Food banks

For the record, and not that it matters to the thread, I do think that JM makes very relevant points about poverty. The highlighting of how prices of 'basic' foods were rising faster than those of 'luxury' ones was well-made. There may have been good business reasons for this (the cost of packaging as a percentage of the cost price of pasta etc), but there is no pretending that Tesco et al can't afford to take a hit on the basics.

I admire JM for that sort of thing, but her personal stories simply do not add up. Does she live in a rented flat with an annual lease that is coming up, or is she planning to buy a London house with her (now ex) partner? Does she scrape a paltry living by working from a laptop in the bedroom, or dis lockdown stop her from 'touring' as an entertainer, making her eligible for furlough payments? It goes on and on.

I sympathise with her for her MH issues, alcoholism and self-harming, but none of those things excuses what seem to be bare-faced lies, particularly when used to get money from the vulnerable. I am not in a position to judge whether she 'deserves' abuse (who is?). I don't like to see abuse, butI do feel that financially vulnerable people (a large part of her audience) should be told whose coffers they are contributing to.

Oh, forgive me, I thought that we were having a discussion.

I was just wondering the same, growstuff!

Has this morphed into the "Who do we hate today?" thread.

Doodledog

Handwash and laundry soap is not shampoo.

Who said anything about laundry soap?

My grandmother used to put bits of ordinary soap in her laundry - not laundry soap.

And I can assure my hair was just fine when I've washed it with soap.

If anyone is interested in Jack Monroe
This is very well researched (if somewhat difficult to read due to small print)

katieroche.net/jack_monroe_investigation_main.html

Even Good Housekeeping is in on the act of making shampoo out of soap.

www.goodhousekeeping.com/beauty/hair/a20705785/homemade-shampoo-conditioner-recipes/

Handwash and laundry soap is not shampoo.

To be honest, I'm not interested enough to investigate. She's been diagnosed with autism and ADHD and was an alcoholic and self-harmer. I find her somewhat irritating, but she doesn't deserve the abuse she gets, nor does her character negate some of the comments she makes about poverty.

I was just curious about the soap/shampoo comment because it's something I've done in the past, following my mother's example. My grandmother always kept bits of soap in a jar and used to make handwash with it or put it in the laundry.

PS. I don't remember my hair becoming dull and lifeless, when I washed it with soap, especially as I rinsed it with vinegar.

Well, each to her own, and I see nothing wrong with collecting bits of soap to press together to make more soap, or using one of those 'soap-catcher' bags, but soap on your hair will make it dull and lifeless. You can get a bottle of own-brand shampoo for pennies - probably less than the cost of boiling up the soap - and the tweets about the home-made shampoo had all manner of top-end cosmetics in the background of the photo. And that is just one of the numerous 'contradictions' in her posts.

I'm not getting into a forensic analysis of JM's persona, but google it if you think she is on the level.

Why is making shampoo out of bits of soap ridiculous? My mother did that and so have I occasionally.

Phew. Thanks Doodledog
I was expecting to get it in the neck!

*Jack Monroe has made up quite a bit of stuff. Much of what she has recounted about her life just does not add up.
Of course, I’m not excusing any abuse*
She’s nothing but a grifter .

Her life story is contradictory, her claims (eg making shampoo out of bits of soap) are ridiculous, and her constant asking for money from people who have none is exploitative IMO. She appears to have MH issues- accusing Jamie Oliver of ‘stealing’ what she sees as her idea of making cheap meals seems delusional- and I used to feel a tiny bit sorry for her, but her behaviour over lockdown (claiming to have lost £££ and demanding furlough, when she works from home and could do so throughout, then adding a ‘give me money’ link to every tweet) was the final straw.

FC is right - there is never an excuse for abuse, but I’m amazed that HMRC hasn’t taken an interest in her.

I just wish there had been food banks, hubs - or anything, really - when I was struggling to cope. One grim day (it was a Friday, my day off) I cycled the four miles to Walthamstow market, in the rain, at closing time - with my last fiver - to get a weekend's food for eight. I came back with potatoes, cabbage, onions and rice. We had jacket potatoes, onion curry - and an interesting cabbage/tinned chickpea combination 'stew' that weekend! Monday was Child Benefit day, thank Heavens!

Anyone can have a short period of financial embarrassment due to some unexpected expense or domestic disaster. Still, I can't begin to describe (for people with no idea) the difference long-term poverty makes. We manage, even cope well, day to day - then, suddenly, somebody needs new shoes, the cat is ill - or your purse is stolen. I really yelled at my son when he lost his PE kit, again - and they all pretended it was fine, when I burnt their dinner. A window got broken (£85, emergency glazing) - oh, yes, I remember it all so well!

Farzanah

Having a food bank does not preclude other initiatives to help people improve their lot such as money management, CV writing and how to prepare for job interviews to name a few. Our local food bank does all that and it is a food bank plus.
I wonder what evidence the vicar you spoke to has Sago that food banks are “massively abused”?

Dickens Jack Monroe has indeed been very open about her struggles and how poverty grinds you down. She is inspirational but has suffered so much abuse on social media. Once you put yourself out there sadly that is what happens.

Jack Monroe has made up quite a bit of stuff. Much of what she has recounted about her life just does not add up.
Of course, I’m not excusing any abuse.

Doodledog

I find this level of intrusiveness into others' circumstances troubling.

If I thought that a neighbour knew that I was using a food bank, that I has a bus pass, that I used it twice a week, but not on the foodbank day when I took a taxi, and that s/he was discussing all of that with someone else, I would be deeply uncomfortable. Serious question - do people feel the need to know and discuss facts like these about those who are more comfortably off, or is it just the poor whose lives are scrutinised?

Well said.

I have only known the details of one person in poverty... and that's only because she was in the next bed to me on a hospital ward and chose to tell me.

Otherwise, I haven't a clue about others' daily lives - where they go, what benefits they do or don't receive, etc.

... and if I'm ever in the position to actually know someone who is having a hard time, I hope I'd be charitable enough to help them in any way I could. Without prying into the various aspects of their routines, their budgeting, etc.

I find this level of intrusiveness into others' circumstances troubling.

If I thought that a neighbour knew that I was using a food bank, that I has a bus pass, that I used it twice a week, but not on the foodbank day when I took a taxi, and that s/he was discussing all of that with someone else, I would be deeply uncomfortable. Serious question - do people feel the need to know and discuss facts like these about those who are more comfortably off, or is it just the poor whose lives are scrutinised?

grannypiper

There will always be people that play the system but for ever one person that does that there are many that are in desperate need so you have to focus on them.
My Friends neighbour get a taxi to and from the foodbank, he has a bus pass that would take him from the bus stop nearest his house ( 75yds) to the one outside of the foodbank, a bus that he uses at least twice a week. Why does he use the taxi ? I have no idea but the fact he is taking the mick won't stop me donating for those that need it.

I think those "taking the mick" are those who think they know all the ins and outs of other people's situations.

It is good that you still give but you cannot know why he takes a taxi. It could quite easily be the timing of the buses or the ease of bringing his bags home. You do not live his life so please don't judge it.

Our nearest Foodbank is appealing for (new) hot water bottles, I will be pleased to help with this

I'm more than happy to answer any questions that people need answering about my own time of being offered refferal to a food bank.

grannypiper

There will always be people that play the system but for ever one person that does that there are many that are in desperate need so you have to focus on them.
My Friends neighbour get a taxi to and from the foodbank, he has a bus pass that would take him from the bus stop nearest his house ( 75yds) to the one outside of the foodbank, a bus that he uses at least twice a week. Why does he use the taxi ? I have no idea but the fact he is taking the mick won't stop me donating for those that need it.

Maybe he has an attendance allowance for a disability and he uses that for the taxi - or doesn't want to be seen coming out of the food bank by the people in the bus queue when he joins it?

Or maybe he's just lax with the money he does have and could spend the taxi money on food?

But who knows?

I hope I never end up in the position where I have to use one... I'd be looking over my shoulder all the time wondering if people either despised me for being poor, or thought I was abusing the charity.

There will always be people that play the system but for ever one person that does that there are many that are in desperate need so you have to focus on them.
My Friends neighbour get a taxi to and from the foodbank, he has a bus pass that would take him from the bus stop nearest his house ( 75yds) to the one outside of the foodbank, a bus that he uses at least twice a week. Why does he use the taxi ? I have no idea but the fact he is taking the mick won't stop me donating for those that need it.

Having a food bank does not preclude other initiatives to help people improve their lot such as money management, CV writing and how to prepare for job interviews to name a few. Our local food bank does all that and it is a food bank plus.
I wonder what evidence the vicar you spoke to has Sago that food banks are “massively abused”?

Dickens Jack Monroe has indeed been very open about her struggles and how poverty grinds you down. She is inspirational but has suffered so much abuse on social media. Once you put yourself out there sadly that is what happens.

M0nica

swampy I had forgot, the poor should always be grateful, for every crumb that falls from the rich man's table. Given nothing but baked beans one week (would you want to live on baked beans for a week?) how dare anyone complain.

It seems to me that anyone with a plethora of beans would be being sensible by trying to trade some of them for spaghetti so that their diet is more varied.

But, of course, I forget, this lady is poor, she should be effusively grateful for everything she gets, whether she wants it or not.

If we could all have choices then not a problem - but quite honestly would the horse owner not give her kids baked beans if that is literally all that was available just because they were sick of them!! She would rather they went hungry?!! How ridiculous? But if she wants to be ungrateful or thankful that is entirely her choice it's a free country.
This country is a country that allows free speech and the associated freedoms. If that meant that some people were offended by the OPs question then they are free to applaud or condone according to their opinion hopefully without attacking the poster personally.
Unfortunately as we know the world is not a fluffy wuffly place - it has horrible things happening all over and people all with their own struggles but that does not mean that posters need to be silenced because you don't agree with what has been said.
I may not necessarily agree with much that is said by many people and just to be awkward I may even agree with them. But very often they ask the questions that I would like to see answered.

Recently we were at a community hub in a very poor area, were there for work purposes.

I asked the vicar who showed us around what was happening to support the community, there were a number of really good schemes but no food bank.
I asked why no food bank, he wanted the funding to help people to learn how to manage their money, he felt food banks were a sticking plaster and massively abused.

I do to a point agree with him but there are so many occasions when they are a lifeline and they will have prevented a lot of people getting involved with the loan sharks who prey on the most vulnerable.

Last Christmas a local factory went up in flames, the staff had nothing and it was to be 6-8 weeks before universal credit kicked in, the food bank we support fed many of these families and kept them going through Christmas.

As I said in an earlier post despite the abuse we have to remember the urgent need of so many.

Therefore but the grace of God go I.