Food banks

Yawn ....

What an extraordinary post.

Perhaps if you were actually involved with a food bank or go for a visit you might see the realities?

If you need a food bank, you are hardly likely to be eating out and flashing your latest I phones, so you won't be "seeing" them.

A single person on benefits gets £77 a week. Not exactly cash to flash, is there?

Here we go again...judgemental, much?

Dreadful post, I could hardly believe what I was reading...
That's all I can say.

Is this serious?

Armynanny

Just wondering if food banks encourage those who are less well off to spend their money on things like McDonalds, the latest iPhone, having nail/hair extensions, with the view of well it doesn’t matter if I spend money on these I can go to the food bank to get our food? Wondering this because in two of our local towns there seems to be plenty of people eating out with several children, all with the latest phones, others getting deliveries from Deliveroo etc.,

I've got a couple of friends who have to use food banks. They hate it.

Horrible judgemental post.

I am reminded once again of the letters in our local paper, moaning about well to do older men in big cars collecting many big bags of food from the local 'referral only' foodbank. They were in fact retired members of the local Rotary, who had volunteered to deliver food to families in outlying areas.

Some people want to see the worst in everyone.

Horrid, ignorant post.

Armynanny I think you may need to be looking in different places to get an all round view.
Check out your local library and spot people who are there keeping warm for a bit. Look at the families in MacD's - are the adults eating? Are they there so children are able to use the entertainment centres and be somewhere warm and bright for a while? Families watching the football in the pub? Yes of course, and making one drink last for the entire evening. Not exactly 'splashing the cash' around as far as I can see.
No-one I know uses the local foodbank from choice, and many feel huge shame, even now.

if I spend money on these I can go to the food bank to get our food?

That really isn’t how food banks work. Such ignorance.

Wondering this because in two of our local towns there seems to be plenty of people eating out with several children, all with the latest phones, others getting deliveries from Deliveroo etc.,

And what exactly suggests that any of these people eating out with their fancy phones have anything to do with a Food Bank then?

I wouldn’t be able to recognise ‘the latest phone’. My granddaughter’s looks very similar to mine which looks almost identical to my son’s rand new superdooper phone.

Madgran77

*Wondering this because in two of our local towns there seems to be plenty of people eating out with several children, all with the latest phones, others getting deliveries from Deliveroo etc.,*

And what exactly suggests that any of these people eating out with their fancy phones have anything to do with a Food Bank then?

Came on to say exactly this.

I know there are people who think along those lines, but you've overplayed your hand, OP 😂

Deep sigh

You dont get the same class of trolls anymore.

One cannot wander into a food bank and ask for a bag of food- it does not happen that way. Also I believe one can only go a few times a year.

There are many people with children who are well able to afford a trip to Mcdonald's and we rarely know if it is a weekly or an annual treat.

It is very easy to jump to the wrong conclusions.

Galaxy

You dont get the same class of trolls anymore.

Agree

Yup, I think you've nailed it Galaxy.

Armynanny

Perhaps you don’t quite understand how foodbanks work. People can’t just rock up and expect to be given food. In my town they are referred by GPs, health visitors, welfare staff at schools, social workers and council staff etc., who, having identified that a family is in crisis, issue them with a food bank voucher that entitles them to receive a foodbank parcel of three days’ non-perishable food. Just three days of basics.

I’ve been involved with foodbanks for many, many years and I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve experienced someone trying to game the system.

People may have had a reasonable standard of living, during which they bought a nice car and a pricey phone, before falling on hard times. A smartphone is vital for anyone receiving benefits - it’s the means by which people enter information into their compulsory journal if claiming Universal Credit.

People who use foodbanks do sometimes have families and friends who may treat them to a manicure, a hairdo - or yes, even a trip to MacDonalds. I keep a stash of cinema tickets to hand out to people who need a little uplift and I’m gutted to think that someone may be querying how they can afford a cinema trip when they need to use the foodbank.

Quite, grannyactivist. I once arranged for a couple of bags of food for an independently living student (17 years old) who was broke. It took two weeks to get the authorisation through and for her to get the food. I'd have thought contact from her school tutor would be good enough, but no.

Why are people so judgmental and uncharitable?

grannyactivist

Armynanny

Perhaps you don’t quite understand how foodbanks work. People can’t just rock up and expect to be given food. In my town they are referred by GPs, health visitors, welfare staff at schools, social workers and council staff etc., who, having identified that a family is in crisis, issue them with a food bank voucher that entitles them to receive a foodbank parcel of three days’ non-perishable food. Just three days of basics.

I’ve been involved with foodbanks for many, many years and I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve experienced someone trying to game the system.

People may have had a reasonable standard of living, during which they bought a nice car and a pricey phone, before falling on hard times. A smartphone is vital for anyone receiving benefits - it’s the means by which people enter information into their compulsory journal if claiming Universal Credit.

People who use foodbanks do sometimes have families and friends who may treat them to a manicure, a hairdo - or yes, even a trip to MacDonalds. I keep a stash of cinema tickets to hand out to people who need a little uplift and I’m gutted to think that someone may be querying how they can afford a cinema trip when they need to use the foodbank.

OP, here is your answer.

I think the people that start threads like these are projecting their own feelings on to the people who use food banks. As if they are thinking that because they themselves would behave in a certain way to get what they wanted, then other people are all like them.