[tom_birmingham]

Hiya,

I have decided to volunteer at my local food bank, one of the things that I am thinking about when I do join is the role supermarkets have within food banks - I sometimes think that the donated food to people who need it deals with the problem, the fire fighting of hunger but does not address the supply chain, which I feel at the moment from my reading and observations is a bit of a mess.

As part of my attempts to be self sufficient I am also going to address the ideas of self sufficiency and community. Also addressing supermarkets and their roles positively and negatively within the local communities we live in. Also I'd like you to follow me on twitter, and my blog if you like. You can do so at https://selfandroots.wordpress.com - it would be good to hear your thoughts.

Thanks

Tom

[doganjo]

The main problem is central Government in London.

They are so far removed from the people who matter - people who may have jobs but can't survive on the low pay so have to use food banks - it's not all druggies and spongers who get food from them.

In Scotland we have at least addressed the issue of Government by providing 56 MPs who will fight for a better distribution of funds from money wasting projects like Trident to those which will provide work at better rates of pay.

[Bex]

I think it's a friggin joke that supermarkets put the food bank bins out for you to donate and yet many routinely spoil their own perfectly good 'waste' food for fear that people will stop buying from them if they can get it for free!

 

[Kimbo]

a chap has recently been prosecuted for theft for taking food from a waste bin outside the back of a supermarket. That's hard to believe I think. OK, the beak gave the chap an absolute discharge but he still has that conviction on his record and that isn't fair in my opinion. 

[Brandi]

https://www.buzzbnk.org/PayAsYouFeelCafe

  interesting initiative

[bloomer]

I support our food bank they measure donations by weight, so far since April I have taken in 200kg of food...

The church I attend are setting up a soup kitchen for the winter months (my initiative,  my cooking)

Until there is a radical shift in government policy the situation won't change.

Parts of Europe it is now law that all supermarket waste food Has to be donated to charity, this would be a good start...

[DavidandCollette]

This is something that makes me angry. In this so called modern age can the government hold its head up when is people cannot afford food. Cameron and his cronies should hang their heads in shame. I hope you guys in Scotland can now address it there.

[Lesley Silvester]

I have a friend who works for one of the places that give the vouchers for the foodbank. She said she feels like crying over some of the people who come in, often in tears themselves because they can't afford to feed their own children. She often hears, "I'm so ashamed to have to do this."


What kind of a country is this becoming that people are made to feel pariahs through not fault of their own? Many of those needing food vouchers are working.


My church is very involved in our local foodbank and I have sat in Tesco collecting food for it. Many people do give but some are really nasty to me. I'll still do it though.

[devonlady]

Thinking about Brandi's post, I am wondering if Benkt's scheme wouldn't work in this area? A local cafe/premises, largely donated foods (the supermarkets could outdo each other here!) each hard up against it family paying a certain amount (it would have to be worked out and I can't do sums!) each week.
Children getting a decent breakfast on their way to school and all the family getting a good evening meal. All recipients taking their turn with cooking, cleaning, washing up etc.  but, a good "community spirit" and a chance to meet folk and make friends.
Crap or sense??

[Rosemary]

Our local "Common Weal" group  http://www.allofusfirst.org/ has managed to get a wee bit of land in the town and is setting up a community garden under the "foodforfree" initiative. We're donating manure, seeds and some blackcurrant bushes. What is produced will be given away free.

[fiestyredhead331]

when i used to work for Boots there was a monthly report sent to all branches which had to be pinned on the staff noticeboard, stating any and all disciplinary action taken by the company against staff. Names were never given but one member of staff was sacked for taking a barely out of date sandwich from the waste bin (still in wrapper etc)
During a stock re-shuffle a new brand of toothbrush came into store so I was told to remove another brand toothbrush to make space on the display and to put all the 'old' toothbrushes in the bin, there must have been at least a hundred of them! I asked if I could take them to the charity shop for them to be sent in the Shoe box appeal they do every Christmas and was told NO 
The branch manager was very sympathetic and hated to see the waste of a perfectly good item but it was 'company policy'

[doganjo]

when i used to work for Boots there was a monthly report sent to all branches which had to be pinned on the staff noticeboard, stating any and all disciplinary action taken by the company against staff. Names were never given but one member of staff was sacked for taking a barely out of date sandwich from the waste bin (still in wrapper etc)
During a stock re-shuffle a new brand of toothbrush came into store so I was told to remove another brand toothbrush to make space on the display and to put all the 'old' toothbrushes in the bin, there must have been at least a hundred of them! I asked if I could take them to the charity shop for them to be sent in the Shoe box appeal they do every Christmas and was told NO 
The branch manager was very sympathetic and hated to see the waste of a perfectly good item but it was 'company policy'

|If that is still company policy they just lost a customer!

[fiestyredhead331]

that was 6 years ago now but what current policy is I don't know but the waste from just our little branch was shocking, one day was 50-60 bottles of sun lotion, all in the bin! The sandwich issue is seen as stealing company property I suppose. Thankfully our branch didn't stock food items but the large ones do.

[Bex]

I think better food education is needed also. So many people these days are so detached from real food that they cannot cook anything that doesn't come out of a packet.

With bread flour and dried yeast you can make three great loaves of bread for the price of one crappy supermarket loaf.

People are so used to having meat every day that they don't even consider a meat free meal. Some cheap vegetables and some chicen stock will make a delicious soup for dinner.

This post is in no way meant to blame the people using food banks. They should never have to be in that situation to start with.

[Foobar]

I think better food education is needed also. So many people these days are so detached from real food that they cannot cook anything that doesn't come out of a packet.

+1 on that.

Plus ppl need to realise the difference between "need" and "want".