Food Banks

I think you'll find that wholesalers to the trade are getting food out but I'm not sure who is getting it. Will see if I can find out later. 

Thanks, Brue.

The articles I read said that the Catering Wholesalers such as Brakes had seen their markets disappear because their customers, restaurants, cafes et  al, had been forced to close. The Wholesalers' Trade Body says it needs new customers, not least because there is a huge amount of bulk stock that will perish within the next 3 months.

Wholesalers cannot sell it to the general public because the food does not meet labeling regulations ... 'Well, bl**dy relax the regulations for the duration of the pandemic', because the alternative of food poverty for those in crisis, concurrent with economic ruin for those supplies and who will receive taxpayer-funded bailouts whilst the UK economy slides ever deeper into recession is beyond belief. It lifts 'Kafkaesque' to new levels of illogicality!

Steve

Gleaned some information that students are "volunteering" their services at food banks as many of the helpers can't come in due to age and health. Looks like the food is still arriving but that's all I could find out. 

Gov. food parcels should be going out to the most vulnerable too.

I think we've all seen on tv groups going round handing out food parcels, some of the football teams and local charities are involved.

My question is how do 'they' know 'who' is really in need of such parcels. I have 2 neighbours both women, both 93, both living on their own. One has a son who lives nearby who looks out for her, although he is over 70.

The other one never had children and her nearest relative is over 50 miles away in Edinburgh. As far as I'm aware she has not received a food parcel from anyone. We have been doing her shopping so I know she is alright.  

It just makes me wonder if all the distribution of these parcels are hitting the folk who are the most in need.

Like those who have for sometime relied on Food Banks,  and those that now find them selves out of work and short of cash until the benefits kick in. 

Pensioners may well have difficulties in getting out for shopping but their pension will not have dried up, the younger ones are able to get out to shop but may well not have the money to do so. 

I just hope that those, that are doing good, are doing it where its needed most. I would hate to think that some folk are getting parcel after parcel while some are sat at home with nothing.

Can you look it up on the Scottish Government's web site TG? I think 900,000 "extremely vulnerable" people in England are supposed to have had a letter from the NHS and they're supposed to contact they're GP if they didn't receive a letter. Like wise people in Wales and NI. Hope your neighbours receive the help they need. (I just looked all that up on gov.uk)

Thanks brue, not sure if either has had a letter or not will check with them tomorrow. 

I will have a look on the Scottish Government  website to see if there is anything there.

It always astonishes me to see Politicians gleefully being photographed at food banks. It is, quite frankly, an admission of their utter failure that such things exist in this day and age. 

I feel David's suggestion of online shopping having a donation section to be a terrific idea. 

Its sad that we have vast 'mega farms', free trade agreements and open borders, yet there is an increasing section of society who cannot afford to live, some of whom actually work.

The longer the lock-down continues, the more people who are going to need them. I'd wager the vast majority of people using a food bank never manage to get away from using them. 

Our little local store has 2 food banks. One for people and one for an animal rescue centre. So sad in many ways.

So sad that such basic needs are restricted to some. I read today of food banks and now clothes banks. We most probably need a reset on life.

Burnham-on-Sea gets new clothes bank to help families in need https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-67016795

Earlier in the year MK Food Bank started a competition to break the Guinness World Record for the longest line of food cans. Local residents were asked to contribute cans for the record. They did achiever their aim with 102,400 cans! A bit of a fun way of getting food donations? Apparently it provided about half the canned food they need for a year.

David