Food banks

still shameful that they have to exist.
Perhaps I am a pessimist (although I am usually a glass half-full person ) but I think this is something that will not go away, whatever resources are thrown at it. From the same article I posted above:
While societies have been using various methods to share food with the hungry for millennia, the first soup kitchens in the modern sense may have emerged in the late 18th century

www.fareshare.org.uk/

The soup kitchen equivalent of the food bank.

The DWP has no right to go in a food bank. The DWP has caused the terrible rise in the number of food banks in this country by the number of sanctions they make, over 1000 a week.

Food banks are run by charities. The government has no right to take over a charity.
The Trussell Trust had
2 in 2004
22 in 2007-8
Then there was the financial crash where it went up to
100 by 2011.
close to 1000 by January 2014.

Now some of you might think it's good that we have so many food banks that the government want to put advisers in.

I think it's appalling. I am not proud of living in a country where this has happened.
It is going to become worse when universal credit comes in and people have to wait for five weeks before they get any benefit.

Seems I am far from alone in thinking there is a difference then, despite the childish response.

* The government has no right to take over a charity*

Many charities would close if the government didnt contribute masses of money to them.
A lot of the bigger ones are run with at least 50% government funding, whichever government is in power. At least, that used to be the case. I assume it still is.

Around our area, we have a hybrid of foodbank/soup kitchen. Donations from stores and foodbank goes to make hot meals. Not sure of the ratio of poorer people to wealthy ones. They encourage wealthier ones to get the poorer ones to go.

Ana Nonnie and RoseQ good posts, and of course the soup kitchens and food banks are different, it's obvious.

Hugh F-W on food waste tonight on BBC1 at 9 pm.

Not just food, apparently, all waste.

What childish response, Nonnie?

Food banks are where people go to get a week's supply of food for a family when they have run out of food and money, usually because they have been sactioned by the DWP.
Soup kitchens tend to be mainly used by the homeless, but not exclusively.

What is a hybrid soup kitchen/food bank?

It will be interesting to watch, roseq, and see how anything he says is any different to what Fareshare already do.
I wonder if he's heard of Fareshare.

Many charities would close if the government didnt contribute masses of money to them

Absolutely, soontobe
Although I would add that charities accepting taxpayers' money (and money from the public for that matter) should be open to scrutiny and answerable to the Public Accounts Committee, I cannot quite see the logic of DWP people going into food banks unless they are doing a survey on how the delays will affect people.

The 'nit-picking' accusation was the childish response, durhamjen. Have you actually read what's actually been said on this thread today?

Actually!

Have you picked out all your nits now Ana?
They can be very itchy if you leave them.


djen I just checked the time and there is a picture of him standing on a mountain of clothes - so clothes and waste in general, not just food apparently.

Which charities get 50% government funding, soon?

thirdforcenews.org.uk/tfn-news/top-charities-concealing-government-funding

I can find you other links!

I have no nits, rose - apparently I pick them from Other People's Posts!

Very interesting link, soon.

Yes, I have read it all, but I did not see why that response was deemed childish.

Roseq, I think in County Durham we have two food banks which are also clothes banks. Does anyone know of any more?

Yes, an interesting link, but it's a bit like saying that all public schools get money from the government. It talked about the Arts Council and the Big Lottery Fund, as if that is government money.
It was also a Scottish link. Any about the rest of the UK?

I think a lot of Britain's foreign aid budget is administered by charitable organisations.

I don't know djen
We had clothes and shoe banks in our town but they had gone when I went to take things to them last week. I took them to the Red Cross shop instead.
They weren't part of the food bank though.

I think where international aid money goes is a completely different topic.

soontobe I dont understand your point Not sure of the ratio of poorer people to wealthy ones. They encourage wealthier ones to get the poorer ones to go. This doesnt sound like a food bank to me.

www.fareshare.org.uk/latest-statistics-show-increased-demand-for-surplus-food/

What Fareshare did last year.

I have some involvement in the food bank based at our church and sometimes we volunteers weep at the stories of our client's lives. As mentioned above bereavement, a period of illness, redundancy etc are often where the problems start but they are so often compounded by the awful use of benefit sanctions, which are just cruel.
Many of us (thankfully) can't imagine how difficult it can be when some sort of crisis happens and the people around you are not able to help because no one has any resources, or just have no one to turn to. I'm so grateful that at times in my life I've had family and friends to turn to for help and even more so that I'm now in a position to help others.
Our food bank is also linked to debt advice, help to get back to work, teaching IT skills etc as most people do want to be in control of their own lives and not dependent on food banks, welfare etc. Importantly we don't just hand out food but give people time and a safe place to be able to just talk about their problems without being judged.
I'm pleased we're able to offer this but oh I wish we didn't need to and that people were treated with dignity and respect when they need support rather than punished with sanctions