Children going hungry in the summer holidays

Doubt that Citizens Advice would have made the comments about feckless parents eazybee? Citizens Advice are a non judgemental advice agency any CA which blamed any person for their misfortune in the way you imply would risk having their ability to run under CA banner removed!!

“Do some research before you pass judgement” Barnet?
I’m not for one moment condoning the comments you object to but surely you are equally bigoted to state that the people making them are most likely Tories, badly wanted Brexit and hate immigrants?
Perhaps you could share your research that allows you to pass judgement too.

As an ex advisor for a charity for the elderly I was one who had to decide whether a person received a token for a food bank if they came to us in need. The questions we asked were quite searching. What had happened to many is that they had had a change in circumstances and there was a delay in paying their benefits which could go on for a period of sometimes 6 weeks. There were emergency payments but again they are not instant. Others were very proud and not until they hadn't eaten for three days would ask for help. With anything like that there are always the con artists but to be most people had genuine reasons asking for help. My father would not accept benefits and for nearly a year three of us existed on my secretarial wage and often the food for the day was a stew that consisted of nothing much but gravy and a few veg that we had grown ourselves. Therefore I know what it is like to be on the last 50p and so glad my circumstances have changed. Children often are the innocent sufferers in many situations and I am just glad they are getting a meal.x

I used to work for a mental health charity and was one of the few who issued the vouchers for the food bank. There are alot of hoops to jump through before you get a voucher, and there is a limit to how often you could go. I sent one lady who was trying hard to put her life back together. The next day I was talking her down from suicide, the reason being she had food she couldn't use Why she didn't own a tin opener. Don't judge until you understand. Please remember that 1 in 4 of us has suffered, is suffering or will suffer from a mental health problem and just because we can't see it doesn't mean it isn't there. PS I brought her an electric can opener with her
arthritis she couldn't use a manual one.

This is probably easier to read than the Hansard link I gave above. It is a link from last year, so I do hope that some progress has been made since then:
inews.co.uk/news/uk/full-mps-demanding-action-stop-children-going-hungry-school-holidays/[

I think it is a sad world if you can't help a child who has feckless parents
succinct and to the point icanhandthemback

Thanks jcig. Like many others who have seen the reality of how folks end up suicidal, poverty stricken, addicted, depressed and hopeless, you haven't lost compassion. Compassion seems the wrong word now I've written it. common human decency would fit the bill.
All the major faiths, Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hindu for example, raise money, give to those worse off than themselves. I mentioned earlier, the judgemental attitude of some charities in earlier days, thankfully now passed.
Thanks to all of you still helping those less fortunate than most to us are.

The posts on here make me despair. The nastiness, lack of understanding, smugness, lack of compassion, understanding are unbelievable. If this is the kind of people who are on GN then I truly am not sure that I wish to be associated with it. There are a many, thank heavens who are not, but shame on you Jennifereccles eazybee, GabriellaG and others, you know who you are and you should be ashamed. Yes, there are likely some who exploit the system, but as a taxpayer I am happy for the majority to be helped, despite the very small feckless minority. Children do not choose to be born into families who fail to nurture them, and I am sure they feel even better knowing that a load of judgmental people think they should not even have been born because their parents are poor.

She has been looking and been for interviews. She is now looking into apprenticeships. Thanks for suggesting though and the free meal idea hadn’t thought of.

Thank you Gill for your comments. I rather innocently started this thread as I was worried about local children going hungry. I thought of my two grandchildren if suddenly their regular food was withdrawn, I would be sick with worry.

I suppose I was rather naive in thinking most of the GN contributors would rally round and be supportive.

In the town that I live in last week our Garden Centre burnt down and a nearby house too, the family lost everything. Fortunately people are rallying round, including my WI to set the family up again.

One never knows when disaster can hit any of us.

One good thing that has come out of reading some of the comments on here; I shall up my Foodbank donations. Partly to help with the school holiday problems for families and partly to compensate for the disgusting attitudes of some on here. Thanks Nankate for starting this thread, I bet you didn't realise just what you unleashed!

NanKate I will also put somthing in the food bank collection points in my local supermarket

Period poverty is something that I would like to get involved with i,e, find a local group to fund raise/ distribute products to females in need.

Thank you for highlighting this problem. ???

gillybob, sadly, a single parent nurse who is struggling to make childcare payments in order to work, may well find themselves waiting for top up benefits like Tax and Child Credits to come through and may need to resort to food banks. The Benefits system is slow and cumbersome, some would say inhumane, and actually getting to talk to someone for an emergency loan is a mission, especially if you are working.
There will always be those who play the system and usually they have enough money out of it not to need the food banks unless they are feckless with their money too. I am not a bleeding heart liberal who thinks everybody in the world is owed something but I am somebody who strongly believes that we must protect the vulnerable like children, the mentally ill and the elderly!

I congratulate those who are active in helping feed poor families - I give to the foodbank collection when I shop, but you are going further and I admire your doing that. To those who wonder if the people who get food from a food bank are really struggling to feed their families, it is worth your knowing that you cannot just roll up at the food bank and ask for food - you have to prove your need. The need is real and shocking in an affluent country.

I know about the schemes to feed children in the holidays but I don't think there is one near where I live. However, making donations to food banks is a step forward - particularly with food that a child may find easy to prepare if a parent is out at work.

DS works full time. His partner works sometimes but has mental problems. They live in a one bedroom flat with their little boy. They neither smoke nor drink, although they do have smart phones because people like employers, schools and even doctors expect to be able to contact you via text or email. They have not resorted to food banks because we have been making sizeable contributions to their rent

For quizqueen's benefit I should add that DS's partner is one of those awful immigrants and should now doubt be deported on the first available flight.

NanKate I just googled One Can and came up with the summer calendar. What a great idea from some children who have more compassion than some GNers. If anyone wants to look it's here onecantrust.org.uk/summer-hunger/
But get a hanky before you view it!
Thanks NanKate

Deedaa - thanks for your post. I empathise - loved ones in my family who faced homelessness recently. If others hadn't been able to raise funds, the country would've had 4 more homeless people on our streets.
Those who suggest that the majority of people on benefits or going to food banks are feckless could so easily find themselves, other loved ones in similar difficulties.

Its worth repeating that much more is lost in tax avoidance than in benefit fraud.

Many of us could experience an unexpected change in circumstances, redundancy, job loss etc, so to say "don't have children if you can't afford to feed them" is totally ridiculous.

Not that many years ago, Mr P and I were in the situation where we carrying a calculator in Lidls to see if we could afford a jar of coffee!

Do you know how much JSA a couple get? Go on, let's have your guesses, no Googling allowed!

Know one person gets £75 phoenix. How do you feed, clothe, and keep warm day to day, never mind survive when long term unemployment features.
I remember when you and Mr P were in dire straits. So good to know you're ok xx

Recently saw, on TV news, a women coming out of a foodbank with a large 10 slice chocolate cake! You cannot tell me this is needed. Though some on here will have a reason for it. Never give to food banks, we have been poor mother crying when my father was in hospital in 1940's. No job or sickness benefit. My dear Mum fed us though. People today just do not know how lucky they are. I do find that people who support this cannot tolerate anyone who does not agree with them. We all have opinions and it is a free country to express them even if we don't agree with you.

Thanks to all of you who have upped your donations for the summer hols. ?

Marielize for obvious reasons food banks only accept and hand out non perishable goods. The lady you saw with the chocolate cake had likely been given it because some kind person had brought it in, hoping that a food bank user would be cheered by it. It could have been a gift from a volunteer for all you know. Stop judging. You don't have to donate but wind your neck in with the judgy comments.

I'll be upping my donations, NanKate, and thank you for highlighting the additional problems families face in the school holidays.