Food Banks

Saw that yesterday M, great idea. I have seen a couple of volunteer groups, younger age group as well, who are keen to provide assistance to those more vulnerable. We only have one older resident now, close by, and he has all he needs in terms of help thankfully. In the past we have done taxi service to doctors, pick up prescriptions, help with shopping, household tasks, taxi service from care homes all alongside caring for our own relatives. I am still shopping, taking all precautions, so will try and find something each trip to add to Food Bank boxes.

 

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We also were in tesco today,my god a plague of locusts had blown through every section. No food to speak of and not a lot of booze to soften the realization that most of the people are prats.

Oh and the food bank trolley had been raided, so removed by staff.again prats. Life goes on.😁

Guardian reporting in its Coronavirus Blog that a Yorkshire Foodbank was broken into overnight and £500 of stock, including toilet rolls, stolen.

Sickening. Just hope that, if the toerags are caught, they are fast tracked through Court System and jailed, ideally after being paraded through the streets so people can see what low life these scum are.

Steve

Once the army is deployed perhaps they can shoot looters.

I dropped some stuff in the food bank also. Not a lot available to contribute and so 3 tins of chunky soup (the only 3 of that type left) and 4 tins evap milk (just add water and it makes up fine-also the last 4 available as all the rest were condensed). I was going to add the permitted purchase of 4 toilet rolls but thought that they might walk!

Regarding your last paragraph.  In the late 90s I worked part-time at a solicitors where practically every client was Legally Aided, some just the  "green form" type which gave 2 hours free advice for nothing but some on full blown Legal Aid for various matters.  Nearly all of the clients actually received more money from benefits than I received in total from Carer's Allowance (as my son is disabled) and my part-time wages!

I imagine quite a few people of a certain age who are now confined to their homes were regular contributors to the Food Bank boxes in supermarkets. What with the sparsity of supplies means that many Food Banks are going to struggle just as it seems demand will start to rise. If anyone is in the position to do so a cash donation no doubt would be very welcome as it will allow them to source supplies from elsewhere. 

David

Good post, David!

Our local Foodbank in Kirkcaldy [referred to in the Guardian articles over the last couple of weeks] has been hit by a multi faceted 'whammy', in common with many others:

1. Lack of supplies has restricted donations of food [& toilet rolls!]

2. Employee redundancies/reduced hours means extra claimants, putting pressure on both physical supplies and cash balances where food over and above donations has to be bought

3. Supermarket rationing means fewer donations [incl. Toilet Rolls!] of the essentials, pasta included

4. Many volunteers are elderly and in the 'At Risk' Group, so ar either self isolating with symptoms or staying away for their own protection

5. Volunteer shortages reduce the number of people available to drive round supermarkets and Cash 'n' Carry outlets to buy food

Our Foodbank is also short of cash as the numbers of people referred have risen quite rapidly, so cash donations will at least address one area of pressure!

Steve

One week into lockdown and at the 'Food Poverty' level of society, the frailty of both the Food Supply Chain and the Welfare Support System is emerging. People with low incomes and now reduced hours or redundancy cannot be 'fully supported' as normal by the Foodbanks because of falling stock levels and self isolating volunteers, and the 'clients' are still waiting for Universal Credit etc to catch up with the processing delays.

A Yougov Survey published today suggests that as many as 6% of the 'Food Poverty' population have taken on debt to buy food, especially for their children.

I hope that the Government is pragmatic enough to waive Food Regulations and get the Bulk Caterers Food Mountain that will rot in the next 3 months [after the restaurant/cafe mass closures] distributed to local Foodbanks {and School Kitchens?] before the situation worsens further.

Steve