So, morning, guys.
This is a post that came up.
It's not the first time I've seen a post like this.
But I'll show it to you now.
Obviously, the mum is anonymous.
Hi, all.
I feel awful writing this, but I'm just wondering if there's any way of getting a grant other than a discretionary fund or credit union, and where to look.
We're really struggling until the 19th, so any advice on where to look?
Our food bank asks for five pounds, and I don't even have that.
Thank you.
So, you know, food banks shouldn't be taking any payments which they shouldn't.
I don't think food banks are allowed to ask for money which they shouldn't.
And then some people are somehow thinking it's a pantry and not a food bank.
Now, this is the loophole.
But these pantries are supplied by a company called Fairshare, the work in Wales, okay?
And this was set up by the government.
This is the lifeline the government has thrown people, you know, and families, because you have to eat the out-of-date supermarket food.
Now, they are not allowed to charge for out-of-date supermarket food, no matter what, okay?
Whether it's been frozen or whatever, they're not allowed to charge for it.
It has to be given away for free.
If it's the Fairshare food they buy in bulk, which is a shorter date, which is trapped supermarket food, that's trapped in the warehouse, which Fairshare go and uplift and bring back, and then they sell by the ton, they're only allowed to ask suggested donation of up to three pounds.
Suggested donation.
Not five pound, not three pound, a suggested donation if you have the money, okay?
And this is the problem, right?
And there's a lot of these charities, you know, these registered charities and these churches out there charging for this food, and they're not allowed to do it, and people can't afford it.
You wouldn't be going to a place like this if you could afford the food in the first place.
You'd live on beans on toast for a week.
So people have offered help, you know, somebody's offered to send a fiver.
I mean, we reach out as well.
Go to the hub and explain the situation, and they might help you, but that's a might.
You know, but that's embarrassing, isn't it?
You know you haven't got the five pound.
You go there and you've got a beg.
Can they give it to you for free?
Which is bullshit.
They're supposed to give it to you for free anyway, and it's up to you if you want to make the three pound donation.
No five pound, no seven pound, no five pound.
A basket, like the pantry, it's not even a bag in the pantry in Risca.
It's five pound a basket.
They've actually worked it out per gram and size of item.
Because you're only allowed two of this, two of that, one of this, and one of that.
In the pantry in Risca, they've actually sat down and worked it out per gram.
Then it's two pound a month subscription.
Then you've got to pay seven pound to join.
And then I think it's another two pound if you lose your card.
Anyway, there's lots of people been helping.
And there were some other comments on it yesterday.
It might be that not all of them are shown, but other people saying about pantries and food banks.
They're not allowed to, you know.
We'll reach out now, see if any are most relevant.
Not all comments.
All comments might come up now.
Yeah, they shouldn't be here.
They shouldn't be here.
They shouldn't be taking payment.
You shouldn't be going, oh yeah, Olio is always a good app to go on, yeah.
You know, you shouldn't have to feel that you can't walk into a pantry or a food bank and say, I need food.
This is the problem with the situation.
Is they've put a price on it, they're not to sell it.
You need to report them to FaceShare or boycott them.
You know, because you can't...
There's only so much I can do, and we've taken down a few, you know that.
But there's only so much I can do and I'm running my own baby bank trying to fundraise.
It's up to you, the public, to put your foot down with this.
I've given you the information.
The information is out there on the FaceShare website and you're still allowing yourselves to be charged £5 for out of date food.
Wake up, all of you.
