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General => News => Topic started by: manicscousers on January 30, 2013, 16:27:08
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We have just joined up with our local food bank to supply surplus veg to them. We have been told they've 500+ clients referred by the church or social workers. They are expecting this to triple after April. It is ran by a local councillor who supplies ingredients and a recipe. She is going to start cookery lessons soon, too. Anyone had anything to do with any food banks?
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Good for you, Manics. I've no doubt there will be some negative comments in response, but working in the advice sector I agree there will be a massive rise in demand when the Welfare Reform hits people on already low incomes (not just unemployed people).
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my 11 year old son helps out at the local food bank (stacking cans etc) and while its a very worthwhile course its a crying shame that this country has allowed its people to get into this situation in the first place, I'm all for helping overseas but I think time has come that they started to help there own, most of the people that use food banks are ordinary working people who have hit hard times.
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Good for you, Manics. I've no doubt there will be some negative comments in response, but working in the advice sector I agree there will be a massive rise in demand when the Welfare Reform hits people on already low incomes (not just unemployed people).
Thanks, Caroline, I'm used to negative stuff :happy7:
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This happened 2 weeks ago , the local church over the year is out side tesco on a Saturday about once every 8 weeks. Will always buy tescos own brands to the value of £5/£6 its something. And at Christmas we double it so a little goes a long way. Cut a story short was talking to my neighbour last week and out of the blue this woman living 6 doors from us went to the local food bank and told them she could not afford to feed her child who is six. She is on one parent family child allowance, carers for looking after her mother, there is over £350 a week in cash going onto that house. The shame of this is we will not give to them again I will donate to the Sally Army instead. And as soon as I feel fit enough I will be round the store to shame Her and them for not checking up to see what she was having off THE D.H.S. Rant over but they get no more off me sorry :BangHead:
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Sounds a good idea. But I gave someone some beans and because they were purple I understand they were simply thrown away.
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This happened 2 weeks ago , the local church over the year is out side tesco on a Saturday about once every 8 weeks. Will always buy tescos own brands to the value of £5/£6 its something. And at Christmas we double it so a little goes a long way. Cut a story short was talking to my neighbour last week and out of the blue this woman living 6 doors from us went to the local food bank and told them she could not afford to feed her child who is six. She is on one parent family child allowance, carers for looking after her mother, there is over £350 a week in cash going onto that house. The shame of this is we will not give to them again I will donate to the Sally Army instead. And as soon as I feel fit enough I will be round the store to shame Her and them for not checking up to see what she was having off THE D.H.S. Rant over but they get no more off me sorry :BangHead:
Most food banks require a referral from another agency. And by the way, there's no such thing as "one parent family child allowance" or DHS these days. I wonder how you know how much she's getting?
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Our daughter, a single mum with two part-time jobs adding up to twenty-five hours per week, found herself in serious need a couple of weeks ago. The foodbank was referred to through the headmistress of the junior school her young lad attends.
It was exactly what she needed, when she needed it.
Thank goodness for the goodness of the people that give to the foodbanks!
In return, when her held-up wages finally arrive, she intends to buy a shopping load and donate it right back again, with thanks.
I'll certainly be donating any excess veg to them this year, and I'll be encouraging others to do the same.
Well done Manics! :icon_cheers:
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Well Caroline how I know she borrows money of my neighbour and brags about what she gets as far as I know and this is true she claims for her mother who can run up the road but is claiming for bad legs its comical I worked and retired but I honestly do not care who haves what I still pay tax all be £55 a month out of my pension that I worked hard for . Good luck to yours this girl was not reffer ed by the school or anybody else for that matter But they get no more from this house :BangHead:
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Food banks are very common here and have been around for a very long time.
The local supermarkets have a system where one can purchase a package of staples, eg afew canned soup, pasta, etc etc rounded off to $10 or so, we pay for them at the checkout and they get put in a bin and later sent to the food banks.
Our old apartment block had volunteer who collected for the food bank from residents at general meetings.
Often entrance to a small concert or event is by donation , usually in the form od a non perishable item.
Our community gardens grow food for the local foodbank in fact we donated 5000lbs of food this last year. We also have a covered table at our gardens where folks can place their surplus which goes with the other stuff. We grow pretty much everything excpet things like lettuce and spinach as they go limp so quickly and we only deliver to the foodbank once a week.
Things like huge squash can be a problem as they have to give them to folks in chunks but the smaller ones are very welcome.
There are food banks in all towns and many many folks rely on them.
I have worked at our local church ones and to see the gratitude is very moving, especially the children as our church always has treats for them.
I can think of nothing negative to say, in fact "there but for the Grace of God go I`springs to mind.
Well done to you Manics, I can have a chat with our food bank coordinator for mor etips re what to grow if it would help. We laso have a grow a row-give a row scheme so even folks with very small gardens can help, seed is iften free.
Then we have seed merchants, who donate last years seeds to organisiations that do this and other work. Franchi does it in the Uk I lnow for a fact as I had seed from them, tons of it, for a project I was involved with.
I thin k it is inevitable that a few folks will abuse the system, they do not need a referrall here by the way, it is all done on trust, however the folks who donate or work for the food banks realise this and of course they give anyway, one cannot withold help from the many because of the few.
I have spoken to many folks over the years who have used food banks, many who are now on their feet and they all say the same thing, it takes a lot of courage to walk in their for the first time , the abuse is a very small part of it.
God Bless givers..and those who give of their time too, without them here there would be a lot more hungry folk, and at Christmas they provide extra things like toys and goodies
XX Jeannine
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I was impressed with the food banks baskets in the supermarkets when I visited Canada and my daughter always conttrubutes as she says she may need thelp one day. However the social security system is different over there. I will not contribute over here as I know , personally of at least 4 people who took the p**s.
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I lost my job before christmas and signed up for job seekers allowance but not going to get anything as the period they assess me is april 2010 to april 2011 which is when i was off on maternity leave so i know that for 2 years i did not work and therefore for 2 years now i am not going to get anything from the government. I have been looking for work since i lost my job and almost got a couple of positions but the companies are being squeezed and either they have to cut the position or they lose the customer either way Nada.
The town i live near started its food back about 4-5 months ago and i have seen trolleys at the end of supermarket ailse collecting stuff. But so board and fed up as i cant find a job want to volunteer to help but i am told that would stop me signing on :( kind of thinking whats the point i just just sign off and do what i want.
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If you are signed on it at least pays up your 'stamp' for the future.
People on benefits
People can volunteer and claim benefits if:
the only money they get from volunteering is to cover expenses, like travel costs
they continue to meet the conditions of the benefit they get
https://www.gov.uk/volunteering/when-people-can-volunteer
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Thanks looks like the job centre miss-informed me :)
I have to attend a 2 day course in a few weeks to confirm i can read and write :( its demeaning
If you are signed on it at least pays up your 'stamp' for the future.
People on benefits
People can volunteer and claim benefits if:
the only money they get from volunteering is to cover expenses, like travel costs
they continue to meet the conditions of the benefit they get
https://www.gov.uk/volunteering/when-people-can-volunteer
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Really sorry to hear that, Louise. I hope you find something soon xx
I have to look at it this way, most people who will use this food bank will need it. There may be some who take and don't need but that's on their conscience not mine .
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I would gladly give away any surplus, but unfortunately last year didn't even get enough for myself. Hopefully this year will be better, but I usually just give to neighbours and friends, but think it is a brilliant idea, but not sure we have food banks in Enfield. When my children were young they were asked to take tins of food, or packets to school and they were made up into baskets for the children to take to old people in the area, some were grateful, some miserable old people were offended and the children got upset when they refused the basket. Now I am an old person so maybe I will qualify if the school is still doing it, it was a church school and the church do a lot of good work, although I don't go to church anymore.
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I think food banks sound a great idea. I'd be happy to give my surplus and or grow a little extra to share, but it seems they only take tins or packets around here, no fresh goods.
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http://www.fareshare.org.uk/
This was my original idea, they take anything, dried, canned or fresh. The new one is only just around the corner so is better for us, I don't know if there is one near to you, Jayb ?
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I'm heavily involved with the foodbank which uses my church. People have to come with a referral, and we do everything we can to make sure they're genuine, as obviously there are dodgy people out there who'll exploit something like that if they can. No doubt the odd one still gets through, but better that than leave someone's kids without food! There's always someone going around with stories about people living the life of Reilly off benefits, and some newspapers which gleefully publish these tales, or opoliticians who retail them in Parliament. Many of them have been checked out and found to be bullshit.
The real scandal, of course, is that people should be going hungry at all in what's still a wealthy country.
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The real scandal, of course, is that people should be going hungry at all in what's still a wealthy country.
Hear, hear!
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http://www.fareshare.org.uk/
This was my original idea, they take anything, dried, canned or fresh. The new one is only just around the corner so is better for us, I don't know if there is one near to you, Jayb ?
Thanks Manics, great minds, I found their web site a few days back but the nearest centre is in Cardiff, which for me is not feasible. I'll keep looking though.
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I've just looked on the website and there is a depot about 4 miles from our allotments.
I've emailed them to see if they would be interested in vegetables later in the year.
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I've just looked on the website and there is a depot about 4 miles from our allotments.
I've emailed them to see if they would be interested in vegetables later in the year.
Ours were very enthusiastic but ours is in altrincham? sp..about 18 miles from our plot
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There's always someone going around with stories about people living the life of Reilly off benefits, and some newspapers which gleefully publish these tales, or opoliticians who retail them in Parliament. Many of them have been checked out and found to be bullshit.
And of course the sad thing is that people will be put off donating to a worthy cause because of this - true or not.
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Louise, I've sent you a PM although I've just realised Digeroo has said some of the same.
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The shame of this is we will not give to them again I will donate to the Sally Army instead.
By all means give to anyone you want to but the Sally Army has almost half a billion in funds and has The advancement of Christian religion as first of it's Aims & Objectives: Plus 22.75 percent of total expenditure does not go on Charitable expenditure.
Im not having a pop at the SA, Christians or anyone here but I'd rather give to a Food Bank which directly benefits local families than to a rather rich international proselytising organisation.
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The Trussell Trust, which runs most of the food banks in England, is also an evangelical Christian organisation, albeit dedicated to its single purpose.
They're setting one up here in Harrow, which I've applied to help with.
I'm sure some people tell tall stories in order to filch from food banks, but the vast majority are honest and fairly desperate because of unexpected circumstances which the state is too inflexible to allow for.
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Do they evangelise in the food banks or just fund them? Not an important distinction when you are hungry but this thread has made me think a little and look up my local food bank which is, as it turns out, run by The Trussell Trust.
I'm not overly keen on religious organisations who they preach while giving out aid but they do seem to be doing a stand up job.
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A lot are run by Churches on church premises, but no, as far as I'm aware, they don't preach whilst handing out the tins of beans and bags of sugar.
It's funny how few avowedly secular organisations do this sort of thing, though.
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Yes it is - although there are plenty of non affiliated charities doing great work (Shelter for one) in many fields, Food Banks do seem to be mostly run by religious organisations. There have been "soup kitchens" and that sort of things. Of course the suspicious non believers amongst us may say it is a rather good way of reaching out to the poor when they are at their lowest ebb but that maybe a bit cynical even for me.
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Ours is a local councillor running it . I don't think it's compulsory to join a religious organisation to get free food from them , whoever they are :happy7:
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I suppose like some people will cheat the system re benefits some will cheat the food banks. My friend lives in Portugal & the supermarkets there put tokens round the store so if you want to buy a tin of tuna you take the token to the till & they charge you for it. I just think it's so sad that they are needed anywhere.
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Totally agree, well Robert and Jay B XX Jeannine
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Ours is called compassion in action. Seems to be working :happy7:
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When I worked at Citizens Advice in York we did a lot of partnership working with the Salvation Army. They did brilliant work for homeless people and I never saw any preaching.
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I've been involved with my local foodbank for over a year. It isn't a Trussells trust one, but is run by all our local churches. People are referred here by doctors, health visitors, cab, job centre, vicars, teachers.
It amazes many of them that people care and show them kindness when they are in need, and quite a few have become volunteers when they are back on their feet. When they come with their referral slip, no questions are asked, no judgments are made - like someone else has said, 'there but for the grace' etc.
Love
Alison
Oh - and they are never preached to
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People definitely don't preach at our food bank. We did once have someone from another local church turn up wondering why we didn't, and we all agreed it would be most inappropriate. We're there to help people, not to convert them, and there's nothing that puts people off worse than attempts to force religion on them when they're vulnerable!
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Perhaps actions speak louder than words.
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I was quite surprised at the limited nature of goods that food banks will take but I guess it all has to be non-perishable/simple. This is what Trussells take..
Milk – UHT or Powdered
Sugar
Furit Juice
Soup
Pasta Sauces
Tinned Sponge Pudding
Cereals
Tinned Tomatoes
Tinned Rice Pudding
Tea Bags/Instant Coffee
Instant Mash
Rice/Pasta
Tinned meat/Fish
Tinned Veg
Tinned fruit
Jam
Biscuits
No scope for spare lottie produce there..
Are they all like this - are there no food banks using fresh fruit and veg or I am I being unrealistic. Can't remember the last time I bought half the things on that list..
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There are places which provide warm meals for vulnerable people. Maybe they would be more likely to take fresh veg for making stews and soups etc?
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Can't remember the last time I bought half the things on that list..
Me too.
For me it is rather a shocking list. I haven't eaten a tinned veg apart from tomatoes since I was a child. I have never bought Instant potato or UHT milk.
I suppose the problem with fresh is keeping it that way. The big supermarkets have very sophisticated systems for keep their stocking rolling through in peak condition.
I suppose if people in need are provided with the basics then they can use what money they have to buy veg, though I doubt they do.
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My goodness - not a very desirable list apart perhaps from the tinned tomatoes as Digeroo has already said. When I donate tinned stuff it's always stuff I'd use myself so tomatoes, sweet corn, tuna, sardines. Stuff like that.I have at the back of my mind an image of growing children and the nutrients they need .. so not stuff like sponge pudding and condensed milk.
We give fruit and veg to a nearby day centre for vulnerable over 50s who can go there and get a good cooked meal every day. (as well as company, activities, warmth, etc) They do a lot of soups so veg is ideal.
The Edinburgh mosque produces very cheap meals too so sometimes get spare produce. I've never been preached at there.
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http://www.fareshare.org.uk/
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My view on this is that the concept of food banks is relatively new in the UK. We couldn't find one when we were over there for 8 years. I think the newness contributes to the reason for the list . Sadly the need for food banks is likely to grow and so will the scope of what they can handle. Here they take anything at all if canned or dried, the only conditions are that home canned food is not accepted and food has to not be outdatesd. As far as I am aware all of them take fresh veggies and welcome them.
There are also soup kitchens here and similar programmes . A percentage of what our gardens grow goes to one. They need veggies of course as they cook meals and I know there are similar programmes in the UK.
XX Jeannine
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I was quite surprised at the limited nature of goods that food banks will take but I guess it all has to be non-perishable/simple. This is what Trussells take..
Milk – UHT or Powdered
Sugar
Furit Juice
Soup
Pasta Sauces
Tinned Sponge Pudding
Cereals
Tinned Tomatoes
Tinned Rice Pudding
Tea Bags/Instant Coffee
Instant Mash
Rice/Pasta
Tinned meat/Fish
Tinned Veg
Tinned fruit
Jam
Biscuits
No scope for spare lottie produce there..
Are they all like this - are there no food banks using fresh fruit and veg or I am I being unrealistic. Can't remember the last time I bought half the things on that list..
I haven't seen any of the documentation yet, but my guess is that there are two main reasons:
First, these are emergency supplement packs, meant to help out overstretched budgets, not a means of providing a complete diet.
Second, I suspect that by so doing, they avoid the attentions of the dreaded Food Standards Agency, who would gladly close down the foodbanks for not having fully hygiene-trained staff and not having three stainless steel sinks per square metre or whatever other ridiculous rules they might dream up.
I've also just realised that we buy almost all the items!
Milk – UHT or Powdered: No
Sugar: Yes
Furit Juice: Yes
Soup: Yes
Pasta Sauces: Yes, because I'm going to count passata when we run out of homemade
Tinned Sponge Pudding: No
Cereals : Yes
Tinned Tomatoes: Yes
Tinned Rice Pudding: Only when camping, but still a yes
Tea Bags/Instant Coffee: Yes
Instant Mash: Yes, albeit for specialist breadmaking
Rice/Pasta: Yes & Yes
Tinned meat/Fish: Yes & Yes (I must admit to a weakness for corned beef)
Tinned Veg: Yes (onions, mushy peas, chickpeas, baked beans)
Tinned fruit: Yes, occasionally
Jam: Yes
Biscuits: Yes
So that's 16/18.
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I guess you are right about food standards/perishability. The fareshare org - link that manicscousers posted (very interesting) - has to train everyone in basic FH standards as they use perishable goods.
I just thought that the list was a little short and proscriptive. It seems the emphasis is on donating money (at least the website gives that impression) so maybe they are buying other stuff in bulk. I confess that I knew nothing about foodbanks prior to this thread - nor did I realise there was such a need for them.
Thanks for opening my eyes to this..
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I have a problem with food banks per se due the main reason why people are in debt is that a lot of people in this country don't really know how to manage their budgets. They go by the status quo and buy what is available right now. They're influenced by the media on foods that are tasty, fresh and healthy and yet, it's all pre-made for you in a form of a tin, carton or frozen. Okay, it's easy for me to be so glib about this when I've been brought up where my dad cooked from scratch (cultural thing) and never used packets, tins or frozen stuff. These days, a lot of parents were brought up on fast-food and so they've passed this mentality to their next generation..
What we need is putting food economics (taught differently though as my home ec. teacher was appalling in the 80s :sleepy1: she was so UN-Child-friendly that we just messed about in her class) back on the agenda and make it mandatory that food is key to bring about people's perception to living a healthier life (as well as education in the main, needs to be rehauled!!)
If people continue buying these foods then they will have no idea how to cook even the basics such as sausage cassorole or fish pie, or spag bol and bulk cooking can save loads of money. A lot of people will say that they don't have time anymore to devote themselves to the cooking, but I can't imagine how they warrant such justification on how much time to devote to their TVs or their FB/phones either :idea1: that they rather spend time supposedly connecting with their so-called friends when they can form better relations with their family and friends around a real dining table real-life??
sorry for being pessimistic here, but there are wider issues surrounding people's spiralling debts... and i don't think food banks is the answer (short-term yes, but not a quick fix)
oh, and btw, i did want to help a food bank out a few months ago when i heard about them in my area and did make enquiries about volunteering (in the end, I couldn't as collections were done during weekdays and I worked) but then realised after much thought, that i came to the current conclusion that this isn't the answer. I've also toyed with soup kitchens but am also put off by the evangelical aspect of it and so, I've not done anything about it since. I may donate my gluts to them instead, that is, if there is any to be had this year!! :dontknow:
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I have a problem with food banks per se due the main reason why people are in debt is that a lot of people in this country don't really know how to manage their budgets.
Not in today's climate Irridium.
It has has much less to do with poor budgeting and much more to do with poor leadership I'm afraid.
It's to do with slave-rate wages. Being taxed almost to death (and beyond). Its high diesel prices for tractors and trucks and the consequent high food prices. Its gas prices running out of control. Its coal, petrol, and anything else petroleum-based. Its the soaring cost of electricity and every item you buy, food or no.
Food banks exist because of the increasing number of people, today's people, not those that worked in the 'easy baby-boomer years' and made plenty for their retirement, but the modern young family or pensioner without who simply can't manage on the money they have.
Times have changed Irridium. We're d**n near starving, and so is a growing section of the public.
My kids can all make meals from scratch, but I'm not sure that is going to change much.
I'd sell my 50" flat-screen tv and facebook/phone for food.... If I owned either. :BangHead:
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We struggled to find a food bank anywhere in Leeds for a client last week. On further research we found the Trussell Trust has one, plus another in progress. I hope, as people begin to realise that working people are struggling too, they will support them more, but also ask questions of the government about why so many people are struggling.
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I think we should all hang our heads in shame that food banks should be needed in the UK 2013.
I feel so sorry for young families struggling to cope with keeping a roof over their heads.
The power bills alone are an unfunny joke.
Good luck to us all.
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It has to be food which is easily prepared, which keeps, and is nutritious. That's why there's a limited list. If there are facilities, some might be interested in doing soup; we couldn't at my place because the food gets dumped all over the kitchen. It might be something to think about once we've sorted the place out.; I'm currently trying to raise £34 000 to sort the kitchen out, as there's all sorts of work which needs doing to bring it up to scratch.
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I have a problem with food banks per se due the main reason why people are in debt is that a lot of people in this country don't really know how to manage their budgets.
Not in today's climate Irridium.
It has has much less to do with poor budgeting and much more to do with poor leadership I'm afraid.
It's to do with slave-rate wages. Being taxed almost to death (and beyond). Its high diesel prices for tractors and trucks and the consequent high food prices. Its gas prices running out of control. Its coal, petrol, and anything else petroleum-based. Its the soaring cost of electricity and every item you buy, food or no.
Food banks exist because of the increasing number of people, today's people, not those that worked in the 'easy baby-boomer years' and made plenty for their retirement, but the modern young family or pensioner without who simply can't manage on the money they have.
Times have changed Irridium. We're d**n near starving, and so is a growing section of the public.
My kids can all make meals from scratch, but I'm not sure that is going to change much.
I'd sell my 50" flat-screen tv and facebook/phone for food.... If I owned either. :BangHead:
Nigel B makes a great argument for what I think is the main problem with understanding quite how poor the previous generation have made all of the rest of us through their stealing from the future (I understand that it was the politicians & bankers that did this ... but no-one from the baby-boomer generation complained when it was happening!)
The current generation have been dealt a raw deal when it comes to opportunities in work as real industries have been killed off and the ridiculous number of "telephone-sanitizer" type jobs the baby boomers created have been exposed as ridiculous and useless in times of recession so this country no longer has enough jobs left for the young people - even the ones promised the earth with £20k worth of student debts they were forced to take on if they wanted to study under the current system - so they can work for high taxes to support the retirement of the generation that got free education and health and bought council houses for a few pennies because Thatcher wanted to get re-elected.
Food banks - and also the allotment movement - are both very important ways in which the poorest from the disenfranchised generation emerging in to adulthood at the moment can at least get a little socialist relief from the awful reality of the 40 years of greedy capitalism and financial mis-management from the baby-boomer generation that went before.
Rant over
Squeezy
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I don't have problems with foodbanks..they do a good job and are in need...BUT...
I do agree with Irridium to some degree.
There is LOTS of people out there who just cannot help themselves. They cannot budget their pennies to live frugal way, they cannot make or mend things, never mind able to grow..or willing to even try. I have seen many times how people live with ready made supermarket foods..when these meals could be done in home relatively easily with much less money.
Few years ago friend from work complaned about cost of living..and this hit her hard when she found herself being pregnant.
She's never really learned to cook in school or home, so I taught her to do some basic meals..like how to make bolognese sauce and with bit of 'tinkering' different meals from it.
I think lack of home economics..in old style, is in great need. Lot of things just gets thrown away when they could serve us much longer time with a little attention...or knowing/bothering to look after what we've got so 'stuff' last longer in first place.
I've heard how some people moan how money is tight...but still they have their film and sport channels, they find money for few drinks and cigs...you find they have plenty of spare time hang around on town. There is generation (or two) out there that think, they should have 'this and that' goods as standard in their lives..'you cannot have a baby if you don't have/been given' certain amount of baby related 'junk'..the whole attitude of 'I'M worth it', so they must have it even if they really cannot afford it.
YES..there is those who are hard working or retired and cannot make their ends meet..and with many, no fault of their own.
Fortunately I was given good start to life as regarding 'how to make ends meet in frugal way'..but never ever in any stage I was educated on things to do with 'banking matters'. I've been trying to learn and use best of my capabilities to understand when dealing with money matters and other contracts before I put my name on dotted line. Great deal of trust is involved if you don't quite understand what is recommended to you..and that is where things can go badly wrong.
Like with any issue..its not all black and white..there is many backrounds to each reason why life has become hard to manage and foodbanks are just one of the necessary things to help people to get by..but there is great need for kind of education that will target basic management of our lives. And those things that are out of our hands..well..all we can do is trying to help others less fortunate and create 'stink' for those who are the causing the problems, and just maybe the 'stink' will stick and cause some changes for better things to come.
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What I do not understand is why there are jobs available for people from around the world but not the people who live here.
My daughter was made redundant last year and once her redundancy money ran out, things were very tight. The cost of getting to interviews was enormous sometimes requiring two or three interviews before being rejected. Yet she needed a car to get to many of them. Or they wanted her to arrive before cheap train tickets were available. She had saved enough for a new car (well new to her) but in the end spent most of it so would have been desperate if she had not had that cushion. She also had a supply of veg!
She almost lost her benefits because she did not accept an unsuitable job but finally convinced them of its unsuitability but they more or less told her she had to accept the next offer whatever. She was also sent on unsuitable courses and a computer one was a farce. Several of the participants including my dauaghter knew considerably more than the instructor who more or less insisted they pretend to know nothing or she would tip them out and they would loose their allowances. She turned up a few minutes late to job centre because the whole town was in turmoil due to the olympic torch and nearly lost it then as well. They seemed to be trying to use every rule to deny her of the little money she was getting and make things as humiliating as possible. But when she asked to go on suitable courses they said she had too much education and did not need them, so they would not fund them. Yet another girl was denighed a place on the basic computer course but wanted to go.
She even got a string of nasty letters from the student loan company.
My daughter is a very good cook and very able at most things yet she found the whole system very difficult indeed. She got through a lot of tissues and hardly a week went by when she was not in tears at least once. She now has a good job. Then she had to pay for her food etc and getting to work for a month until she was paid.
But I would not like to judge anyone who finds they cannot cope.
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I don't think it is necessarily helpful to look for scapegoats or to apportion blame. It dissipates the energy available for fixing things and making them better.
My response to the way things are is to think what can I do, on a personal level, to make things better. I am appalled that we need food banks and soup kitchens in the UK but since we do need them let's embrace them and make them work. And let's not judge the people who use them. For the few that take where there is no need, there are hundreds more who wouldn't get by without their assistance.
What truly disgusts me is corporate greed and the amorality of many of our political rulers.
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I don't think it is necessarily helpful to look for scapegoats or to apportion blame. It dissipates the energy available for fixing things and making them better.
My response to the way things are is to think what can I do, on a personal level, to make things better. I am appalled that we need food banks and soup kitchens in the UK but since we do need them let's embrace them and make them work. And let's not judge the people who use them. For the few that take where there is no need, there are hundreds more who wouldn't get by without their assistance.
What truly disgusts me is corporate greed and the amorality of many of our political rulers.
Good posting Grawrc
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Thanks, Anne, you've said it all, let's get some compassion back :happy7:
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Thanks, Anne, you've said it all, let's get some compassion back :happy7:
I agree.
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Well said, Anne.
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Werll done grawc
I have seen far too many folks here who try their best and end up struggling. Redundancy can put folks is big trouble fast. We have friends whose house is paid for but they were hot hard when the copany they both worked for moved provinces. Even with no mortgage their nest egg was gone very fast, they ending up selling the home they helped build and moving into a tiny place, both too old to start new careers they had to take early retirement so they only reciened 45% of their first government pension, the second one they were not even able to get till they were 65.. they were raising two garndchildren too. It was heartbreaking to watch them go down. They refused help and soold their assetts. Had they not had a house they would have been in foodbanks for sure and they were decent hardworking folkks who didn't waste, drink or eat ready dinners.
There is too much of the above, one cannot be judgemental, it can hit anywhere and anyone, not of us are immune whatever we think about our own situation..
We know of several menatally chellenged folk who have been put back into society after "rehab" , sometimes after years of being ina a hospital, they have no means of knowing how to cook or budget well and the food bank is a lifeline.
No, I don't think judgement is for this situation.
There are many foodbanks in the US, considered one of the richest countries in the world, here in Canada and the Uk where the welfare system is supposed to be wonderful.
Our electricity bill was $385 this last time for just one month and gas bill to come yet, house insurance is $1400,house taxes almost $5000 , we are all OK but if folks have lost their jobs and have a house with bills like that, plus a mortagage which most folks have it can go sour very fast.
What more can I say.
Sorry fot typos, hurting a bit and in a rush
XX Jeannine
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Of course you are all right - and my political rant was not truly on the subject of food banks which is a last ditch attempt to help people really given that things must have gone wrong for them to be necessary.
I just think it's an under-reported thing that the generation now in the age-group 50-70 have taken a huge amount of the wealth from our country in property and savings and it seems odd to me that any of them are baffled by the fact that kids these days cannot support themselves. Every political action in the last 50 years has been influenced by the voting power of the large section of society born between the end of the war and 1965 and has put money in their pockets one way or another.
It's not a popular thing to say ... especially not to people in that category who believe they worked for all that wealth and deserved it for themselves (even though they must know in their heart of hearts that they have borrowed all the money from the future) - but a small reminder now and then might mean that some of the money not frittered away on luxury holidays and Chinese consumables could make it's way back down the generations and allow the current crop of adults coming through a chance in life half as good as the one they enjoyed.
Cheers
Squeezy
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I also don't think generalising helps here. Being 60 and not well off, and not having huge savings, we have brought up 3 children through very hard times who now have brilliant jobs and pay lots of taxes back into the pot. As for luxury holidays, a tent in Cornwall can hardly come into that category. :toothy10:
Anyway, this was'nt started as a political topic, just trying to help people with some surplus 'veg
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I am sorry squeezyjohn but I am not sure that my life was as cosy as you think yet I am between 50 and 70 . I was born early 50s into a one parent family. The fridge was a bucket or water outside the backdoor, I can still remember the electric one arriving - I was eight: a gift from my uncle. Most food was prepared in the pressure cooker to stop it being tough. I was very well into my teens before we got an electric twin tub washing machine. I remember standing by the back door cranking the handle on the washer backwards and forwards and then using the mangle or sitting doing my homework at the launderette.
I shared a bedroom with my mother till I moved out at 18. Most of my clothes were remakes of things my mother bought at jumble sales. My school skirts came from the uniform of a nurse friend when they changed the colour of her uniform. My mother was a teacher but in those days females earned considerably less than their male collegues even if they were running a family it was about 2/3rds.
We hardly ever went out once I had children and not much before though I did play a lot of badminton. We do not drink alcohol or smoke in fact live very frugally. My OH was made redundant at 54 and the pension he had worked so hard for turned out to be a pittance because he had not worked with them for 30 years, yes you guessed he worked for 28.5. Yet because he was contracted out his state pension is small. The next generation have ensured they have better working protection and people are now not being thrown out en masse when they reach 55.
No job I had paid towards a pension.
Yes my property is worth quite a lot, but we paid the asking prices which seemed a lot at the time and paid for 40 years and our interest rates were up to 14% and rarely less than 9%. We did get a reduction in tax for the interest at one time and for children but there were no tax credits for low incomes. In hind sight the increase in values due to inflation is good but you cannot eat it and have to pay the council tax.
We can only manage now because I inherited some money unexpectedly.
I feel blessed that I have always been able to grow fruit and veg to supplement our income.
I am sorry Squeezyjohn but I think you are looking at the past with rose tinted specs on. It seems to be now that their is a huge gap between those doing well and have good jobs and those who are not.
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I grew up pretty poor but I got into a Grammar school and had a free University education. Today, it's different - it costs a fortune to get any education at all and there are so few jobs for school leavers. We have this massive group of people who live in extended family groups where nobody has a job and everybody gets up at lunchtime and walks round the shops all afternoon. Unemployed and unemployable. Meanwhile, the staff in the Poundshops talk among themselves in Polish and work with the energy lacking in people born in this country.
So while I'm happy to give away surplus to the FB, I dont think it will change much. As it used to say on Oxfam posters: Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and ...." Well you all know the rest.
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That's why they want to start cookery lessons
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I really do not get this "it's all the baby boomer fault" mentality. The economics of the our current situation is complex and to try to blame it all on one generation or any one cause is an easy way to avoid thinking about difficult issues.
To lump everyone born between two dates into one group and bame them for everything that is happening now is too easy an explantion for the supposed ills of our society today.
50 years ago it was 1963 - the voting age was 21 then so you had to be born in 1942 to be able to vote in 1963. Not sure how people born after the war were affecting policy in 1963!
Anyway as Manics says this was a thread about donating surplus lottie food - All I have to do is to work out how to grow a surplus!
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Wonder if the food banks want courgettes, if so I may plant 12 plants this year. Much better to give surplus away to anyone who needs it, than compost it. At the moment the allotment looks very sad, with nothing growing, but roll on summer.
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e have this massive group of people who live in extended family groups where nobody has a job and everybody gets up at lunchtime and walks round the shops all afternoon. Unemployed and unemployable.
You might be interested to read these myth busters about the benefits system, based on actual statistics![url]http://www.turn2us.org.uk/pdf/Mythbusting.pdf/[url]
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If the government tightened up on tax evasion, and increased taxes on the rich, that would go a fair way to solving the problem. Tax needs to be progressive not regressive; those who can pay, should pay the most. It's not all down to the past; a lot of it is the sheer laxity of the regime towards anyone who has more than they need. Meanwhile, the cuts we suffer ensure that we don't have money to spend, so goods don't get sold, so the economy tanks a bit further. Austerity has a long history, and it's never worked once.
Blaming the poor will get us nowhere.
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Some observations not to forget while the foodbanks rely on your charity.......
Most (majority of) people are effectively being kept alive by supermarket chains who in the past have lied to the customers, and will lie again, exploit the poor (growers right through to the unemployed on the workfare scheme).
Supermarkets while offering a percentage of whats already been donated, stand to actually make a profit on the cause, because they are donating their goods at wholesale prices, while people who want to donate (buy first donate afterwards) have covered that percentage themselves by paying retail on non-perishable goods you cannot produce yourself.
Secondly, there seems to be little in the way of fresh produce available on the list of accepted donations, which I'm sorry but is simply not good enough, is hardly reaching out to allotments or local food producers as it helps the supermarkets profits first and foremost.
Thirdly, the foodbanks (who do a good thing imho) need to be educating the people about how to take back control over their food supply.
At present making profits for company shareholders is coming before putting the needs of families (second) , also when the people currently donating become the next wave of folk needing the donations what then.....lets hope there is enough seeds and land still available.
Excercise, food, community spirit & free seeds has been replaced since the last few decades by poverty, need and worry, all of which was already forecasted by previous governments that started wars with your money (labour exchange) which could of kept the country growing.
Britain being one of the most fertile countries as opposed to the deserts of Africa should tell you there is simply no excuses.
Yeah lets all pave over our front and back gardens, afterall mummy supermarket still offers the teet for us to all suck on.....
:BangHead:
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Our town council have mornings where they put on the occasional soup & a roll, sandwiches and a cuppa for only a few pence. It is to assist the elderly and those who do not have much to socialise and have something decent to eat. They do not turn people away but it is highly abused by extremely well off pensioners and workers who once have eaten, depart in their luxury cars from the carpark. It is because of abuse like this that I no longer give to foodbanks or charities anymore. I know several people who no longer give to different causes for the same reasons.