Food banks (the hidden tax)

Oh dear, I have been known to donate baked beans! Nowadays I prefer to give sanitary products and baby wipes.

Although looking back at my posts I did only say ‘some single mums’.

You’re right Sarasob it was a bit of a sweeping generalisation which I do regret in hindsight. Sorry I didn’t really mean to cause offence please accept my apologies.
I must learn that if I can’t say anything nice I shouldn’t post.
A work in process, obviously.

I found your post about single parents to be very harsh, judgemental and sweeping Urmstongran. Many years ago I found myself a single divorcee with a young child (which was preferable to the remaining married to an alcoholic option). Until my child started school I relied on the state to give me a little money to live on and with careful budgeting coped, as in spite of CSA chasing my ex-husband for child support we never received a penny. I was always thankful to friends from my church who regularly invited me for meals and ensured that the money I received was eked out to provide what my daughter needed.
I was pleased when she went to school to go and find work to support us without needing the help of the state.
As an aside, 30 years on we receive a letter asking if we want them to try again to get the money my daughter was entitled to or if we will allow them to cancel the debt!

I don’t donate to food banks either.
Like GG54 I’ve chosen different things.

Boat- I too was being ironic about the beans!
As treasurer for a local charity I have a opinion about gift aid that isn’t totally charitable.

Thanks for the tips boat. I suppose I try not to buy own brands as I don't want people to feel thats all they deserve. ( yes I know some own brands are good!)

Hi. It is 4 am and I have woken up feeling a bit more bouncy (perhaps I should be writing, "Good morning Friday", to get ahead of Michael).

I honestly have nothing against baked beans; love them! It's just that that is what everybody thinks of first when they consider what to buy for a food bank. Part of the five a day, not needing a long time to cook. As a result I understand, food banks have a stockpile of them and a greater need for fish and meat.

A lot of posters seem to be worried about buying own brand stuff to give to food banks. I originally thought this. Now I try things out for myself and weigh the pros and cons.

Lately tinned meatballs have been appearing in my local supermarkets. This is not something I'd normally buy and probably contain quite a lot of fat but they actually taste quite nice, provide protein and don't need much heating.

I tried tinned ham (the tins that are vaguely ham shaped) and thought it was awful but the people at the food bank I used to contribute to when I lived in London (Muslim but they helped anybody) said people thought it was great.

Four thirty and already I have lost all bounce and need to go back to bed. Probably no one else is up but goodnight anyway.

I don't give to food banks. I do other things.

Me too.
I could eat them every night.
Apart from the wind issues, that is.

Hope you feel better in the morning boat.
But why are baked beans not good to give. I love baked beans.

Ah hope you’re feeling a lot better soon boat and thank you for taking the time to (a) elucidate your post and (b) read all our posts! It’s been a thought provoking thread and I have been educated.

In my OP I thought I was being ironic about the Conservative MPs donating cans of beans but obviously was over subtle.

My point was that anybody who donates to food banks knows that baked beans are probably the least welcome item, not that they were going to claim tax relief on their contribution.

My original idea was that any decent person who has the means will give to food banks. If the government banks on that (sorry) to make up for them taking from the poor to give to the, "Rich", then it is a form of taxation.

I thought the point of taxation (especially post WW2) was to even things out so that we all get health care, education etc not to win votes.

I'm a bit out of things at the moment because I have some nameless lurgy that causes me to sleep most of the time. Since I woke up the last time I have read every bodies posts with interest.

Right to Buy was obviously an insane policy but so was introducing Housing Benefit without any control on rents.

Now I just need to go back to bed. See you in the morning when I hope I will be more compos mentis.

Alchemilla quite right. It is a big problem. It is also totally unfair to those who moved from public housing and paid full price to buy a house- like my husband and I.. Then all our neighbours bought theirs at a fraction of the cost and some years later sold at a vast profit. That is not what public housing is for. But owning is linked to capitalism. Thats what conservatives want.

Went to Ireland in the 70s and was shocked to see women begging on the street..

Was shocked to see beggars on the street in Manchester in the 80s.

Now food banks and homelessness are commonplace in my home town, so thanks grannyactivist for your work. I think there has been a perfect storm of factors as OPs have pointed out..

I do some voluntary work with the homeless people at night, it can be an uphill struggle. Charities and councils have had so much funding cuts.

I can’t believe that in 2019 I have have to suggest safe places to sleep to people on the street. One man told me he gets dry by sitting next to an outlet pipe that blows out warm air..

Sorry to go off track a bit, but it’s said there can be just 3 factors/mistakes that can render someone homeless.

youtu.be/z_Jx9nqnxOM

Hope this link works. Good words from the Hollies.

urmstong The problem with social housing is the old right to buy that Margaret Thatcher introduced in the Eighties. Both Tory and Labour seem to encourage it while it clearly seems to make no sense. Now, instead of social housing, you have new right to buy money which the house builders have taken full advantage of and made billions by building first time buyer houses and flats and selling them at either inflated cost or with the dreaded leasehold - where the poor sods buying end up paying increasingly big rents. To the point where they want to buy freehold and find the builders have sold the lease to a company in the Caymans.

On top of which you seem to have no idea of what the gig economy is like for two working people who have any children. No guarantee of work, and they end up having to share 24 hours of different shifts because they can't afford childcare and pay the rent and outgoings. Rational says - don't have children then. Rational also says if there are no children then Gransnetters won't have their pension paid.

And then you have the Gransnetters who thought they'd retire at 60 ... then 65 ... and get a state pension. Then it got moved further ahead and they had no chance to plan. I bet they're down at the foodbanks.

A very divided country which shouldn't be that way !

Thank you for your post grannyactivist. It was a good time to post when you're feeling overwrought because then you tell it as it is. I had tears in my eyes reading it. How could anyone think people want to go to foodbanks? Shame on our country that some have so much to squander and some not money for basics.. Utter disgrace.

PamelaJ1 I work (unpaid) for a small local charity as a caseworker for people who are homeless or are in danger of becoming so. We have a small staff of professionally qualified caseworkers (also unpaid) and some marvellous volunteers who do non-specialist work for our clients.

The OP was questioning the type of person who donates and mentioned tax advantages.
I don’t suppose that gift aid can be reclaimed on a tin of beans.
Like a previous poster I feel a bit guilty at buying own brand products and then putting a branded product in the trolly for me. I do understand that means more people can eat but it does lack the feel good factor.
grannyactivist what do you do to help? Whatever it is then well done.

Yes, I did think you seemed overwrought last night grannyactivist you obviously do good work and at times it must get to you.

I rang a local Methodist Church drop-in service to ask what was needed. They asked for sanitary towels, soap, deodorant and sleeping bags. The food needed was curry or stew ingredients to make up bulk meals they serve to the needy.

I suspect most of you realise that I posted in the heat of the moment last night, after what was a particularly harrowing few days, so thank you to those who commented and who do 'get it'.

To look at the other side of the coin there are many, many individuals, businesses and organisations who do donate money, time, skills, food, clothing etc. All done with a generous heart and fostering a community spirit.

Yes, our YMCA definitely has a clothing bank. The local news featured them at the start of the school year when they’d had a special collection of uniforms. Racks and racks for all our local schools, free for all who needed them.