This is the second time I’ve started this post. The first time, it turned into a sweary rant about how in TWO THOUSAND AND FOURTEEN we need food banks at all, FFS. Ooops – there I go again. Sorry…
Ok….What I want to tell you about is the Foodbank App. As you’ll no doubt know, all the food distributed by food banks is donated by the general public, either at dedicated collection points, or through workplace collection schemes, or at a supermarket donation point.
One of the problems food banks come up against is that they’ll often end up with a glut of one type of food, and not enough of another. For example, my local food bank is running short of fruit juice and sugar at the moment, but has plenty of baked beans and teabags. While nothing goes to waste, and all donations are welcome, it can be difficult for volunteers to make up balanced food parcels with an unpredictable supply.
Which is why the Foodbank App is such a great idea. It’s a really simple app, that doesn’t take up much space and is free to download, and it features a straightforward red/amber/green system. Foods highlighted in red are needed urgently; those in amber are running low, while green list items are those which aren’t needed just now. It’s a great solution to the difficulty of managing an unpredictable supply of food at your local food bank.
So if you give to your local food bank, please download the app so your donation can be used as effectively as possible. If you don’t donate food already, please consider it – Cardiff Foodbank alone fed 800 people in February – your support is needed.
Thanks for reading,
Michelle
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I’m off to download this now, I’ve been wanting to donate to a food bank for a while and this post has just pushed me to do it!
Sonia recently posted…New Business Mum – Rachel & Giveaway
What a fantastic App, thanks for bringing it to my attention. Though I obviously couldn’t agree more that it should not be necessary. Great post.
Jess Paterson recently posted…I Hope I’ll Smile At Children In The Supermarket Aisle
Great idea for a truly useful app that can help people, off to download it now
Em @ snowingindoors recently posted…50 Awesome Blog Prompts to Beat Writer’s Block
That app is a great idea , thankyou for blogging about it ,im going to download it now #blogclub
Grethe tozer recently posted…Show us your blog:linky
What a great idea – like Sonia it’s something I’ve been meaning to do. I know they do have a donations box in one of our local supermarkets. Off to download it now! #blogclub
Rollercoaster Mum recently posted…A Winter Walk at the Devil’s Punch Bowl – A National Trust Great British Walk
What a great idea! Thank you for letting us know about this. I used to work with homeless people and in various shelters and accommodation units. The glut of one type of food was quite tricky!
Vicki – The Free From Fairy recently posted…Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Egg-free, Nut-free Millionnaire Shortbread
I never knew about this app. We give regularly to the local foodbank (though like you it makes me furious that there’s a need at all – I blogged about this a while ago, last summer I think). I’ll download the app – sounds really useful.
Nell@PigeonPairandMe recently posted…A round of a claw – months 11 & 12, Feb and March 2014
What a fantastic idea! I have been in the position more than once in the last few years to have had to rely on foodbanks. More and more ‘normal’ people (not that I have ever been anything else, but you know what I mean) are having to turn to foodbanks as their income is barely covering rent and bills (and this applies for working people as well as those on benefits), and although it is wrong – people should not have to rely on charity just to be able to eat, but that’s what you get with a Tory government and it’s the way things currently are.
Anyway – anything that helps people in need to get by can only be a good thing in my book – even though it is so sad to see our country in this awful state in the first place
Vicky (@aroundandupsidedown) recently posted…One More Reason To Love Illamasqua (as if we needed one): Embracing Difference – Changing Faces