We can't help everyone but everyone can help someone.

Rose Don’t get me wrong. I’ve travelled quite a bit in the USA & have family in VA & CA.
I love the country & all its foibles & idiosyncrasies. It’s just the politics, especially the current brand, I have a problem with!

janeainsworth

Rosecarmel Meryl, being an actor yourself maybe you can explain to me why celebrities who are already worth millions applied for and received millions more from the Paycheck Protection Program

I’m pretty sure that Meryl is British, like most of us on GN.
We can’t really be expected to understand the shit-show (pardon the expression, but it’s one of my American DiL’s favourites) that is American social care and provision.
Perhaps you could explain it for us.

Shit-show ?

My cousin and his wife run a food bank and are often featured in the local newspaper. This week there was an article about them providing lunches for children during the school holiday, families often struggle during the long summer break.
The poverty I witnessed, as a nurse, at the beginning of the 60s was an eye opener. I hope never to see that level of need again.

You can always order an extra item or two on your online shop then put it in the food bank box in the local church. I’ve done this but don't always remember. Or Ive found a tin or jar of something I don't think I’ll use (still in date) and put it into The box in my village.
Thinks for the reminder- forgotten to do this recently.

Rosecarmel Meryl, being an actor yourself maybe you can explain to me why celebrities who are already worth millions applied for and received millions more from the Paycheck Protection Program

I’m pretty sure that Meryl is British, like most of us on GN.
We can’t really be expected to understand the shit-show (pardon the expression, but it’s one of my American DiL’s favourites) that is American social care and provision.
Perhaps you could explain it for us.

MerylStreep

rosecarmel
I use Amazon all the time but I make sure that nothing I buy is made in China.
I email companies where the country of origin isn't stated to request that info. Most don't reply. Strange that ?

Every little bit helps- ?

Meryl, being an actor yourself maybe you can explain to me why celebrities who are already worth millions applied for and received millions more from the Paycheck Protection Program, that was designed to save small businesses during this difficult time, while small town mom and pop restraunts, shops, salons and so forth are struggling or forced to close, possibly losing their place of residence, be it apartment or house, and end up homeless?

Doodledog

What people sometimes forget when commenting on foodbanks is that people can quite quickly fall on hard times, after living a self-supporting life previously.

This means that yes, they will still have possessions, transport, houses etc, as they bought them when they were earning. If we go down the road of 1930's means testing, and insist that people are in absolute poverty before they can claim anything, it would be a hugely retrograde step. It could take the unemployed years to get back on their feet after a setback if, as well as waiting to get paid, they had to start again with furniture, buying a car to get to work etc, and it would strip away all dignity from people who, through no fault of their own, became unemployed.

There would also, sadly, be an increase in exploitation of the poor, as people would have little choice but to rely absolutely on their employers to keep them in work. In the past, the threat of being sacked (often for asking for more money or better conditions) without a reference was enough to keep people subservient. Clearly, there are people who will think that this was a good thing, but I like to think that they are in the minority. A basic safety net is essential to a civilised society - without it, the crueller aspects of human nature are allowed to flourish.

Beautiful post- ?

Thank you Jane!

Sorry posted too soon. We have a monthly standing order.

GagaJo I think you said you live in the NE so you might like to contribute to this
newcastlewestend.foodbank.org.uk/

I’m like GagaJo and shop online at the moment so just sent them a cheque. They sometimes need to buy fresh food (bread, cheese, fruit) for people who have no cooking facilities at all - like the man who was living in a tent. In November. Qq your comments are disgusting.

It would be great if there were a way to donate with the online food shop, maybe there is a way to donate a few quid to them another way GagaJo?

Our local church collects as it does its own small village food bank which is great

I used to buy stuff for the food bank box at the supermarket but only do online grocery deliveries now, so my weekly-bi weekly contribution isn't happening. I have contributed to 3 different 'needy' funds this week though. Two UK based, one overseas.

I really must look into how to donate to the local food banks in another way.

Those criticising food bank users, for shame.

What people sometimes forget when commenting on foodbanks is that people can quite quickly fall on hard times, after living a self-supporting life previously.

This means that yes, they will still have possessions, transport, houses etc, as they bought them when they were earning. If we go down the road of 1930's means testing, and insist that people are in absolute poverty before they can claim anything, it would be a hugely retrograde step. It could take the unemployed years to get back on their feet after a setback if, as well as waiting to get paid, they had to start again with furniture, buying a car to get to work etc, and it would strip away all dignity from people who, through no fault of their own, became unemployed.

There would also, sadly, be an increase in exploitation of the poor, as people would have little choice but to rely absolutely on their employers to keep them in work. In the past, the threat of being sacked (often for asking for more money or better conditions) without a reference was enough to keep people subservient. Clearly, there are people who will think that this was a good thing, but I like to think that they are in the minority. A basic safety net is essential to a civilised society - without it, the crueller aspects of human nature are allowed to flourish.

rosecarmel
I use Amazon all the time but I make sure that nothing I buy is made in China.
I email companies where the country of origin isn't stated to request that info. Most don't reply. Strange that ?

rosecarmel can you explain appalling? I am aware of dubious treatment of staff ...packers etc but wondered if you had other info?

I also realize it's very small, but when more people choose to use Amazon less, it adds up-

Amazon is appalling- I considered my shopping practices with them appalling, so canceled Prime- On occasion I rent a movie, so a little less appalling than supporting dependency on China and what China represents -- that's appalling ..

To get back to the OP - one of the things I do is use Amazon Smile and nominate a local charity.
A small percentage of the cost of my purchases goes to my chosen charity. I realise it’s very small. However I get a quarterly email updating me on the sums donated to my charity through Amazon Smile and it’s always in the region of £2k. Thus they receive an additional c£8k per year.

(I am ducking below the parapet, waiting for criticism from those who think using Amazon at all, is appalling...)

It is no good saying smokers shouldn't use food banks unless you also say overweight people shouldn't use food banks. Simply a different addiction.
This is not my view I hasten to asd!

I was sticking up for Quizqueen because she's quite right - some people abuse food banks - I have no idea how they qualify, I was only giving a, not very good, example of the young lady who could afford a horse but needed to feed her kids from a food bank.
I applaud the OP and everyone else for supporting these charities.

Although Quizqueen has been rather blunt, I am leaning towards agreeing with her! Although you can't tar everyone with same brush, you really need to see the people that arrive looking for handouts, where I live for instance. Some people have even said to me "I don't really need it, but it is free, so why not?" I can well believe people trying to swap what they have got. They are not starving. They just want freebies. People will grab anything they can and to heck with anyone else.

How can anyone say it doesn't matter what you own, smoke, drink or do drugs, it is based on income? Surely the priority is feeding yourself and family over all of these? (If they are addicts then different scenario) but ordinary food banks are being abused daily and I have refused to give to food banks since gaining first hand knowledge for reasons I have stated. I feel sorry for those who are genuinely going hungry but most of of them aren't (as they collect the food in their new cars) and that is the problem.

Franbern

Quizqueen, what a very horrible and totally nasty post that was. Just hope, very much, that you are never in the position of needing help from places such a foodbanks. Mind, you I do think it is quite disgusting that in this country, one of the richest on the world, we NEED such things - but we do!!!

Have you ever actually been to a food bank? Have you ever found out why people need this help? Do you realise that most users are people who are IN WORK (or, at least were, before March). Have you ever seen a child in school who has not had breakfast? Have you ever been in the position of going with any food yourself so that your children may have something to eat? Have you any idea how anyone even gets a chit to be permitted to use a Food Bank?

I bet the answer is NO to all those questions.

Food Bank users are most definitely not any sort of scroungers -

I find it difficult to believe that someone with your views can live comfortably with yourself.

Mind, you I do think it is quite disgusting that in this country, one of the richest on the world, we NEED such things - but we do!!!

That's the underlying issue-

Anyone who qualifies for food banks, has access to food banks- It doesn't matter if you own a horse, a home, smoke, drink, or do drugs- It's based on income- Not moral policing-

Ideas like the only people who should qualify cannot afford anything other than basic survival necessities supports the underlying issue mentioned above-

ExD - BUT as fóod banks can only be used occasionally, alwauys with a chit from a proper organisation.. usually no more than three times in several months, she cannot be using one on a regular basis.

Well said Smileless all food banks are aware that some people aren’t what they profess to be ( and there was a tv programme which highlighted this fact) and there are also benefit cheats, but that doesn’t mean that benefits or food banks should cease to exist.We can all do a bit of good in our own small corner.