of coffee.

I don't think YABU if you know that the system is being abused but I believe it's your duty to blow your whistle before you leave.

Volunteering should be two way and if it's no longer pleasant for you then stop.

biglouis

*Food banks will continue to expand as more people realise they can self refer easily.It doesn’t mean that more people actually need it. Human nature means some will take advantage wherever they can*

Agree 100% People see the shameless corruption of the sleazy gang in whitehall and ask themselves "why dont I grab a bit for myself". Manipulating the system has become a new form of activity for many. I dont blame them.

I do blame them.
It is theft and even worse it’s theft from the poor.

Maddyone, no the OP didn't mention alcohol or nailbars, you are correct
I refer to Primrose53 post

Did she mention alcohol? I thought she only mentioned drug addicts.

The OP didn’t mention nail bars. Where did that come from?

biglouis

*Food banks will continue to expand as more people realise they can self refer easily.It doesn’t mean that more people actually need it. Human nature means some will take advantage wherever they can*

Agree 100% People see the shameless corruption of the sleazy gang in whitehall and ask themselves "why dont I grab a bit for myself". Manipulating the system has become a new form of activity for many. I dont blame them.

So how do you know how these "people" - the "many" - the ones you refer to as "them" live their lives?

I volunteer at a food bank. I don't recognise any scenarios like this. I see families who are desperate, pensioners who have been too proud to ask for help, but due to excessive fuel bills, have no alternative but to ask for help
How do you know they go to nail bars and buy alcohol, do you follow them?

Food banks will continue to expand as more people realise they can self refer easily.It doesn’t mean that more people actually need it. Human nature means some will take advantage wherever they can

Agree 100% People see the shameless corruption of the sleazy gang in whitehall and ask themselves "why dont I grab a bit for myself". Manipulating the system has become a new form of activity for many. I dont blame them.

maddyone

I always thought people had to be referred to food banks by a doctor or priest or some other reputable person, and I was reassured on Gransnet that this was the case. I did wonder how food banks had grown so exponentially since their inception, but the lack of referral would explain that. I have always refused to give to food banks. I prefer to give to reputable charities and that is what we do. I absolutely refuse to fund the life styles of drug addicts and thieves. My son ran the London Marathon for the London Parks and we supported him by donating. He’s running again next year and his charity will be Children’s Cancer and we will be donating again.

Although food banks are technically open to anyone, you may find that you need a referral to access many of them. This includes all of those run by the Trussell Trust, which operates around half of the food banks in the UK.

www.savethestudent.org/save-money/food-drink/food-banks.html

BlueBelle

No of course they are not ONLY for people on limited means but if you are selling (certainly in the kids section) to people who can’t afford the high prices of toys that’s who I like to sell to We keep out prices low to help families and no of course I m not saying anyone like yourself and myself shouldn’t be using it I m just saying it’s not for dealers to then go on and sell at a high price
Perhaps I didn’t express myself well I didn’t in any way say or mean that charity shops are for ‘the poor’ that’s not what was meant at all but truly some toys are out of the price range of many especially with more than one child in the family

I do understand what you are saying, BlueBelle, and can also understand that seeing a struggling parent benefit from a bargain-priced toy would be satisfying.

But at the same time, I think that charity shops and warm spaces etc should be for everyone, or there will be a stigma attached. I don't know how you keep dealers out, but I agree that that is not in the spirit of charity shops.

Similarly, there was an item on something I was watching or listening to the other day about people who 'don't need it' buying several items from the 'reduced' section in the supermarket. It's so judgemental. For one thing, it implies that you (not you in particular) can tell who is poor just by looking, which can't make the hard-up feel good. People will often make a real effort not to look as poor as they are, but it doesn't mean that they won't benefit from a cheap deal. Also, what is the alternative? Having a 'for those on benefits only' section? People would complain about that, too.

I think it's the same with charity shops, and with people giving things away on Freecycle and the like. The items are donations to the cause (or a way of getting rid of 'stuff' from your house, and people shouldn't have to prove anything to take it.

I'm not sure what I think about people asking for particular brands in food banks, really.

Blondiescot

Sago

I have said this before and will repeat.
If the donation I make means 1 child will go to bed with a full tummy then I will continue even though the feckless are benefiting.

I'm totally with you on this one.

I will too.

When it's school holidays I will donate food that can easily be prepared by a youngster, although it might not be healthiest, because I know some are left on their own while a parent is working. They don't get free school dinners in the school holidays either.

It is aggravating that there are always people who will take advantage but we have to put that aside if we want to help those in genuine need.

Food banks will continue to expand as more people realise they can self refer easily.It doesn’t mean that more people actually need it. Human nature means some will take advantage wherever they can.Asking for filter coffee and other requests shows this, they treat do-gooders as mugs.

No, you are not hard hearted, Whywhywhyohwhy. We like to help those who help themselves. Unfortunately, there are always dealers etc. who abuse the system. However, I will continue to donate to food banks and charity shops, as I am sure some people in need will benefit.

No of course they are not ONLY for people on limited means but if you are selling (certainly in the kids section) to people who can’t afford the high prices of toys that’s who I like to sell to We keep out prices low to help families and no of course I m not saying anyone like yourself and myself shouldn’t be using it I m just saying it’s not for dealers to then go on and sell at a high price
Perhaps I didn’t express myself well I didn’t in any way say or mean that charity shops are for ‘the poor’ that’s not what was meant at all but truly some toys are out of the price range of many especially with more than one child in the family

Yes. There are more than enough people to help who are genuine.

Lest I also sound like an old meanie we have an elderly man in the village over for a meal every couple of weeks, I used to take plated up meals to another man with mental health problems whose family dumped him here and cleared off again.

I also take food to the local foodbank and pop in and have a chat with some old dears. I will help anybody who is really in need because that’s how I was brought up ….. when my Mum died so many people contacted me to say she had made them meals, scones, visited them in hospital, knitted socks, made baby clothes and other good deeds. However, my kindness extends only to those who genuinely need it.

I knew the types of things you were going to say after I read the words "People can self refer".

In the job I done before retiring I saw the abuse that went on at food banks. Its disgusting but there are always people that will abuse things like this. I would rather give as well, rather than see a child go hungry.
I don't see why posters say the volunteer job that OP does at the food bank is not for her/him you can be disgusted at the behavior of the minority and do a good job for the majority. I do judge people who misuse food banks, they are just greedy.
Carry on doing a good job OP

Calipso

Forgive me if I'm being dim here BlueBelle but are charity shops only for those who have limited means? I've always understood their purpose as being a vehicle to generate profit for their ascribed charity. How does it make sense for them to only sell to the poor? I'm a careful shopper and buy very few new clothes, in fact I buy very few clothes at all, preferring to buy good quality clothes secondhand. Are you saying that I'm taking advantage of things that should only be for a particular section of the general public? I've never seen that stated as a rule in the many charity shops I visit.

Agreed. Not only that, but making them into places that only 'the poor' are supposed to use will give them a stigma that will put off a lot of people. I am not poor, but am happy to give to and buy from charity shops as a way of reusing items rather tan buying new every time.

I always thought people had to be referred to food banks by a doctor or priest or some other reputable person, and I was reassured on Gransnet that this was the case. I did wonder how food banks had grown so exponentially since their inception, but the lack of referral would explain that. I have always refused to give to food banks. I prefer to give to reputable charities and that is what we do. I absolutely refuse to fund the life styles of drug addicts and thieves. My son ran the London Marathon for the London Parks and we supported him by donating. He’s running again next year and his charity will be Children’s Cancer and we will be donating again.