food banks

I want to donate to the food banks, but before I can do that, I have to ensure that my immediately family and I are ok, then if there was any surplus funds I'd then focus on my younger sister who is really struggling, then if I had enough spare cash after that, I'd then look at the wider family and my friends.

 

@"M" ... I do contribute the other months of the year to charities, both for humans and animals, by annual financial donations and by 'other' donations (clothing, household items, etc) to the Red Cross, our Bombeiros (fire department which is voluntary) or other local concerns (the aged and infirm) ... but I am in the fortunate situation where I am able to do so and I appreciate others cannot.

@Scrungee ... ah, the 'post; option ... how does one know of it in the first place? ... via internet, local newspapers ... what if one lives out in the country with no internet or transport to get to a town to 'post' something in a timely manner? Yes, I personally have access to the internet and personal transport ... and money to buy postage stamps should I so desire ... but others don't. It is 12kms round trip for me to go to my postbox.

 

@Scrungee Bless your heart for thinking of the animals!!!

 

Free dogfood for donations, in fact it's better than free, you can make a 2p profit. The offers are for Morrisons and Asda but I think Morrisons may have discontinued stocking it. You need Quidco cashback account(s), and/or Checkoutsmart app/account(s). Quidco are offering 60p cashback on 58p dogfood. We have 2 Quido & 2 COS accounts so got 4 packs in 4 separate transactions.

1) Quidco (they also have app https://www.quidco.com/clicksnap/app/)

https://www.quidco.com/clicksnap/details/3285/free-butcher-s-choice-lean-tasty-chicken-turkey-150g/?ref=/clicksnap/offers/all/

http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk/asda..._turkey_with_rice_and_veg_foil_tray_150g.html

2) Checkoutsmart app http://www.checkoutsmart.com/

 

Free cat food for donations http://tandc.royalcanin.co.uk/royal-canin-cat-sample-400g-bag-offer One per address (used 2 addresses).

 

cheers @Scrungee

 

More free stuff for donations:

Join Pets at Home VIP club and get coupons for free dog/cat food to collect in store https://vip.petsathome.com/Club.aspx?source=site

Loads of free cat & dog food here, I haven't checked which ones have expired http://www.freebiesiteuk.co.uk/pet-freebies/

Free dog food http://www.trophypetfoods.co.uk/free-samples.html

'Try me free' cat food https://www.eukanuba.co.uk/money-back/index

I think this link leads to free cat food https://www.facebook.com/CatsLikeFelix?sk=app_568603676579105

http://tandc.royalcanin.co.uk/fido You need a microchip number for this one


Probably lots more to be found with a bit off Googling. In store freebies are handy to make your shop up to coupon thresholds increasing the percentage off the other stuff, where there's a minimum spend for free parking, getting free newspapers at Waitrose, using in offers like the Morrisons free fruit & veg, etc.

 

About eighteen months ago my brother was in dire straits. Despite earning £26000 a year he had his solicitor fees and huge overdraft (from his divorce) to pay on top of all his other bills. His neighbour called me out one night as they could here his pewking through the walls. Turns out all that he had left to eat was some five day old mushy peas and stale bread. So although I knew that things were tight and was feeding him a couple of days a week his pride took over. I was able to help him out by filling the cupboards and freezer, but if I had not discovered it for myself he would not have asked. The old marital home has now been sold and he is much better placed financially so he has joined me in contributing.

 

We went in to our local food bank and asked if they needed anything they asked for nappies, toilet roll, deodarant, toothpaste and items like that, so every week we go to b&m's and get items like that.

 

We opted to bring a food donation into work instead of buying and giving each other Xmas cards. It was a really good as it captured the true spirit of Xmas and many more of the team now donate regularly.
I add toiletries to my grocery shop which I donate each week.
As said before there are many working folk out there who are on their uppers.
One of my kids was on a zero hour contract and if he hadn't been at home, he really could not have survived on what he was earning. One week he earned £30 only. Of that £6 was used in bus fare. The contract locked him in to working with that company only so he couldn't juggle with another job. Benefits just don't keep pace with the claimants earnings so there is no guaranteed support from the state. Luckily he volunteered at another place in his free time and gained marginally better employment from that. This is a bright kid with a good degree who wanted to work and there are many out there like him.
I appreciate we are plugging the system and politically whether we should be doing this is contentious but it's heartening to know that there are kind hearted folk out there who will help in a crisis.

 

So pleased to read that your son was able to extricate himself from the horrors of a Zero Hours Contract (I'm not even going to go there on that topic! ) and secure employment through his voluntary work: kudos to him!

And, bravo to your colleagues to go the donation route as opposed to the "obligatory" card/gift workplace route. And, ultimately, I think this is at the heart of it.

Yes, of course - to a degree - "charity" begins at home and we look to support those around us who may be going through tough times. And, commendable that is and certainly not to be under rated!

But, there is also another side to that. Often, when it is those close to us who are in need of support, the "need" may well be for more than one tin of baked beans and that can, in its own right, put a greater burden on those around them: how little is too little? How much is too much? - whereas, one tin of baked beans, anonymously, but genuinely given, may go that little bit further in a Food Bank scenario. It's a tin of baked beans. No commitment/guilt/emotion/expectation attached. It is just a tin of beans.

And, what of those people who do not have any nearest and dearest to turn to for that tin of baked beans? Does that diminish their need? Should they be penalised simply because they have no one else to care for them/turn to? How many of us have fallen on times (financially or emotionally, or practically - a time when we have been at our wits end?) where *any* kindness (be it from friends/a charity/a favour returned) has been so gratefully received, it has made A difference (large or small doesn't matter - it simply has to make A difference). And, if it made A difference, then .. wasn't it all worth while?

I've got real mixed feelings on the whole issue of food banks - but one thing I do know, they were set up with good intentions. Yes, there will be some people who will try to exploit it - but, for the majority, I don't believe that will be the case. And, even if it is .. then I try to turn that thought around and think ... Hmm - well, even if only a MINORITY benefit from it ... a tin of baked beans must surely be worth it?

 

We did that at a previous place where I worked, but nothing to do with Christmas. We did it because the company was having major cash flow problems and we weren't getting paid on time (and in the end, at all), but it was a small and tight team, so we used to have 'Friday Bake-off'. Each Friday we'd all bring in various foods, pool our resources, and have a good meal

More people need to understand this. When zero hours contracts started getting debated a fair bit in the media a little while ago, I couldn't understand what the problem was. I thought it was just a modern name for what used to be called casual work. I suspect a lot of people were similarly mistaken, so those on zero hours contracts don't have the level of support among the populace that they deserve. They should be illegal. It seems to me to be only one small step away from slavery. In effect an employer, and the government in supporting that employer, is taking out a contract on someone's soul. If you can't promise more than say 30 hours, let that person make up the hours elsewhere, is what I say. Everyone has the right to earn a living. Zero hours contracts are just a way to get the official unemployment figures down.

 

I think the government either have very recently or are in the process of outlawing the exclusivity clause in the zero hour contracts Clueless. But you are right, not a lot of folk knew what was going on, while many employees have been exploited under our noses!

 

this year I have helped a couple of days over Christmas in a community hall where they also take collections for the food banks. So I felt like I did my bit.

 

I'm a cynical old dog but hell anyone who deprives folk who need help because a few take advantage is missing the point.

I do agree in modern England it is quite ridiculous we should even have food banks but I believe anyone in need of help should get it.

I won't say anymore as it's all been said above.

Charlie.