Foodbanks.

[Reverend Lovejoy]

I noticed that there's another Foodbank collection before today's match against Queens Park.

Whilst this a fantastic initiative it brings home a sense of great frustration too. 

Fareshare, who's Dundee distribution hub covers areas such as Dundee, Fife, Angus, Perthshire and Clackmannanshire and provides essential food for some of Scotland's poorest and most poverty stricken areas is desperate for voluntary assistance. The amount of food that unfortunately goes to waste on a weekly basis is extremely frustrating as the distribution hub doesn't have the manpower to process and distribute our supermarket's surplus food. Often the food is short dated and perishable and the Dundee hub can't get it to those in need before its use by date.

If anyone was at a loose end, wanted to give something back and wanted to voluntarily help in the effort to supply those suffering from food poverty then that would be a fantastic gesture. Anything from a few hours a week would be appreciated I'm sure. Various different jobs to suit all skill levels are available.

People from all walks of life and various professions have volunteered from footballer's to doctors, retired folk, the unemployed, young teenagers etc.

Every bit of help, however big or small the commitment, really would be very much appreciated.

[TheDarkBlues]

I see that warm banks are going to be a thing now. It seems that churches and other helpful organisation have said that they will keep the heating on to help those who would like to get heat.

I thought it was bad having food-banks in this day and age, but having warm banks as well?

https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/fife/3648091/fife-warm-banks/

[Reverend Lovejoy]

8 hours ago, TheDarkBlues said:

I see that warm banks are going to be a thing now. It seems that churches and other helpful organisation have said that they will keep the heating on to help those who would like to get heat.

I thought it was bad having food-banks in this day and age, but having warm banks as well?

https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/fife/3648091/fife-warm-banks/

Whilst they mean well, in the short term anyway, it's not going to happen because the food won't get to them if Fareshare are their suppliers (most of them are supplied by Fareshare). 

As stated in the OP manning issues mean that most of the food will be written off and end up in landfill at a cost of hundreds of pounds per pallet. It's not just as simple as accepting the food, storing it then redistributing it, the food has to be checked, listed and logged before the Foodbanks are contacted with a list of items to choose from. It's then picked, packed and loaded onto vans but these processes take many man hours that Fareshare don't have.

Everything has to be traceable so all the processes that have been put in place have to be adhered to. 

Volunteers are currently (for various reasons) like hen's teeth unfortunately.