Foodbank, Harvest Festival & Sign Of The Times

[nailit]

Been out on the foodbank van all day today. Just starting to pick up the Harvest Festival donations from churches and schools. When I was a kid, schools used to collect donations and distribute them to various individuals who had been nominated to receive a food parcel, usually the elderly or infirm. Now it seems as though most (if not all) Harvest Festival donations go directly to the foodbank. The foodbank gives not only to the homeless but to the working poor, the people left without money due to Universal Credit been rolled out (delays of up to 5 weeks without any money or means of survival in the mean time) and families left without any means of support for whatever reason.

For God's sakes WHY? Whatever happened?
Harvest Festival used to be distributed as a good will gesture towards the elderly, now its literally to help people to eat whether young or old, working or not.

[nailit]

Tabmbo, weve had words in the past but no matter. But it sounds as if where you live is affluent then. Here in Stoke, its a very poor place with a big homeless problem and people on very low wages and a large unemployment problem. A lot of stores have collection points for food donations including collection points for sanitary products as well.

[jourdain2]

Aunt-Lydia has a very valid point at 20.48. We know how to make the most of not very much, use leftovers etc. and the youngsters don't.

They need to learn. That doesn't mean that I decry those who use foodbanks, they are mostly forced into it, but the general trend in the last 20 years hasbeen towards wastefulness and it needsto be countered.

[tamborine]

I dont mean to offend as this is an affluent area. Do you see those with exes I mentioned. Its a general q not personal

[nailit]

Jourdain, have to agree that we live in a wasteful society. I try to double up everything, eg, using empty bread wrappers to use as sandwich wrappers. But the problem is more than that. People are going weeks without any means of support (5 weeks without any money when signing on for universal credit etc) A friend of mine has been diagnosed as having schizophrenia and yet turned down for benefits and while awaiting for his appeal has had to turn to the foodbank merely to eat (never mind paying rent bills etc) Nothing to do with waste, literally got nothing *TO* waste.

[jourdain2]

Check my post, nailit, I totally agree about UC not, as yet working effectively and quickly.

[nailit]

Tambo, sorry, no offence taken...
//cell phones
tattoos
hair tints
manicures //
I work on the van (picking up donations and dropping off food to diferent church pick up points) so whatever peoples personal prefferences I really cant say.

[pastafreak]

Tambo...you mentioned mobiles and tattoos. You are making assumptions about how people prioritise. You have no knowledge about how, and when they may have acquired those. The tattoos may be 10 years old, the phone may have been bought cheaply, second hand. On the other hand, it may have been purchased with wages when times were better, and the use of the foodbank wasn't needed.

[jourdain2]

You are doing very valuable work, nailit. I think that you are a terrific person who I would like to know.

[Mamyalynne]

When my youngest was out of work and struggling, she would get together with pals and each would share skills - hairdressing,colouring and all of them could do a manicure as good as any professional.

As said tattoos were got when in work, you may say some don't always look to the future and what could happen, but that certainly isn't a new thing.

[nailit]

//You are doing very valuable work, nailit./
Thanks Joudain. But TBH im totally selfish about it, nothing altruistic. (though that might be a pleasant side effect...) Im doing it to get myself back into a work routine and a possible reference. Having said that Ive seen how much work goes into this stuff behind the scenes. Its quiet back breaking, the amount of humping crates of tins/food into and out of a van and all the work in the warehouse that goes on before it gets distributed to the needy.
I do enjoy it though ;-)

[Spicerack]

I only know 2 people who've used a food-bank. Both long term 'sick' recipients.(whatever it's called now) One is a heavy, regular drinker. The other goes to all Wales' football matches, including in Europe.

I was talking to a lad on Sunday who signed for UC late last year.
I asked did he have to wait weeks for his money. Yeah, he said, but you can get a loan to tide you over.
That's not bad then, I said.
'Only trouble is' he moaned 'you have to pay it back'.
Lol, made I smile.

[rowanwitch]

I take the point about waste though, my sister throws so much away because it's out of date, or she cooked too much. She is struggling as her husband has been out of work for ages but she hasn't grasped the art of making leftovers do an extra day. I retrieved nearly a bag of good food from one of her sort outs. All best befores not use bys.
I think domestic science or kitchen tech or whatever it's called now should concentrate on managing on a really tight budget. If more borderline cases were able to cope there would be a little more for those who have nothing at all.

[jourdain2]

There is an amazing amount of physical work goes into 'do-gooding' nailit. It gets very hard as you get older. I think you are doing amazingly well - building up a work record and at the same time helping people and becoming aware of the benefits of altruism. I hope this doesn't sound patronising, it's not intended to be so - I genuinely admire your work.

[nailit]

Spicerack, Yes, we all know that there are people that abuse the system mate, its old hat now.
Rowan, even out of date food is used by the foodbank to feed the homeless (might be past its bbd but that doesn't mean that its no good...)
jourdain, thanks for the sentiments, appreciate them :-)

Gotta get me head on the pillow now, another early start tomorrow. Thanks for replies.

[kvalidir]

I've spent £15 this week on food, plus used about another £5 worth of stuff I already had, and I've lived like a Queen, but my parents always taught us how to cook from scratch and use up whatever you had left, I think that might be missing from mainstream schooling, but I agree it's a disgrace that so many people are forced to rely on foodbanks so that's not a dig at those that have to. x

[spathiphyllum]

Budget cuts lead to increased demand for food banks, also more benefits.. watch the vid in da link on page 1

[ummmm]

I've just spent £80 on a food shop for my son who has just started uni (to be fair lots of it was basic stuff like salt and pepper) and the first thing he bought when he started was a student cook book so no fancy pricey ingredients.

He's paid his rent in advance but that's left him very little to live on. What would he do if we couldn't afford to top him up? He's not asking for cash to go out and party, just food.