Hard-up families getting food parcels

DESPERATE families in York are turning to food parcels from the Salvation Army as economic hardship continues to bite.

The Christian organisation said the number of hand-outs it had provided to hard-up residents over the past year was up 40 per cent on the same period in 2011.

In December, The Press reported how the Salvation Army was seeing a growing number of people being referred to them by social services for Christmas handouts of toys and food. However, the demand for help has continued to rise throughout 2012.

During the period from January to July, a total of 395 parcels were distributed.

Major Andrew Dunkinson said: “The impact of austerity measures coupled with rising prices, unemployment and changes in housing, incapacity and other benefits are pushing more people into poverty.”

“Some households are trying to accommodate extended family and friends who are at risk of homelessness but this is putting additional burden on their finances. Our food parcels are a lifeline to those who struggle at times to support themselves and their families.”

Comments(22)

rothko says...
11:02am Sat 8 Sep 12

The divide between rich and poor just keeps widening. It says a lot about what sort of society we live in when we spend billions on the banks while people queue for food parcels

CHISSY1 says...
1:27pm Sat 8 Sep 12

"I would be grateful if someone could explain why we need food banks.Why do these people need food handouts,who are they?.I do not waste money,i am retired and i eat well.I go food shopping and for the life of me i cannot see why some people say they are unable to afford food.If people bothered to get off their backsides and cooked instead of moaning and relying on handouts they would be amazed how cheap it can be done.There are plenty of people on benefits who smoke,have a drink or drug problem,have cars and manage take aways and fish and chips,and no doubt some of these scroungers will be in the queue.

Sillybillies says...
2:42pm Sat 8 Sep 12

I agree with Chissy1.

York1900 says...
3:28pm Sat 8 Sep 12

The trouble is that people do not know how to cook

for a lot of them it as to come out of a tin,packet or come out of the freezer and go in to the microwave

the skill of cooking as not been passed on as people have got use too ready made meals and take aways

CHISSY1 says...
5:53pm Sat 8 Sep 12

York1900 wrote:
The trouble is that people do not know how to cook

for a lot of them it as to come out of a tin,packet or come out of the freezer and go in to the microwave

the skill of cooking as not been passed on as people have got use too ready made meals and take aways
Nobody tought me how to cook. If a person can read they can cook.Anybody that says that they cant cook are just lazy.

Alf Garnett says...
7:24pm Sat 8 Sep 12

CHISSY1 wrote:
"I would be grateful if someone could explain why we need food banks.Why do these people need food handouts,who are they?.I do not waste money,i am retired and i eat well.I go food shopping and for the life of me i cannot see why some people say they are unable to afford food.If people bothered to get off their backsides and cooked instead of moaning and relying on handouts they would be amazed how cheap it can be done.There are plenty of people on benefits who smoke,have a drink or drug problem,have cars and manage take aways and fish and chips,and no doubt some of these scroungers will be in the queue.
I suppose that you, personally, know these people on benefits who drink, smoke, drive cars and take drugs. I don't. Food banks exist insome of England's wealthiest cities, Salisbury and Winchester have them. It's a function of inequality, not fecklessness. I suggest that you should be grateful that you can afford to feed yourself properly and lead a comfortable life rather than look about for people to attack. That too is a function of inequality, that people turn on each other. A balanced society where people led contented lives and were comfortable with themselves would not produced vituperative attacks on the less fortunate. Of course there are people who fiddle the system, just as there are thieves and lousy drivers but that doesn't mean that the majority are fiddling, or that most people are criminals or bad drivers.

CHISSY1 says...
8:30pm Sat 8 Sep 12

Answer to your first question,yes i do know these people who are scroungers .I am not grateful that i can afford to feed myself. As i said in my post i spend very little on food,i go shopping and it is amazing what can be bought for so little,if you can be bothered to look for it,unlike a lot of people.One more thing every thing i have got i have worked for ,never had handouts.No doubt alot of these fec

spockboy2 says...
10:10pm Sat 8 Sep 12

CHISSY1 wrote:
"I would be grateful if someone could explain why we need food banks.Why do these people need food handouts,who are they?.I do not waste money,i am retired and i eat well.I go food shopping and for the life of me i cannot see why some people say they are unable to afford food.If people bothered to get off their backsides and cooked instead of moaning and relying on handouts they would be amazed how cheap it can be done.There are plenty of people on benefits who smoke,have a drink or drug problem,have cars and manage take aways and fish and chips,and no doubt some of these scroungers will be in the queue.
Suspect your a wind up merchant but could I advise you that watching too much jeremy kyle on a morning is clouding your thoughts.
You sadly stereotype all people who are claiming benefit as scroungers.
I am ''well off'' but would gladly give some of my wealth to a person who has not had the fortune of 40 years of work like myself.
Its Tory Britain we live in, things will get worse, people will go hungry, its the way they work.
They starve the poor feed the rich and blame unfortunate people (scroungers) for all the problems.

PKH says...
11:39pm Sat 8 Sep 12

CHISSY1 wrote:
"I would be grateful if someone could explain why we need food banks.Why do these people need food handouts,who are they?.I do not waste money,i am retired and i eat well.I go food shopping and for the life of me i cannot see why some people say they are unable to afford food.If people bothered to get off their backsides and cooked instead of moaning and relying on handouts they would be amazed how cheap it can be done.There are plenty of people on benefits who smoke,have a drink or drug problem,have cars and manage take aways and fish and chips,and no doubt some of these scroungers will be in the queue.
There always has and always will be some people who are scroungers, however there are plenty of people who have lost their job through no fault of their own, and are unable to get a job. I applied for hundreds jobs including part time, only had four interviews not getting any, fortunately I was able to take my occupational pension and have been able to top it up with a few hours casual work. The cost of living is rising much quicker than the wages of low paid jobs. To write everybody in need off as scroungers is as crude as using a steam press to crack a nut

CHISSY1 says...
7:19am Sun 9 Sep 12

spockboy2 wrote:
CHISSY1 wrote:
"I would be grateful if someone could explain why we need food banks.Why do these people need food handouts,who are they?.I do not waste money,i am retired and i eat well.I go food shopping and for the life of me i cannot see why some people say they are unable to afford food.If people bothered to get off their backsides and cooked instead of moaning and relying on handouts they would be amazed how cheap it can be done.There are plenty of people on benefits who smoke,have a drink or drug problem,have cars and manage take aways and fish and chips,and no doubt some of these scroungers will be in the queue.
Suspect your a wind up merchant but could I advise you that watching too much jeremy kyle on a morning is clouding your thoughts.
You sadly stereotype all people who are claiming benefit as scroungers.
I am ''well off'' but would gladly give some of my wealth to a person who has not had the fortune of 40 years of work like myself.
Its Tory Britain we live in, things will get worse, people will go hungry, its the way they work.
They starve the poor feed the rich and blame unfortunate people (scroungers) for all the problems.
Firstly i never said all people on benefits were scroungers.But unfortunately there are to many that are.I am not a wind up
merchant,and who is Jeremy Kyle?.
I am not going to repeat myself,read my post again.You criticize me but can you comment on my main point.A lot of people moan that they cant cook,if someone can read they can cook,and if they cant read, get someone to read for them.

sheps lad says...
10:08am Sun 9 Sep 12

CHISSY, you're all heart!

CHISSY1 says...
10:32am Sun 9 Sep 12

sheps lad wrote:
CHISSY, you're all heart!
"Thank you"

York1900 says...
12:05pm Sun 9 Sep 12

CHISSY1 wrote:
York1900 wrote:
The trouble is that people do not know how to cook

for a lot of them it as to come out of a tin,packet or come out of the freezer and go in to the microwave

the skill of cooking as not been passed on as people have got use too ready made meals and take aways
Nobody tought me how to cook. If a person can read they can cook.Anybody that says that they cant cook are just lazy.
My mother and father showed all my brothers and sister how to cook and make food go round

There is no substitute for been shown and knowing it is right as practice makes perfect

We all started to cook at 8 years old and before that we helped with baking

so buy the time we all left home could cook and bake for our selves

That was down to parents who had cooked on food rations

My mother and father took pride in the fact that we all could cook

Like a lot of things it is down to what your parents teach you at home that makes the difference

Sillybillies says...
1:14pm Sun 9 Sep 12

Bet those getting the food parcels spend most of their time texting on their mobiles and ordering takeaways.

Digeorge says...
5:02pm Sun 9 Sep 12

Equals they are desperate having had their child tax credits, working tax credits removed, loss of job, loss of income support, relationship breakdown for whatever reason.

The impact of the Government's cuts can't be underestimated particularly on the young, vulnerable and the impact on the family unit.

Silver says...
9:38pm Sun 9 Sep 12

So if I was a hard working person on a minimum wage with a spouse taking care of a baby and had say 2 other children. £6 per hour to feed 5 people, after paying rent and utilities I can see how budgets would be stretched because which of those things do you give up?
We should never be stigmatizing people who have to stop eating their pride and accept help from a food bank.

charliechick says...
10:06pm Sun 9 Sep 12

Sadly what goes around can come around - who knows when hard times can strike...

Holly831 says...
10:36am Mon 10 Sep 12

Hard times can strike any one of us and I agree people should be supported BUT benefits should NOt provide non essentials such as mobile phones, take aways, drinking & smoking etc

Basic food is still cheap - in season veg & potatoes make the basis of a filling and healthy meal. Part of the problem is people expect to have everthing for nothing (Not all people I know)

I have been there (a single Mum when my husband walked out on me after the death of our second child - at that point I was on maternity leave & then made redundant) I did need to rely on benefits for a short time but we managed well, I sold my car, canceled my mobile contract etc until I was back in work and could afford luxuries again. I could afford to feed us well and pay my bills & rent. It's all down to priorities!

markymmark says...
11:45am Mon 10 Sep 12

So if I was a hard working person on a minimum wage with a spouse taking care of a baby and had say 2 other children. £6 per hour to feed 5 people, after paying rent and utilities I can see how budgets would be stretched because which of those things do you give up?

The best thing to give up would be wanting 3 children when you are on minimum wage thereby expecting others to support you !

TheColdTruth says...
12:41pm Mon 10 Sep 12

Some people I know pump all their money into keeping a roof over their heads. Some of these people are locked into their situations, for example a spouse/partner going AWOL leaving the others locked into the mortgage. That leaves surprisingly little to spend on food.

Is it their fault they can't afford to eat?

capt spaulding says...
5:42pm Mon 10 Sep 12

People here are receiving food parcels, whilst our government gives BILLIONS away in foreign aid.

Could someone explain that to me !!

mataix121 says...
2:52pm Tue 11 Sep 12

CHISSY1 - In reponse to your first question as why do we need food parcels? I have been involved in setting up food banks accross England and the reason I do this is to ensure that families suffering 'real hardship', especially children born with dysfunctional parents, can still be properly fed. Afterall, its not the childrens fault is it??

You come accross on here as quite resentful towards your fellow people, and for a man at your age?? by that I mean retirement, is unfortunate. Unless you are just lonely, or bitter and taking this out on those less fortunate than yourself?

Also, to everyone else on here that puts the same old, same old, scroungers, druggies etc. I think you should indulge in a little education as to the reason why we have a underclass within society that resorts to such behaviours. Without such inequalities, we wouldnt have a market or an economy, and you lot wouldnt have anything to moan about! So i say, instead of moaning about those that you say take the ****, look at your own situations and be thankful that you were not born into poverty, or at least had the ability/education to get yourselves out of it.

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