Giving to Food banks

[Magic Mouse]

Originally Posted by ERICSMUM

The volunteers at our local food bank delivery office are very rude.

Twice I’ve taken stuff but they won’t see me again. Both times they’ve taken the bags straight down to the storage area without a thank you or any comment.

Obviously I wasn’t looking for a round of applause. I’m not obliged to donate stuff and I won’t do again. Their high and mighty, smug, ‘look at me aren’t I a good caring person giving up my time for free’ can go whistle.

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This is very sad - one department in my office had a huge collection last Christmas and had a very similar experience when they delivered it 😞 they also said they wouldn’t be doing it again.

[mandco]

They have been hit hard this year - people are not going to physical shops, money is tighter for a lot of people and with costs increasing less donations coming in yet demand is soaring
I can add a donation to my online shop but on the occasions I have been in an actual supermarket the donation bins are virtually empty.

I think a lot of people wouldn't think about toiletries as its called a food bank and its not something they list on the ideas board instore. I had a look on my local area page and they now have toiletries as their most urgently required items followed by tinned meat items.
Dd has a load of unwanted items that came in her beauty boxes that I was wondering what to do with so I'll take them along next time I go.

[mickey house]

Thank you so much guys for your generosity it will be so appreciated by families not so fortunate.

It's a little disappointing that the volunteers at the food banks aren't all friendly/polite when people have gone to the time and expense of delivering items for the food bank. Don't please let them put you off because they aren't selected for their interpersonal skills (I guess they are unpaid volunteers), but I just hope they don't treat the poor sods who need the donations the same way as I'm sure some of them probably feel bad enough having to go to a food bank and deserve to be treated with respect.

[mandco]

Last xmas our school did a foodbank drive and while most of the donations went to the local bank they also organised parcels to be delivered to students they knew needed the support
I was hoping they would do the same this year but they are not allowed to as they cannot take/deliver donations due to covid measures/rules

[Dazed]

We donate through Ocado as we have our shopping delivered weekly. They have ‘you give, we give’ and you can donate as much or as little a you want in £2.50 increments. For every £2.50 you donate, they donate £2.50 in food too.

I have always done it, but since the pandemic I have doubled it.

[katiec68]

We tend to buy a mixture of staples and nice bits to put in the Tesco food collection point.

I'll buy whatever is on offer as I can get more that way.

Yesterday we got 2 cadbury stockings and 2 huge boxes of cereal.

Some weeks its just tins but as its xmas I try to put something christmassy in every week.

I realise how lucky we are to have 2 decent wages coming in but in the past I have lived on nothing so I get it.

We also do the giving tree at Bluewater every year - this gives us lots of fun trying to second guess what a 15 year od boy would like! (One year DH company had a fabulous offer on some headphones so we bought a couple of sets and took them with us for the tree - I know you are supposed to buy at Bluewater but hey ho!)

Its honestly the best present we buy every year!

[ERICSMUM]

Originally Posted by mickey house

Thank you so much guys for your generosity it will be so appreciated by families not so fortunate.

It's a little disappointing that the volunteers at the food banks aren't all friendly/polite when people have gone to the time and expense of delivering items for the food bank. Don't please let them put you off because they aren't selected for their interpersonal skills (I guess they are unpaid volunteers), but I just hope they don't treat the poor sods who need the donations the same way as I'm sure some of them probably feel bad enough having to go to a food bank and deserve to be treated with respect.

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Exactly, good point. 🥰

[ERICSMUM]

I hadn’t thought of donating to a woman’s refuge, there’s bound to be one in most towns.

Our local homeless charity is building a ‘portfolio’ of accommodation for men who don’t want to live in a flat etc all year round but sometimes need a refuge. The charity is asking for any spare Christmas decorations for these properties. I suspect most of us have got a few bits tucked away in the loft that we don’t put out.

[123]

Originally Posted by mickey house

Thank you so much guys for your generosity it will be so appreciated by families not so fortunate.

It's a little disappointing that the volunteers at the food banks aren't all friendly/polite when people have gone to the time and expense of delivering items for the food bank. Don't please let them put you off because they aren't selected for their interpersonal skills (I guess they are unpaid volunteers), but I just hope they don't treat the poor sods who need the donations the same way as I'm sure some of them probably feel bad enough having to go to a food bank and deserve to be treated with respect.

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Agree, I hope that this experience doesn't stop people finding a way to help out those in need.

So long as they are helpful and welcoming to those needing the help, I can cope with them being 'offish' to the donator. As Ericsmum said we aren't doing it for glory, but we also don't want to feel that it's pointless and not helping

[evergreen]

Originally Posted by mickey house

Just a little reminder to my lovely dibb family that this year some people will need to use food banks more than ever.

Admittedly I haven't donated as much to food banks as I should have this year because our big shop is delivered weekly. We have ordered some extra food with our shopping delivery next week which I will take to our local church that has a food bank. So if you can afford to put a little something in a food bank I'm sure it will be much appreciated by those families in need.

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Fantastic post MH all you lovely Dibbers remember people aren’t just hungry at Christmas, like MH I am in the habit of spending a pound or two each week, pop it in the box in the way out of the store.