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Mr & Mrs
28-Dec-16, 08:46
For the past several years, I have donated approx £20 in food to the Thurso Food Bank.

However, I wont be doing it again as I am somewhat alarmed by the way some individuals abuse its generosity.

For example, a neighbour of mine spend the afternoon drinking in a local bar then proceeded up the street to the Thurso Food Bank where he left with several bags of groceries. His wife/partner is in employment. If you can spend money drinking in a pub, then you are abusing the Thurso Food Bank.

I'd like to hear other peoples views on this.

humbug
28-Dec-16, 13:19
Food banks are for the needy not a supplement for people who have money but choose to spend it on non essentials, I had food vouchers many years ago as I was left without money and 3 children to feed But I counted myself so grateful for the help !!Perhaps a better assessment of the clients / users would ensure the food went to the proper people

starfish
28-Dec-16, 13:22
i know some people that go to food bank and put stuff they do not like straight in the bin i would hope f i donated food it was used properly if you do not like it return it for someone who is really needy and would use everything because they were grateful for what they got

Kevin Milkins
28-Dec-16, 13:24
Whatever goodwill system you create their will always be people that will abuse it, unfortunately it's the people that need that little leg up that takes the tumble again.

Buttercup
28-Dec-16, 14:20
This is exactly why I never donate to the Food Bank. I have witnessed someone spending their money on cider and saying openly that they're off down to the food bank now to get some groceries. I have no doubt that there are people in need of help but it seems that alcohol/drugs/tobacco addicts need to get their priorities right. Maybe instead of money(benefits) they should be given vouchers that can only be used by them(to prevent them selling them) to purchase essential groceries but, unfortunately, we're too frightened to offend/embarrass people that that will never happen. Instead us workers will have to continue working and watch as these abusers make mugs of us all.

RWB
28-Dec-16, 16:53
there's a lot of geniuine people, including families with children, who occassionally might need to use the food bank (remember benefit sanctions?) and comments like this just add to the stigma and embarressment of having to go cap in hand for a bag of food to feed your family.

we should be getting angry about why there has to be such a thing as food banks in the first place

The Horseman
28-Dec-16, 17:49
Where I am there are food banks, and then there are the Social Assiatance(Welfare payments).
These Welfare vouchers are for Food and the necessities to exist on.
One evening I was in a Grocery Store and the people ahead of me bought piles of Dog Food, cigarettes and booze, likely $200 worth....100 Pounds worth.
I then saw that it was a Welfare Voucher..
The next day I found out who they were and called the local Council Office to report this, and I was told that they were unable to discuss or do anything about it due to 'The Freedom Of Information Act'.
I then asked them to talk with the Store as these Vouchers were for food only.....again they said there was no way they could be enforce it.
So I suppose we all have to think positive and ignore the abusers........

riggerboy
30-Dec-16, 18:51
we have food banks not because there is a super high demand for them but because they are there and folk will use them, if you open one food bank in an area and it get used then the ideology is there must be a need for more, and ergo more open, more that open the more the powers that be reckon we need, what your actually getting is a system that is open to abuse, once the abuse starts, we then think we are in a greater need for the food banks and this in turn creates a snowball effect,

More food banks, more use, more use, more food banks required,

Do you know there is an app to tell you from your location your nearest food bank,

Put this another way,

if I open a pub and give away free beer to the needy and the thirsty my pub would be busy every day and night, that would mean I would have to open another free pub because the demand is so high and therefore must been needed, before we know it there would be a free beer pub (food bank) in every town,

I’m all for helping the needy, I but I know of a person that goes down to the pub on Friday and Saturday night then pops along to the food bank for her shopping, o and just a few months ago she bought herself a new telly,(nowt wrong with that as long as it’s not eating into your everyday living expenses) when questioned about her money and where it had gone, her answer was simple, I spent it on nights out, """" why shouldn't I get a night out, ????? """" beggars belief, but to the food bank her answer was slightly different, it was """ how can you ask me that, do you know how hard it is for me to come in here without being belittled even more, then carried her 3 day supply in her bags, and jumps in a taxi ?????,

No food banks are not a free service nor is it for the replacement of misappropriation of funds (spent on nights out) it’s for folk that are in genuine trouble and genuine need, but like I said it’s open to abuse and sob stories,

Shame really because if we all cared for each other this wouldn’t be happening, but we as a race are greedy and have no shame,

ecb
03-Jan-18, 19:14
Article on John o'Groat Journal website linking increased demand for local food banks with delays in payments of Universal Credit:

"Caithness Food Bank demand doubles in December

DEMAND for emergency food parcels in Caithness have jumped by 50 per cent during December.

Caithness Food Bank has been working flat out to service referrals from people who are struggling and need assistance to help feed themselves and their families.

Chairman Grant Ramsay said the main reason people are needing help is delays in the universal credit scheme. ... ":

http://www.johnogroat-journal.co.uk/News/Caithness-Food-Bank-demand-doubles-02012018.htm

Michael Dennis
03-Jan-18, 21:01
Some of you lot are so single minded and have no shame. People have addiction issues, mental health issues etc etc etc, how dare you come on here and belittle them even further.

dozy
03-Jan-18, 21:04
You've got to love all those that voted Tory , the people friendly party. Their slogan " we in it together " means your in the brown stuff and they're in the money. Maybe a slogan should be " Break this Tory sin by donating a tin"or Tory sin bin Tin Week outside every supermarket . Let's show those rotten rich Tory asses that we won't stand for this but ,we will stand together .

Westward
04-Jan-18, 13:41
Some of you lot are so single minded and have no shame. People have addiction issues, mental health issues etc etc etc, how dare you come on here and belittle them even further.
I agree with you, such comments such condescending remarks are nothing short of disgusting,
No one knows what is in front of them..what the future holds for them, illness could strike at any time, redundancy for many..think on people you might be next.

Shaggy
05-Jan-18, 10:59
I don't see how pointing out the fact that someone abusing the food bank by drinking, smoking, gambling or injecting all their money then expecting a free lunch off the back of others is belittling them. Yes they may have an issue but why isn't that issue being addressed instead of passng the burden onto others to attempt to lessen the impact of his problem? I posted on here several weeks ago that i saw a lad struggle out of the food bank in wick and put them into a taxi whilst i was passing on my way to town. I later nipped into Harpers for a beer and the lad was sat at the bar getting drunk as he usually no doubt does with the bags sat at his feet. How would you feel if you had donated that food for use by someone who needed it only to see it wrapped around a drunk's feet in the pub? so why is he given a free lunch when others who really need it can't get it! Who referred him to the food bank in the first place? You can't just walk into a food bank and say i'm broke and hungry, give me some food, you need to be referred by someone in the health or benefits system. There would be no need for any food banks if people were given appropriate help with their disabilities, a decent working wage or the benefits system was working as intended and didn't have targets for benefit staff to hit by sanctioning people but then again, you only get sanctioned if you can't be bothered to follow the rules properly. If people are unable to fully understand and follow the rules for claiming benefit then there should be help there for them instead of sanctioning them. What about the lardasses who can't be bothered getting out of bed to sign on or attend an interview? do they deserve all the sanctions they get? do they deserve a referral to the food bank? The Universal credit changeover only happens once so people might be entitled to help during that changeover period but how many are still using the food bank after the transition to UC is over? What were people doing 20+ years ago when they fell on hard times? there were no food banks then and no need for them either. Benefits are for many an entitlement and a necessity in times of need, but for a certain bunch they are a lifestyle choice and that is the problem that should be tackled, not adding more food banks to system. Too many people think they are entitled to everything for nothing nowadays, they're not and should get off their backsides and make an effort and let those who really are entitled to aid, receive it.

Westward
05-Jan-18, 18:20
Shaggy, Food banks have always been around..many many years ago the DHSS would give vouchers to those who found themselves in crisis, contrary to what you have said.. the vouchers were not accepted in shops for anything other than food..other charities existed then as now for folks in dire need..some supply clothing, bedding etc..some supply furniture, all require some kind of referral, there are soup kitchens aplenty in almost every big town..the Salvation Army being just one contributor,
Food banks are and always have been a necessity of modern day living, yes by all means tackle those folks who have made a lifestyle choice..who prefer to lay in bed rather than go look for work..single out those people who never known any other kind of life..whose parents and possibly grandparents chose not to work when there was work to be had..
or the disabled who thought they might never work again, due only to the neglect of the establishment who bothered not in offering some kind of retraining/re-integrating back into society..
it is the system at fault, not those who have been led by it,

And so what if you give to charity..clearly you believe you are doing something good for someone else..why should it bother you once your gift is gone who benefits from your gift, its gone/nothing to do with you anymore..
For myself, I like to think that anything I give to whosoever/ charity that it will be of some use to someone, somewhere and that I have put something into something I care about be it shop/charity/community etc,
Once its given/donated its gone,

Fulmar
06-Jan-18, 10:16
The same sort of arguments are used about international aid- that it is ripped off by corrupt governments/individuals etc and therefore some say we should not bother to give- and then put up with the sight of starving, dying children on our TV screens.
As regards the food banks, I agree with what Westward has said. Also, there is so much that needs to be put right and things will only change if and when there is a real effort on many fronts to do something about it. Many kids (and we all probably know about some) are born into households where they have little chance and are disadvantaged right from the start. Those children may well grow up to be the adults that we are talking about on here- and I certainly know one person in that category. The help for people with addiction problems is awful in many places; even worse for those with mental health problems and the two go hand in hand. All the social services have been cut to to the bone. Yes, some people will persist in thinking that the state should fund them in idleness from cradle to grave but there always have been folk like that but that is no reason for not trying to bring about change for the better for the vast majority who are in need in so many ways.
I always think it's easy to judge but 'there but for the grace of God go I'. So I'll be continuing to donate to the food bank and to charities that work in international aid.

B0wer
07-Jan-18, 22:34
As someone who works at the food bank can I reassure people that we do turn down those that we know are trying to abuse the system. If you see someone abusing it and know they are (not just suspect it) then pop in and have a quiet word with one of our staff towards the end of opening hours. We have procedures in place for when someone is suspected of abusing the system. Food bank staff are not allowed to vet a persons entitlement, that is done by professional bodies such as the job centre, social services and the police. These bodies issue a chitty, no chitty no food. We have to assume that everyone with a chity is genuine. We are not in the pub's ectra to spot the dodgy ones frittering their money. We are busy in the food bank tending to genuinely hard up people (who usually only turn up the once btw) .

And yes I do get annoyed and downhearted when I see the same scam artist turn up and try to pull the wool. But then I see the faces of those truly destitute people and know that it is worth sifting through the scally wags.

B0wer
07-Jan-18, 22:38
p.s. thank you Fulmar. Without people like you we wouldn't be able to reach so many unfortunates.

her00026
08-Jan-18, 12:33
I was going to put some of the food I had bought in Tescos for the food bank and my Gran stopped me ... "think how many jobs for life went when this lot opened. If we really want to make a difference we would do what the Irish did and refuse to use them. Tesco are still making the money and paying the tax wherever and however much they want. There were 5 good butchers and bakers in Thurso now how many?" Even in her 80's she made the effort to buy local and would go out of her way to help people. She was never keen on impersonal 'charity' she thought it was antisocial.

B0wer
08-Jan-18, 20:36
Actualy we live in bower and we weren't feckless. We were renovating a croft when the jobs dissapered. no job = no money, no money = no rent (and no more builders, plumbers to finish the house). Job centre in wick said that our uninhabitable shell of a house was classed as an asset so technically we had savings. They weren't going to help us until we had sold up and frittered away every penny. Friends helped out where they could but would you want a family camping out in your living room for 3 months?

Any one can lose their job, just ask those being laid off on the oil rigs.

I hope scorrie you never have to face the prospect of no job, no home, knowing that everyone looks down on you as if you chose to be worth less than dirt. We could have followed the jobcentres advice and ended up perminently reliant on housing benefit instead we tightened our belts and made do until we got work.

Westward
08-Jan-18, 21:19
Actualy we live in bower and we weren't feckless. We were renovating a croft when the jobs dissapered. no job = no money, no money = no rent (and no more builders, plumbers to finish the house). Job centre in wick said that our uninhabitable shell of a house was classed as an asset so technically we had savings. They weren't going to help us until we had sold up and frittered away every penny. Friends helped out where they could but would you want a family camping out in your living room for 3 months?

Any one can lose their job, just ask those being laid off on the oil rigs.

I hope scorrie you never have to face the prospect of no job, no home, knowing that everyone looks down on you as if you chose to be worth less than dirt. We could have followed the jobcentres advice and ended up perminently reliant on housing benefit instead we tightened our belts and made do until we got work.

Not a lot of point in arguing the toss with those who have not the foresight to see your point,
the bloody-minded attitude of the "natives" who wrongly believe everyone and everything is below them,

Bystander1
08-Jan-18, 21:43
Not a lot of point in arguing the toss with those who have not the foresight to see your point,
the bloody-minded attitude of the "natives" who wrongly believe everyone and everything is below them,

Obviously posted by a "non-native" who wrongly believes he is superior to the yokels.

B0wer
08-Jan-18, 23:26
So says 'E Great White Settler.


They shift from 'e slums of England in search o' Utopia only til find 'e erse falls oot thir world.


Slums o england my arse. Arbroth born and breed mate. Couldn't afford a house near family so we came up north. You try shifting a house that has not leccy, no water, no heating & no sewrage before the cubourds run bare & we'll see if you can feed your kids on estate agents leaflets!


Not looking for utopia just a home. My grandmother always said Wick was the best harbour after Arbroath. Doubt she ever came across your kin though scorrie or she wouldn't have thought it so friendly.


Tell you what scorrie you stay in your little world where wickers are saints and only scum fall on hard times and I will be busy in mine helping those in need. I'm not wasting any more time with you.


My first post remains we do take action where abuse of food banks is proven. Most people only come the once and are in genuine need, please don't be put off giving because of a few bad apples. If you see food bank abuse report it (to us, or National Benefit Fraud Hotline (NBFH) Telephone: 0800 854 440 ).

Digby
09-Jan-18, 14:16
I have read this post with great interest, and wondered about contributing. I have been lucky enough to be in a position not to use a foodbank and I am blessed that this is the case, but Just before christmas I decided the foodbank would recieve the donation of items id buy with the money I would normally spend on christmas cards and the postage of them.

Not a great deal of money but I thought maybe a treat for the kids of the families that recieve the food packages, in there situation I thought a treat goes a long way at christams.

So I gathered up the items and dropped in to the food bank and I got the shock reality that maybe I had done a silly thing, I had people advising me it was not a cause that was used for good but abused, when I went through the door there was a lady sitting there waiting for her package to be made up! This is where it hit home that ok maybe it is abused..... this lady goes to bingo everyweek not just one bingo hall either, she buys multiple books, raffles at the begining and break, she attends the bookmakers regulary, she lives near by and I see her buying lines of scratcards, she smokes and here she is waiting for a food package.

So in the seconds standing there I thought do I leave the items or do I take them back and put them to another cause, I decided no Im leaving them there, although this one was clearly not as in need as she had made out. I decided there is people who are, but also kids out there of families that may not recieve a great deal over christmas so why should they suffer for this ladys selfish behavior.

it of course has made me think about how this system works but in this day and age its terrible that people need to rely on foodbanks but for people to be so aware how important they are for some but still abuse the resource.

dozy
09-Jan-18, 15:51
Why is that we hear such venom when it comes to the at the bottom of the pile ,but have all to many turning a blind eye to the Rich Fat Cats stealing from us all . It's not just a few tins or pounds here and there,but BILLIONS , to many easy street brandy swilling Tories on the org. History teaches us one thing ' we never learn" and rotten folk are alive and thriving .

Westward
09-Jan-18, 18:28
Obviously posted by a "non-native" who wrongly believes he is superior to the yokels.
Bull.
Like I said no point in arguing with folks like that.

Westward
09-Jan-18, 18:38
Why is that we hear such venom when it comes to the at the bottom of the pile ,but have all to many turning a blind eye to the Rich Fat Cats stealing from us all . It's not just a few tins or pounds here and there,but BILLIONS , to many easy street brandy swilling Tories on the org. History teaches us one thing ' we never learn" and rotten folk are alive and thriving .,

Quote "to many easy street brandy swilling Tories on the org. History teaches us one thing ' we never learn" and rotten folk are alive and thriving "
Aye, I agree with you there..:)

her00026
11-Jan-18, 14:56
BOwer's post has changed a lot. First food bank operative. Then homeless through no fault. Then bought deralict property in Bower and moved in with wife and children and was shocked jobcentre didn't help. Now indignant ....

B0wer
14-Jan-18, 17:42
I'm sorry to have confused you her00026. I was made homeless after investing in the property but before it was in a fit state to move in. We weren't given a choice about moving out of our old place we were just told to go. Once we were back on our feet I became a food bank operative because having been through that humilliation I wanted to help others who had found them selves in an equally hopeless situation.

I apologise if I was a little brusk earlier I am just fed up of people calling me English just because I wasn't born here (Arbroath is just outside Aberdeen)

I only brought up my own past to make the point that there aren't guarantied benefits. A lot of low paid and self employed people don't pay NI and run the risk of no benefits because of that. With all the planning in the world you can't avoid being made redundant.

her00026
14-Jan-18, 18:10
I am well aware of the whereabouts of Arbroath and it's 'smokies'. In an area like this it will be obvious to 'locals' who is abusing the system, smoking,drinking and playing bingo, whilst taking food from the food banks. So they can work the system ... but not work. Sadly we have a system that supports them and not others.

rich62_uk
14-Jan-18, 18:19
.

I apologise if I was a little brusk earlier I am just fed up of people calling me English just because I wasn't born here (Arbroath is just outside Aberdeen)




I had a giggle when I read this comment, seeing as how much you want to disassociate yourself with the English.

B0wer
14-Jan-18, 20:07
I have no problem with English people, it is the boogyman white settler image that you are automatically tarred with by those that call you English. Yes I suppose in the grand scheme of things it is rather silly.

Bystander1
15-Jan-18, 09:21
There is certainly a beeg smell about many of these posts - and its not the smokies.

Scunner
15-Jan-18, 09:34
Why come to Bower? Was there nowhere between Atbroath and Bower that there was a house with some of the usual amenities? Seems a long way to come for basic essentials.

B0wer
15-Jan-18, 10:41
Why come to Bower? Was there nowhere between Atbroath and Bower that there was a house with some of the usual amenities? Seems a long way to come for basic essentials.
Aye there were others. Why does anyone choose the house they move to? Because we fell in love with the community.

B0wer
15-Jan-18, 10:44
Hivens!! Arbroath is over 50 miles from Aberdeen! So 'at means Golspie is jist ootside Thirsa. Me thinks wir man is spinnan a yarn here.
Well scorrie i wasn't to sure if you'd recognise Dundee or Montrose... after all you thought Arbroath was in England!

B0wer
15-Jan-18, 10:48
Besides Arboath its a hell of a lot closer to Aberdeen than any of us are to Inverness. The NHS says raigmore is "only up the road".

B0wer
15-Jan-18, 14:41
DSS flotsam washing up on the beaches of Caithness.

DSS flotsam washing up on the beaches of Caithness.

No i'm not DSS. The whole point Scorrie is that a fair number of foodbank users are NOT DSS. They are regular folk that have fallen on hard times. Yes there has been a spike in people coming due to universal benefit delays but mostly over the years they have been hard working people who have been laid off/been forced to take unpaid sick leave... they turn up the once all nervous at what people might think of them. We give them a smile, enough food for 3 days and then we never see them again because they aren't some bludge out for a free meal they are just people who go on to turn their lives around.

It's been fun jousting with you gentlemen but I fear my argument is falling on deaf ears. Yes her00026 "locals" probably would be able to spot the dodgy ones but there arn't enough locals willing to volluntere so us "incomers" are filling in the gaps.

I bid you all farewell - perhaps our duelling pistols will clash on another thread.

Westward
15-Jan-18, 17:48
No i'm not DSS. The whole point Scorrie is that a fair number of foodbank users are NOT DSS. They are regular folk that have fallen on hard times. Yes there has been a spike in people coming due to universal benefit delays but mostly over the years they have been hard working people who have been laid off/been forced to take unpaid sick leave... they turn up the once all nervous at what people might think of them. We give them a smile, enough food for 3 days and then we never see them again because they aren't some bludge out for a free meal they are just people who go on to turn their lives around.

It's been fun jousting with you gentlemen but I fear my argument is falling on deaf ears. Yes her00026 "locals" probably would be able to spot the dodgy ones but there arn't enough locals willing to volluntere so us "incomers" are filling in the gaps.

I bid you all farewell - perhaps our duelling pistols will clash on another thread.

Well said and long overdue! :)

her00026
17-Jan-18, 13:19
What Scorrie has said is more than likely true as Caithness is not slow to support local causes ...

orkneycadian
01-May-18, 22:32
Be interesting to see what happens to foodbank usage after today, the day that wee Krankie introduced the minimum pricing for alcohol. My guess is that foodbank use will go up, as benefits are spent on more expensive cider. Spend on food will suffer as a result, so it'll be a case of jump in the car and nip round the foodbank for something to scoff in front of tonights Sky movie.

Of course, the increase in usage will get blamed on Westminster......

Fortunately, home brew is as cheap as ever!

wavy davy
01-May-18, 22:42
Don't know if I'd put it quite like that, but I wouldn't argue with your logic.

Goodfellers
02-May-18, 09:04
I know this suggestion will not be popular, but I think the government should bring back a modern version of the Victorian workhouse.

Everyone is guaranteed a roof over their head, three meals a day and warmth in winter This is in exchange for all benefits. There should be the ability to earn a small amount each week for personal items, be that cigarettes, alcohol or other treats.

Now I will await the backlash.

orkneycadian
02-May-18, 20:26
No backlash here - Sounds a grand idea. Thing is, it sounds as cushy as prison. There, despite supposed efforts of the operators, the residents can still do as they please - Mobile phones, spice, drugs, whatever.

Alrock
02-May-18, 22:22
No backlash here - Sounds a grand idea. Thing is, it sounds as cushy as prison. There, despite supposed efforts of the operators, the residents can still do as they please - Mobile phones, spice, drugs, whatever.

Well... If it's that cushy then why aren't you there yourself, easy enough to get in if you really want to.

orkneycadian
04-May-18, 18:01
So of us have to work to pay the taxes to keep everyone else.

Alrock
04-May-18, 18:09
So of us have to work to pay the taxes to keep everyone else.

Ahhh... So you see it as your social responsibility to support those who choose the cushy lifestyle of prison life. That's very generous of you, you deserve an MBE for such selfless sacrafice.

orkneycadian
06-May-18, 14:03
Nah. I would happily keep my taxes to myself - But HMRC, and now the Scottish Nasty Party, seem to think that I would be better off without them so they can fund their social programmes.

crayola
02-Jun-18, 00:57
Does Thurso food bank offer a choice of dinner menus?

Mik.M.
02-Jun-18, 12:57
Does Thurso food bank offer a choice of dinner menus? No but they will call a taxi for you to take your shopping home.

orkneycadian
04-Jun-18, 21:40
Does Thurso food bank offer a choice of dinner menus?

I would doubt it. They were offered a hundredweight of tatties here once. Turned them down. Apparently too complicated to cook. Surely the recipients could have found a suitable cookery channel on one of the 10,000 channels on the full Sky offering, or googled "how to boil a tattie" on their latest I Phone 27?

Goodfellers
05-Jun-18, 09:41
I'm sure if you offered a hundredweight of lard, and told them 'that's where chips come from' they might have been more interested.

orkneycadian
10-Jun-18, 15:25
Doubtful. Most would do as seems to be the norm in some of the more "affluent" housing estates in Orkney (affluent as in they do not need to work) and send out for a delivery from the chippie with a £4.50 taxi fare on top. Much easier than messing about with making your own.