Why Are Some Forced To Depend On Food Handouts In 'benefit Britain'?

[anotheoldgit]

On my visit to a supermarket today I saw shopping trolleys with notices on them asking for donations of items of food for the hungry of this country.

I cannot believe that in 2013 Britain there are people who have to depend on food handouts, especially when this country is supposed to be one of the richest in the world and taking into account the £billions we hand out freely to the rest of the world.

This is yet another time that I can say that I can never remember the time, even during the war, and pre Welfare State days, when I ever remember our local CO-OP appealing for persons to make donations of food for the hungry.

[Canary42]

There are hundreds of food banks handing out food in this country - but of course you wouldn't read about that in the Daily Mail.

[bednobs]

probably, "back in the day" families and communities rallied round anyway, without having to be asked. You don't get that so much now i reckon - families are spread out, people think about themselves, rather than others

[AB Editor]

Maybe this is Cameron's "Big Society" in action? Good people taking up jobs the state has failed to supply.

[naomi24]

Perhaps your memory doesn't go back as far as an old uncle of mine who told me that when he was a child, children went to school without breakfast - or shoes on their feet - and no one in their community had anything to give them. They were all in the same boat.

[mikey4444]

I am helping out with a Food Bank. When I first started last year, I too could hardly believe that they existed in the Britain of the 21st century.

But they do AOG, and they are helping more and more people as each month goes by.

[Zeuhl]

The aog version of history?

No hunger in 1930s Britain! Wow that's a revelation

(or at least, it was remedied by the generosity of someone other than the local Coop customers)

[mikey4444]

I think that your memories of the old times are somewhat selective AOG, although I am sure that you mean no harm by it.

[anotheoldgit]

naomi24

/// Perhaps your memory doesn't go back as far as an old uncle of mine who told me that when he was a child, children went to school without breakfast - or shoes on their feet - and no one in their community had anything to give them. They were all in the same boat. ///

That could well be, although I can go back to the 30s and never remembered that, yes some had holes in the soles of their footwear which were patched inside with cardboard but never no shoes at all.

Regarding going to school without breakfast is still the norm. for some children, mainly because their parents can't get up early enough to give their children any, ever heard of 'Breakfast Clubs'?

[hc4361]

Back in the 30s local evening newspapers had funds to provide children with boots - otherwise they'd be barefoot

http://www.bmagic.org.uk/objects/1994F253

[Octavius]

What about the hunger marches of the 1920s and 1930s?

[Zeuhl]

There were people who could not afford enough food in the 30s and apparently there are such people today

I expect aog is right in that we could rectify the situation in the same way aog's parents' generation did

We could have a World War!

evidently they provide full employment and boost activity

[hc4361]

Foodbanks is America
http://feedingamerica.org/

and Germany
http://www.kirchhoff-consult.com/en/the-company/about-us/our-commitment/national-association-of-food-banks-in-germany.html

[anotheoldgit]

Read my post

"I can never remember the time, even during the war, and pre Welfare State days, when I ever remember our local CO-OP appealing for persons to make donations of food for the hungry".

I never said that no one went hungry in the 30s onwards, only that my local CO-OP never appealed for food for the hungry.

My post is regarding why the need to go hungry in 2013 benefit Britain, perhaps some should address that fact rather than take the usual pathetic digs.

[B00]

Breakfast clubs???

You mean where you have to pay for your child to attend? Im damn sure if they can't afford to give their children food they can afford to pay someone else to do it for them!

[AlwaysConfused]

I moved out of home quite young at 15. I hit a bad spell when I was 17, with no money for food. I didn't want to ask my family as I didn't want to admit defeat, that and the fact I couldn't afford to ring/visit them to let them know, yet I was not entitled to any benefits due to my age. I went to a charity service and was handed a load of tinned food/rice etc. It bailed me for the couple of weeks it took me to sort out my problems.

As a kid, we'd quite often eat at nan's, aunt's etc when we had no food. And we quite often had guests too when the shoe was on the other foot.

[Sqad]

Well, I must admit that I don't understand why people are in need of foodbanks in the UK?

Where is all the child benefits and "handouts" and unemployment benefits?

Are you saying that they are insufficient to live on.

I lived in the 40's and 50's when the Salvation Army dished out soup and tea, but "Food Handouts?".......new to me.

[Octavius]

"Regarding going to school without breakfast is still the norm. for some children, mainly because their parents can't get up early enough to give their children any, ever heard of 'Breakfast Clubs'?"

What an odious remark.

Many of the parents (single and otherwise) in my village send their children to breakfast clubs because they need to start their commute to work too early for the children. Breakfast club is not just about breakfast, its also childcare.

[Zeuhl]

/only that my local CO-OP never appealed for food for the hungry/

and what makes your local coop and their charitable actions, then and now, so significant?

it's not clear why your local coop is significant of a national issue

perhaps, back in the day, other agencies were active instead?

perhaps, back in the day, a large proportion of coop customers were too close to the poverty line themselves?

Looking at the bigger picture - isn't it obvious?

Many working people are on Minimum Wage
Many have that meagre income topped up by benefits
Many are totally dependent on benefits

Prices of staple items (housing, food and utilities) have greatly increased

As the Tories believe in a 'hand up not a hand out' it will be interesting to see 'Jeff's' solution to this situation

I have long believed that the tipping point into widespread civil unrest will not be a growing army of unemployed, but the hordes of low waged employed people who increasingly find that a week of hard work doesn't give them enough to live on

[Octavius]

Trigger, not fair. AOGs halcyon period was one Sunday afternoon anywhere between 1945 and 2013.