Why do we have food banks?

[El Cid]

Lots of people refer to the use of food banks, but no one analyses why we have them.

 

1, Where does this free food come from?

 

2, Who can get this free food?

 

3, How did we manage before food banks?

 

4, Do nurses use food banks?

 

5, Do food banks supply anything other than food, dog food - toiletries for example.

 

Fully qualified nurses start on salaries of £21,692 - So do people on £18k use food banks, or maybe £23k?

I once attempted to give out of date food to a food bank, they did not want it.

[Danny_Boy]

Personally never seen a food bank. The only way a nurse on £21k+ a year is using a food bank is down to poor financial planning on the nurses behalf.

[dutch]

I once attempted to give out of date food to a food bank, they did not want it.

 

Of coarse not, you knew it was out of date even supermarket don't give out of date food for free.

 

Your other questions don't sound sincere. Go and volunteer for a food bank and you will learn everything about it.

[Hairyloon]

Go and volunteer for a food bank and you will learn everything about it.

 

Good answer.

[El Cid]

Of coarse not, you knew it was out of date even supermarket don't give out of date food for free.

 

Your other questions don't sound sincere. Go and volunteer for a food bank and you will learn everything about it.

 

I eat out of date, have you heard of 'freegans'?

 

"a person who rejects consumerism and seeks to help the environment by reducing waste, especially by retrieving and using discarded food and other goods."

 

You would have thought someone with no money would eat out of date food too.

 

---------- Post added 11-05-2017 at 16:44 ----------

 

Go and volunteer for a food bank and you will learn everything about it.

 

I have never seen one either, are they usually in churches?

[Hairyloon]

You would have thought someone with no money would eat out of date food too.

 

They would, but there are reasons why food banks cannot (or do not) distribute it... I'm not necessarily saying they are good reasons mind you.

[dangerousedd]

wouldn't the food bank be liable if the out of date caused any kind of illness?

[dutch]

We have a good fridge and can shrug the shoulders when something is a little over date.

But I would rather buy some good fresh food to the poor than give them some rubbish.

[Hairyloon]

wouldn't the food bank be liable if the out of date caused any kind of illness?

 

That is likely one of the reasons.

[Mister M]

Lots of people refer to the use of food banks, but no one analyses why we have them.

 

1, Where does this free food come from?

 

2, Who can get this free food?

 

3, How did we manage before food banks?

 

4, Do nurses use food banks?

 

5, Do food banks supply anything other than food, dog food - toiletries for example.

 

Fully qualified nurses start on salaries of £21,692 - So do people on £18k use food banks, or maybe £23k?

I once attempted to give out of date food to a food bank, they did not want it.

 

Free food comes from donations. At the local supermarket I use, there's a large plastic container where customers can donate food. Perhaps some of the supermarkets also kindly donate food that is nearing its sell by date.

 

People who are entitled to the free food can get vouchers from job centres, doctors surgeries, and social service departments.

 

People managed lots of ways before food banks. In the 1950s and 1960s social networks in local communities were said to be quite strong; and because people tended not to move away from their place of birth families were probably quite tight, so people would help each other out. Also the DSS offered social grants (before crisis loans were introduced). When I was a youngster, one of our neighbours house caught fire, and I remember my Mum helping her out, & going with her to the DSS.

Either that, or the gene pool has degenerated sufficiently for food banks to be needed.

 

There have been reports of nurses using food banks. The PM was asked by Andrew Marr about this. She said that the reasons why people in work had to use food banks 'were complex'

 

Yes toiletries, such as tampons, deodorant and soap are donated.

 

In submitting evidence to Parliament when the Government had done away with concessionary grants, Frank Field had to point out that things happen to people, like one of his constituents, an 86 year old lady, in the middle of winter was told by the then DSS to eat salads, when she asked what she was to do without an oven as hers had broke down.

 

 

Personally never seen a food bank. The only way a nurse on £21k+ a year is using a food bank is down to poor financial planning on the nurses behalf.

 

And yet the nurses role requires them to fulfil complex procedures. I'd be more inclined to think that nurses, like anyone experiences crises, like bereavements, nervous breakdowns and divorces.

Edited May 11, 2017 by Mister M