General Chat

I am sure some young children won't understand John. They will have gone from having almost everything they want to having almost nothing. Older children may understand but feel resentful which must exagerate the stress felt by the parents. I too remember one birthday when my Dad must have been out of work, when all I got for a birthday was a string of glass beads. Strangely when I said as much to my Mum once many years later, she didn't remember so must have pushed it out of her mind.

I wonder if kids understand. Thinking about "we hide the boy's toys away to give them as presents at Christmas"

I was spoilt as a boy but wnen I was about 8 there must have been a financial crisis.

My dad (who was an office clerk and not good at D-I-Y) tried to make me a home-made garage to house my Dinkies. I was not impressed as that was my main present.

My reaction must have upset my parents terribly. But same will happen in many households this Christmas. One mother said to me "I spent £300 last year, but have to try and budget within a total of £75 this year". And she has two lovely children. :-(

"I DON'T eat for four days a week just so my children have enough food."
Mum **********, from ********* (Glos), is struggling to make ends meet.
This festive season she said she will be forced to hide her sons' toys so she can give them out again as Christmas presents.
The 31-year-old even collapsed two weeks ago at her children's nursery after going for days without food and bearing the burden of such financial worry.
Doctors told her, despite her good health, she was close to having a heart attack due to the stress she is under as she fights a constant battle to feed little ****, three, and ******, 18 months.
It was after her recent scare she was handed a lifeline and referred to the Gloucester Foodbank.
"I was embarrassed and ashamed that I had to admit I needed handouts," said *****, who was made redundant from her £22,000 care job in September last year. I go without eating for days at a time, just to make the food last. Going to the Foodbank means we can all eat."
The ****** household has a monthly income of £1,400, with £900 going on the mortgage at their three bedroom house, and the rest is being evaporated by council tax, child care and bills.
"My husband ******** and I have had to sell everything we possibly can - our clothes, jewellery, toys. We are not putting the heating on at home, we have been close to losing our house. Our relationship has become very strained," she said.
And it is not just food ****** and ********, 31, cannot afford to buy.
"We won't be able to do Christmas this year," added ******, who currently has a part-time job to try and pay the bills.
"I have had to hide some of the boys' toys to use them as Christmas presents. We can't afford to go and see Father Christmas either.
"We can't take them to their friends' birthday parties because I can't afford to buy them presents. I am the only one not going to my work Christmas party because I can't afford it.
******, who has shed two and a half stone in the last month, said the Foodbank's help had been vital.
She said: "I have been twice now. They have been a lifeline to us.
"If we hadn't had the food parcels we wouldn't have eaten. I have now learned not to be embarrassed, they do amazing work."



The bit I am open mouthed at is the horrendous amount they pay for their mortgage a month, given that she was only earning £22000 when she was working.

Just found the following two reports in our local paper.


SINCE its launch in April 2005, Gloucester Foodbank has provided food assistance for more than 15,400 people – including 6,000 children under 16 – living in and around our city.
Gloucestershire has eight neighbourhoods among the bottom 10 per cent most deprived areas in England and five are in Gloucester itself.
Most of our clients come from these areas although the number of clients from areas thought to be relatively affluent has increased in recent months as austerity measures have started to bite.
Many of our clients have no financial safety net because they are on a low income and a sudden crisis such as bereavement, loss of employment or delayed wages often leaves them unable to feed themselves or their family.
These situations can quickly deteriorate, leading to relationship breakdown, house repossession or worse.
Gloucester Foodbank works to support local people who find themselves on the edge of disaster.
Our service caters for all age groups and ethnicities.
We partner with almost 90 agencies – from children's centres to Age UK – and more are asking to use us.
The agencies identify people lacking the funds to feed themselves and refer them to us through a voucher system.
There is a maximum of three food parcels to any individual or family in a six month period.
However, if the crisis is on-going and difficult to resolve, further support may be given.
The reason we have 40 volunteers working for us is because we meet people that are in need and feel we are doing something positive to alleviate it. We are providing something every human being needs for survival and we have been told by one of our agencies that the support we have given to their clients is "priceless", while another has described us as an "essential" service.
We collect our food through harvest festival offerings, local supermarket collections and from churches, local organisations and individuals and we rely on the public to support us by either donating food or funds.
Funds are needed for running costs such as rent, postage, telephone, one paid part-time member of staff and, on occasion, any food items we become short of.

Where there are do-gooders who genuinely want to help, there will always scum who con there way into getting something they don't deserve. Sadly, it's human nature.

3 x year is NOTHING ............... it does absolutely nothing to help the people who need it.


People over here are allowed to go every week to the Food Bank .......... they line up around the block to get in for their allowance of food per week, whether it be for 1 person, 2 people or a family.

did not know about the 3 times a year rule.i watched a progamme on tv. and the guy said he didnt have enough money for his sons birthday. in the end it turned out that it wasnt his sons birthday. what a con merchant he was...even working while still claiming benefits and free food. i think the 3 times a year rule is good..but i bet that will be abused by some.i agree with sylvialncanada the goverment will cut back, as cameron and co are now doing and will continue to do so. the mess (we are all in this together) will be with us for 10yrs or more.....

3 times a year is rule, Annie. But some clever so-and-so's are getting round that.

On that recent TV programme (not sure who ran that Food Bank) one chap had managed to con them for a long time into giving him an enormous amount of food - and he was very fussy about what he took. No rice and tinned tomatoes for him.

I suppose there is always one who flaunts the rules and worthy people don't get fed as a consequence :-( :-(

I work in a homeless hostel and sometimes we have to relie on the foodbank for some people we have took off of the street.I also donate at the entrance to supermarkets on my way out.Can i add people are only allowed to have a foodbank 3 times a year so not ongoing

The problem is that a Food Bank very quickly becomes an absolute necessity .............. because the government realises that people are helping others by donating food and other supplies .................... so they cut back more and more on benefits.


This is the history of the Vancouver Food Bank .........................

The Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society was established in 1982 when many small organizations, church groups and concerned citizens joined together in response to the hunger crisis during the economic recession in 1981.

The purpose of the organization was to be a temporary social service provider; HOWEVER, because the number of those suffering from hunger problems has continued to increase, the GVFBS has become one of the most important non-government funded food assistance providers in Canada.

In 1982, the GVFBS assisted 200 people.

In 2011, the GVFBS helped feed over 9,000 people each week in 15 depots throughout the Greater Vancouver area,

The GVFBS also continues to aid over 100 food-serving agencies within these areas, providing help to approximately another 16,000-18,000 individuals weekly.

Each year the GVFBS warehouse moves over 8 million pounds of food in and out of the 33,000 square foot warehouse.


The agency BUYS a lot of food ..................... and welcomes donations of money. Their purchasing power can triple the buying power of $1, because of agreements with stores, farms, etc

They buy because food donations from donors, often mean that there are items lacking in which to provide balanced, nutritional meals.

As a result, and in keeping with the healthy living guide that the GVFBS adheres to, some food items are purchased such as:

Eggs
Vegetables
Fruits
Milk
Baby Products
Protein Items
Chickens & Turkeys at Christmas



In summary, the Greater Vancouver Food Bank .....................

was established in 1982, consolidating the actions of small community groups that came together the previous year to aid people in trouble during an economic recession

collects and distributes food to nearly 27‚000 people weekly

has 15 food depots and over 100 community agencies through the Greater Vancouver area

is a non-profit organization, and does not receive any government funding

and relies solely on the generosity of individuals and organizations willing to donate funds‚ food and time.


More and more families of so-called "working poor" are finding they have to resort to a food bank because their wages do not cover everything. It may be a choice between paying for shelter or buying food.



All one can do is say "There, but for the Grace of God, go I"



BUT ................. are you all prepared to support your food banks for the next 30 years or more??

At our local Tesco this morning, volunteers were giving out lists of appropriate items for food bank donations, inviting shoppers to put said items into designated trollies.
I was more than happy to buy extra items to donate, especially at this time of year. Anything to help someone else to enjoy a little festive cheer is more than worth any extra expense.
It's just a pity it always has to be down to charity.

trouble is well and truly brewing. people dont have future anymore. i pity what our younger generation will have to suffer. due to lack of jobs. politicians have not got a clue...

£50 for 3 in Pizza Hut :-( :-( Very nice, very enjoyable treat.

But restaurant was more than half full. Seems very wrong when so many are using food banks.

Saw a restaurant on Groupon today. Half price lunch "taster" in 27th best restaurant in the country. Only £75 per person for two or four people was the offer. Plus Vat, plus wine.

We are becoming a devisive society. Half of us thinks the other half are workshy layabouts who never make any effort. The other half thinks the other half are bankers and rhyming slang for bankers who have an easy life and a big pension and have no idea what the real world is like.

Trouble brewing in Britain unless we sort this out soon and share things out a bit more and give some hope to everyone of jobs and a future. If respectable politicians don't do it, will it not open the way for less respectable ones to whip things up eg Germany between the Wars :-(

thanks for all the comments. i find it so sad that in this day and age people are going hungry, and have to visit a food bank. we are paying for the bankers and goverment perks, plus being ripped off on fuel bills...i will be making a food donation every week when i do my food shop. cameron and co dont have a clue whats its like to live in the real world.

I'd like to know how you 'budget' when your outgoings are greater than your income?

Sell all the things you have worked for? Sell your 'home' and move to rented accommodation?

If you've worked all your adult life and you fall upon hard times, why should you have to?

Might be an idea to ‘create’ jobs and allow people to support themselves


The problems that we are seeing now are not the average families doing....governments and banks, spring to mind

It does seem that a lot of youngsters are coming out of school unprepared for life. They don't seem to know what county Harrogate is in or their periodic table either.

More importantly imo, basic skills of budgeting and preparing meals are lacking. Remember the recent story of a blind single mother of 3 aged about 50 with 3 daughters who was complaining because she could not afford to spend £120 per week on her food bill.

Could we not use hospital and school catering managers (perhaps retired ones) to show mothers (and fathers perhaps) how to plan meals on a tight budget and how to cook them.

My OH managed for years for a family of 4 in early 1990's on what I would think was about £60 per week at todays prices. No idea how she did it. It was brilliant. Because we all ate quite well and the food was always very tasty and wholesome.

We now spend vastly more than £60 pw and only 3 of us now. But times change. Just going out to Pizza restaurant for tea :-D

The young dont see long term of management......plus most have grown up in a have now,,,,,,,so no experience of what happens when the sums add up to 0.

I wasn't being frivolous when I mentioned schools teaching budgeting, I only knew how to do it because I had a friend who could handle money well and she taught me.

Many parents have little idea how to make their money last, hence the massive debts in this country. It would seem to me that teaching basic budgeting,I am not meaning the advanced stuff like investing and mortgages, in schools could prevent a lot of problems in the future. It must come under the umbrella of maths.

Most on the OP,,,,,,are got by qualifying for it,,,,,,,

Free School meals----- you need to qualify.
Food Bank help------you need to qualify.
Free Breakfast Clubs--you need to qualify.

The well off may have said that about our ancestors who for reasons went into the workhouse or applied to the parish,,,,,,,,,there were far more able jobs then than now.

Even the qualified cant use their qualifications to get employment.....

when we lived down south we had a couple of handouts of tinned stewing steaks was eu surplus or something. That doesnt happen anymore those 10 tins we were entitled to made a few good meals which we appreciated.

I knwo our local food bank had a collection at our local Tesco and even though I am on benefit (and no I dont smoke or drink or go out partying) I gladly bought extra to put in their collection and probably didnt cost me anything as I used their bogof offers on what I was getting anyway.

Dont think many people would want using foodbanks to be their usual way of life but we never know what is going to happen when I got married and first had the children I didnt think that at 45 I would be disabled and reliant on my hubby for so much or that he would have to give up work to look after me and Laddo that drop in wage was a big blow but there wasnt much choice thankfully I have an exchef for a hubby who can make a tasty meal out of stuff I would just leave in the frieg not knowing what to do with it.

d x