Food Banks, Are They Being Abused?

[dave50]

Are they really a necessity or are they being abused? As with anything, if something is free, it will always be oversubscribed.

[nailit]

//A lot of people on here think you can just roll up to a food bank and make a withdrawal which is just not true//

What EDDIE ^^^ said.
Foodbanks arnt freebies!
so many misconceptions surrounding them...

[fiction-factory]

>Foodbanks aren't freebies!
I don't get that bit, nailit. Are you saying it's a loan? Or are you just saying they are not open to anyone who wants to use them?

[Spungle]

Food banks, like all forms of charity, are abused by scroungers and people who shouldn't be here in the first place.

[EDDIE51]

Spungle, have you read the posts so far? You CAN'T just go to a food bank. You need official authorisation and there are strict limits to how often you can use one.

[nailit]

//>Foodbanks aren't freebies!
I don't get that bit, nailit. //

Don't you ff?
maybe you need to get out a bit more.

[Mamyalynne]

FF

//Or are you just saying they are not open to anyone who wants to use them?//

Yes, that's right -you can't just stroll in , as said earlier you need to qualify and be referred.

[jennyjoan]

////The food bank staff said their main problem was that they could not give away all the food that they were given.///

I can't understand the above - why can they not give away the food they are given.

[nailit]

jj, They can only give it to people with a referral.

[jennyjoan]

ok - does that mean the food they can't give away also goes to waste too.

[nailit]

sure that it will get used somewhere jj....

[wolf63]

Although Food Banks seem like a new concept the DSS used to issue food vouchers that could be used to purchase food in shops. The vouchers were marked with no tobacco or alcohol.

[tonyav]

Food banks help the working poor.
https://www.examiner.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/rise-working-poor-food-banks-13446632

[EDDIE51]

JJ they have been forced to only accept donations of long life foods, such as tins and jars. At one time they had fresh vegetables,eggs and meat, but they could not be sure of having enough 'customers' who would accept it. A lot of food bank users do not have cooking facilities as they live in bedsits or temporary housing. Plus a substantial number would not know how to cook fresh veg & meat. So things like tinned soup ,corned beef, ham,macaroni cheese, that do not need cooking or can be microwaved are issued. They only issue dried ,tinned or long life carton milk for the same reason.

[jennyjoan]

EDDIE - I do give to a food bank per se. They gave me a list and it was what you said. This food bank also cooks food and go into Belfast city centre every night - so they can use fresh foods too.

However for some reason or other - they stipulated they wanted loads of bottled water and told me where to get it fairly cheaply.