Food Banks

[jennyjoan]

Wherever I watch and see - there seems to be plenty of donations.

I want to donate for Christmas but don't know where or what to donate to anymore.

I was offering a donation every month but just wondered do the homeless people get the actual donations.

I sometimes wonder is it better to give to the actual man on the street.

[anneasquith]

I know from volunteers at food banks they are often short of toiletries, female menstruation products, and pet food.
Very often you can donate at the larger supermarkets. Toys for children would be a good idea jj.

[venator]

Difficult one. Men begging on the street are often looking for cash for a drugs habit.

[Cloverjo]

In my local Tesco there’s a big container for donating groceries to a food bank.

If you donate money I would assume they use it to buy food to give to people who need it.

[Buenchico]

While food banks do help to support the homeless, most of their work is probably with young families or pensioners, etc. (I'm not ignoring the fact though that the impact of Covid has resulted in many professional people, who've now lost much of their income, also turning to food banks).

The right-hand column here show what the South Belfast foodbank currently does, or does not, need:
https://southbelfast.foodbank.org.uk/give-help/donate-food/

See here for the equivalent information for the North Belfast foodbank:
https://northbelfast.foodbank.org.uk/give-help/donate-food/

and here for the South-West Belfast one:
https://southwestbelfast.foodbank.org.uk/give-help/donate-food/

The info for Dundonald is here:
https://dundonald.foodbank.org.uk/give-help/donate-food/

[jennyjoan]

thanks for answers - I will certainly give but unfortunately won't be giving to pensioners as I literally don't know one poor pensioner and that's a fact.

The ones I know all suffer from what I call "The Oul Women's Syndrome". Always looking for discounts, penny pinching, stealing the little jams, butters, milk in restaurants. Don't start me. I will never join them.

[jennyjoan]

Trying to save their money - for what - to leave it behind.

[jennyjoan]

I have a female friend who because she was going to have to sign up for an extra £10 more for a broadband service or phone has lost her voice screaming down the phone at the helpless receptionists.

Why - she has mega bucks and no children. FGS - pay the £10.

You know what - she has lost her broadband and her landline service which I believe will be restored next Tuesday.

Never would I put myself through that for a meagre £10.

I find it all unbelievable.

[jennyjoan]

venator - I too find it difficult re homeless men/women on the street but not all of them are on drugs. sometimes the way I see it - perhaps having a tenner or £20 in their hand will let them see there is some kindness out there - even if it is for drugs, alcohol so for a half an hour or two - they can get happy. Maybe I'm wrong in that way of thinking.

[rowanwitch]

Unfortunately with what is available on the street ( dangerous impurities, other issues) it might be that fix that kills them. They won't know even if they have a trusted supplier if what they buy has something in it that will poison them. If you want to help the homeless rather than other groups then I suggest supporting a charity like crisis or shelter who work with the homeless trying to keep them safe and where possible help them to find a proper home.

[davebro]

I prefer to give to The Salvation Army. I'm not a believer but I think they do good work.

[jennyjoan]

Rowan without going into personal reasons - but a young lad I know went to one of the Shelter round here. He couldn't believe the conditions of the kitchen and bathroom. He went out bought cleaning stuffs and tried to do the best he could. Terrible conditions they were all living in. Needless the lad got out asap.

[jennyjoan]

Food for thought - before Covid when I bought donations every month for a food bank, I was told that out of everything they need is loads of bottles of water. I used to be able to buy 24 bottles from Iceland but they were sometimes far too heavy to carry.

Foodbank were saying when they are lying in doorways (homeless) - they had no access to water.

[mallyh]

please give the homeless clothes, food ,hot drinks, cigs or tobacco not money .

[anneasquith]

Indeed mallya

[Patsy33]

When you're in your local supermarket, like Tesc, Sainsbury's, put a couple of things in the food box, which goes to large food bank. It then gets distrubuted to people who are struggling to put food on table for their families.
I like to put a couple of things each week in Tesco food bank box.
As for those on the streets, I agree with Mallyh, don't give them money, by a hot drink, food, maybe a warm hat, gloves.

[nailit]

//Wherever I watch and see - there seems to be plenty of donations//
And it quickly gets used up Jenny, trust me!

[jno]

I sometimes buy a burger for beggars. Maybe they'll just rush it to their dealers and swap it for a kilo of cocaine, but probably not. They mostly just seem to eat them.

[nailit]

Before I started to work for Foodbank, I had no idea of the scale of the problem.
To start with, it was only a (voluntary) job, driving a van.
3 years later...I'm like Christ, are people REALLY living like this in the 5th richest nation in the world?


Its been an eye opener...

[rowanwitch]

I tend to donate toiletries, and basic cleaning stuff as when I checked that was what the local food bank needed. They get short date food from two major supermarkets the area.

[pastafreak]

I'll say it again. Give to the foodbanks, but please remember local homeless charities. Many do such good work and it's often not noticed because prople may not know of their existence. I know when I started at the local charity I worked for, I was quite ignorant about them or what they did. People will always give to Crisis or Shelter because of their campaigns particularly this time of the year. They will always have money coming in.
Ask your local charity what they NEED, not what you think they'd like. Needs change...personal care for s few months...then jeans for very skinny men. We had a room that was full to overflowing with shampoo and deodorants...untill we had to give some away to other charities.

I'll also say...never give money. Buy them food or water, gloves...don't give cash.