Lent Day 4, Hannah

I had a back to back meetings from 1pm so had my carrot sticks (didn’t fill any kind of hole so I completely understand the desire and actual need for biscuits / filling things when on a budget) and one slice of toast and cottage cheese at 12.30pm.

At the second meeting, a panettone was offered with a coffee and while my host said ‘no thank you’ I was delighted – I would have been any other day, but like yesterday with the fruit today it was even more welcome! Also made me think someone could be put off a little if others say ‘no thanks’ and might say the same even if they really want or need it…

A second slice of toast and cottage cheese at 4pm then cereal as a snack at 6pm as a slightly later than usual teatime awaited.

Tea was half the remaining pasta (a slightly bigger portion as I didn’t eat any pasta yesterday), the remaining meatballs and baked beans. Both have very thin sauces and not a huge amount of flavour…

One more day so I’m keen to use what I have but aware that if this was ‘normal life’, I would be pleased to be taking some leftovers into the next week’s budget.

Lent 2023, Day 3 Hannah

Another normal start to the day, but a lunch time meeting (without lunch!) so I had a slice of toast with cottage cheese about 11.30am knowing I might need another slice after… There were biscuits at the meeting so I did have one while there and it made me think refreshments – however small – are so welcome if we don’t know people’s circumstances.

Back to the office just after 3pm so the second slice of toast with cottage cheese was incredibly welcome, plus carrot sticks. I have an evening meeting that may have biscuits so I’ve not thought about tea today; it’s likely going to be a late one or perhaps cereal with milk as I have those portions still available to me.

Evening meeting and there’s fruit!! A banana and cherries and a satsuma – such a treat anyway, but especially so this week.

Very tempted to ask for any leftovers but acutely aware that there may be others here in the ‘living on a tight budget’ all the time so will leave for others and be so much more mindful of that in the future.

Lent 2023 day 2, Hannah

I knew I was at a meeting all morning but hadn’t remembered lunch was included so I felt two things immediately – one delight at having something different (I know it’s only been a day but I keep thinking about choice and variety) and two relief and delight at having ‘spare’ portions of bread and cottage cheese from my weighed out daily allowances.

Back at the office for the afternoon with tea and coffee and not much else to report. There was a discussion around dinner plans though that I managed to avoid by asking questions or commening on colleagues plans. I wouldn’t have minded, but I put myself in the shoes of someone living with this kind of strict budget and thought I wouldn’t have wanted to invite questions on my meal plans for the week.

I’m finishing a little late today due to a meeting, so I’m pleased my pasta based tea is a quick cook meal.

Tea today was pasta with a quarter tin of meatballs (3.5 meatballs and a spoon of gravy to be precise), plus a carrot and one plum tinned tomato. It looked a lot more than yesterday’s, but the gravy was very thin, as was the tomato juice so it was pretty bland. I ate slowly to draw it out – I was halfway through when hubby had finished his whole meal – but did still feel a little hungry. After washing up and some household chores, thinking a distraction would show if I’m ACTUALLY hungry or not, I had a slice of toast with honey and 2 custard creams. Very nice although I am really missing fruit as I’d often have an apple or pear (usually both) in the evening.

I weighed out the cottage cheese for tomorrows lunch and realised I didn’t eat the cereal portions so I’ve got that ‘spare’ for later in the week if I need it.

Lent 2023 Day 1, Hannah

It’s Monday and started pretty much like other work day. As I did the previous two times I did this, I will drink tea and coffee at work because that’s all provided / available and I don’t pay for it. So by 1pm, I’d had two cups of tea and two of coffee which is pretty standard, but was getting hungry…

I had one slice of toast and half my daily portion of cottage cheese that is weighed out last night. I thought I could easily have two slices of toast, but that I’d still be hungry later so had just one for now then I’ve got one ‘free’ for later.

I’m working this evening so came home early afternoon and, while reading through some papers for a meeting I’m at tomorrow, snacked on my daily cereal portions but stopped after I noticed I was doing it quite mindlessly and, while enjoying it, didn’t want to ‘waste’ the food. I had a cup of hot green tea with lemon – better than I expected as I’d never usually have this, but pleased I’ve got honey which I’ll have a spoonful of in the tea as the week goes on I think!

Tea was 100g of pasta (I usually weigh rice for meals but never weigh pasta, but this has to last me 5 meals) with half a tin of sardines, half a tin of baked beans, a carrot and a spoonful of tinned tomato juice.

I have some carrot sticks and 2 custard creams ‘left’ which I did eat on my way home after my evenings work – did I need them or was it because they were there…? I had a cup of green tea and a small glass of lemonade when I got home; I’m feeling ok, but already a little bored of my choices, wondering what I could have switched out – maybe no honey (if I’d known the tea would be fine without) then I could have had bananas… Hindsight is a beast…

Lent 2023, Hannah preparation

I’ve done this twice (2019 and 2021) so am going to do it a little differently this time, spending £10 for us as a couple (although hubby isn’t keen to do it!) and then split the provisions 50/50.

Looking at my previous receipts, I will double some items (twice the pasta and soup and baked beans) but I think it will mean I can get some fruit or ‘pudding’ which I couldn’t afford on a single person’s £5. It’s definitely better value buying more, which isn’t always possible if you don’t have the cash up front of course. A small loaf of bread for example is practically the same price (circa 79p) as a larger loaf which a single person may not get through in a week. I have a freezer so could preserve that way, but not everyone does so that could create food waste for someone else.

Buying for 2, I do have to consider tastes and preferences – hubby has a food allergy which I don’t, so that needs to be catered for (and increases costs / reduces choice) and isn’t a big fan of fish which I can get cheaper than meat when looking at tinned items.

I did my shop – it took over an hour, just to spend £10! A lot of back and forth in the aisles, stopping to tot up again and again, scouring the shelf labels for price per gram and were there any other options.When I made a list of options of food for £10, I wrote a lot of suggestions, but quickly crossed off eggs and ham due to prices, sadly crossed off fruit although did manage one kiwi! I saved 1p by getting whole tinned tomatoes rather than chopped, 9p by getting lemonade instead of fizzy water and 20p by getting green tea instead of fruit because there wasn’t any and I definitely wanted an option for a hot drink.

After I’d got what I considered the essentials, I had 78p left. Cheap sliced ham and 5 bananas were 79p each and I considered going over budget by 1p, but if I had £10 cash, that wouldn’t be an option so I opted for biscuits and 1 kiwi which was 78p combined…

Very frustrated / sad that there were no own brand cuppa soups I’d previously priced at 46p for 5 so I had 92p to do both our lunches. No such luck. I walked to Tesco which was practically next door (I wouldn’t have driven) and the cheapest cuppa soups were 75p for 5 so that threw a big spanner in my budget and I really was flummoxed for a moment. I considered going back to Lidl another day to check, but thinking about my days, I wasn’t going to be passing so that would be extra time and petrol – another cost to consider. I therefore bought these soups…

Ironically, I then got petrol at £52 which seemed ridiculous as I had agonised over spending 1p more on bananas 30 minutes earlier.

I spent close to another hour (considering how much more time / effort / stress this would take if kids were involved!) doing the maths and portioning items for the week ahead. I have 9 slices of bread (half the loaf), 187g of cereal (half the box), half a tin of tomatoes, half a tin of meatballs, 8 carrots and 12 custard creams.

I’m discounting all the soup as hubby’s lunch (he’s not doing it, but I’ve spent £10 on 2 people’s food so trying to be realistic and fair) and I’ve got all the cottage cheese and the whole kiwi (!) and everything else is halved.

I’ve written out the dinners for the week, alternating meatballs with sardines, tomatoes and baked beans but all dinners will be pasta with carrots. I know I didn’t need to write it down as it’s pretty basic, but wanted to remind myself that the meat and fish need to do 2/3 servings each.

I already feel like I’m cheating as I had lots and LOTS of fruit and veg today, knowing I’d be without for the next 5 days and also not including a Saturday or Sunday purely because I did this last time and found it the hardest day. The routine was different and I still had ‘normal’ cupboard / fridge and freezer food in sight. At work, I only have what I have so that’s easier. I know I’m not doing it to make it easy, so I think I’m just confessing really!

Another Day in the Life…

… Hannah, Project Manager, Wednesday 12th January 2022

8.30am In the office, catching up with colleague and on yesterday’s emails and messages including finishing prepping for talk to a church on Sunday, organising and thanking a donor who’s offered to help supply fresh items for a distribution centre’s community cafe and ensuring all relevant people are aware of a change in venue opening hours at another centre in relation to our weekly stock deliveries

9.30am Zoom call with area manager at Trussell Trust, chatting about current challenges / changes due to covid, e-vouchers, data reporting, stock management and communicating to our donors.

10.30am Continue with emails (‘can I do my year 10 summer work experience with you?’ ‘please make an urgent payment through Energy Bank for my client who is in emergency credit in their electricity account’, ‘I have covid and can’t collect my food parcel, can you help?’, ‘can we please reschedule this afternoon’s meeting?’) and admin tasks including job applicant shortlisting for interview, updating my calendar and to-do list for the week, scheduling a few posts for our social media channels this week.

11.30am Troubleshooting a new added security feature on the tablets used at our distribution centre for logging e-vouchers. Needed to do this by phone, email and on a spare tablet in the office. Success! One centre done, eight to go…

Chat with office colleagues about revamping the office to ensure best use of space for 3 permanent desks, 1 volunteer ‘hot’ desk and better storage. We will start moving desks and equipment later this week!

With an office volunteer, go through the latest bank account statements and ratify / reconcile / annotate expenses and income on accounting programme.

Finished the newsletter and printed copies for Sundays talk, along with copies of the Prayer Letter. Emailed out Prayer Letter to our mailing list.

Received a request for a client to have an Energy Bank voucher, but their supplier is one who won’t accept the vouchers we use (we’re not the only one with this issue). Spent 40 minutes on the phone to energy supplier to get nowhere… Arranged with the referrer a different solution.

4.30pm Loaded up the car with 15 food parcels out of 26 to help a driver who couldn’t manage two trips this week and couldn’t fit all 26 boxes in her car (neither can I!)

5.15pm Unload at the distribution centre (which is on my way home, not entirely self-less!)

Home and relax; logging onto #charityhour on Twitter at 8pm to share ideas, hear new things and network with other charities.

A Day in the Life…

… Hannah, Project Manager for Norwich foodbank, Thursday 6th January 2022:

8.30am Catching up on emails and messages from the previous day, including a request for support with gas and electricity from a client via a text the previous evening, a request from another foodbank to be linked up with our warehouse manager as they have a new person starting in that role and would like to pick the brains of someone already in post and sending out a survey from a national charity to our referral agencies to get their feedback on local food /
welfare provision.

Preparation including volunteer confidentiality agreements / application forms / handbooks, local stats and most importantly (!) refreshments for a meeting tomorrow regarding opening up our 9th distribution centre which has been closed since March 2020.

Catch up in person with our warehouse manager about how things are post-Christmas and plans for the coming weeks in terms of extra shifts and catch up on the phone with our Pathfinder lead at the Trussell Trust in regards to what our priorities will be over the coming months.

(In between, answer the phone ‘how do I get a foodbank referral?’ ‘when are you next open for us to come with a donation’? ‘how do I refer my client for a foodbank parcel?’ ‘the nicest Christmas card I received this year was your charity card – do you have any more I can buy for this year?’ … and respond to emails ‘can someone come and speak at our Beavers group one Wednesday evening?’ ‘further to your funding application, the grants panel have asked these follow up questions?’ ‘how do I get a foodbank parcel?’ ‘how do I access the e-voucher system?’ ‘I’d like to volunteer, do you need me / how do I apply?’…)

12.30pm Off to one of our distribution centres with a car-boot full of food parcels, Christmas treats and toiletries as the leader is away and one other team member is off ill.

4pm Home as the centre was on the way home and I had remembered my laptop…! Catch up with a volunteer who we had hoped could use skills and knowledge from another role for us, but it’s proving a bit more complicated so we both need to work out what / where / how before moving forward. Catch up with another foodbank about this same issue as well as volunteer inductions and lots of ‘how do YOU do this’ which is always helpful! Catch up on emails and messages that have come in during the afternoon and continue to work on the latest newsletter which we want to finish and share by the end of next week and this will be one of the articles…!

In For a Penne…

The expression ‘in for a penny, in for a pound’ is used to ‘express someone’s intention to see an undertaking through, however much time, effort, or money this entails’. This describes the Trussell Trust’s strategy to tackle and challenge not just hunger but poverty in the UK and is a vision we at Norwich foodbank share too.

As we enter 2022, this will be Norwich foodbank’s 12th year of operating. The years have seen many changes, developments and challenges but the core work has remained the same – ensuring local people in need receive food and support to try and ensure a repeat visit isn’t needed.

In 2010, Norwich foodbank was run entirely by volunteers out of a garage and 3 distribution centres. In 2022, the charity employs a full-time manager, 4 part-time staff (three in the office and a warehouse manager) and operate out a office, 2 warehouse units and 8 distribution centres. One thing that has remained the same is that the foodbank is heavily reliant on and thankful for almost 200 volunteers who help them distribute around 10,000 food parcels a year.

Everyone knows the the pandemic has caused so much to change – from both a personal and professional perspective – and some changes have been really positive and others have been pretty challenging.

One change Norwich foodbank has experienced is a surge in support, from existing donors who have given more and continue to do so and from new individuals, churches and businesses who we hope to encourage to continue. So to increase the footprint the charity currently has, alongside the website and social media channels, this blog will continue to be used to inform, update and encourage. Please do share and comment.

Facebook @Norwich.foodbank

Instagram @norwichfoodbank

Twitter @norwichfoodbank

Dawn Lent 2021 – Day 5

I thought today, as I ate my 5^th portion of rice and dahl for lunch (filling but getting very boring) how much I like cooking for other people. Pre-lockdown, we often have friends over for dinner at the weekend and I love this. How would I do this on this budget? I couldn’t, no matter how many “cook dinner for a fiver!” articles I read. Cooking for others would be out and how could I go to other peoples for dinner with no gift? (wine is obviously out – “make something” said a friend – with what?? How could I afford to make a cake or biscuits on this budget?). This is really really horrible. I am not hungry but my diet this week has been very limited and there has been none of the usual pleasure in cooking – imagine if this was forever rather than just a week?

I think I thought I was aware, but I realise how many aspects of food poverty I had not understood. The anxiety that would go with an empty cupboard, the endless worry about children eating enough (and the guilt), the distress at not being able to reciprocate with friends and the shame this causes. I start to see the connection between poverty and mental health – the distress that hunger and anxiety about food can cause, the relentless, grinding misery of it all. How can we allow this to happen?

END

Live on £1 a Day: Emma Day 5

Breakfast – Weetabix with water. It’s pretty grim but here’s no milk and I didn’t have time to go to the shops yesterday. I feel terrible about not having time to do a top up shop, but I just couldn’t fit it in between work and picking up the kids. Being on a budget makes being organised about food that much more important, and I’m feeling the strain. I top the kids up with extra milk (not in budget), and I’m not working today so I can go to the shop. I’m feeling optimistic knowing that this is the last day of the Lent appeal.

I eat the last two remaining biscuits mid morning and then go to the shop. We need milk, bread and fruit and there is £1.17 left in the budget. I don’t have enough money for all of these, so I spend ages trying to decide whether milk is more important for the kids, or fruit. I don’t know if there’s a right answer, but I decide to prioritise milk (for the kids) and bread (for lunch).
In the shop my 3 year old is hungry, and tries to convince me to buy him treats. I would normally just buy him whatever he wanted without too much thought, as I can’t bear the thought of him being hungry. When we get to the checkout he has picked up a treat, and he passes it to the cashier to scan. She does so without asking me if that’s ok, so I have to ask to put it back, and the cashier looks surprised and then embarrassed.

It’s nice to have some fresh bread and we both enjoy lunch. Its not enough for my 3 year old and he also wolfs down a yogurt, banana and a bag of hula hoops – none of which are in budget.

It’s a long afternoon with no snacks. I don’t have the energy to play and run around after my son that I usually would, maybe its because its Friday afternoon after a long week, or perhaps because we’ve been living on empty carbs all day.

Dinner is chicken fillets, sauce made with carrots and tinned tomatoes, and spaghetti with frozen veg. I am so sick of spaghetti but the food tastes good, and its’s a hit with the kids. I would rather give them fresh meat but I know they are guaranteed to eat this frozen breaded stuff, and its cheaper. My husband would normally eat at least twice as much food as he has for dinner this evening, and its hard to watch the kids finish their meal and ask for more while we are still hungry. Knowing that this is our last meal of the lent appeal lifts our spirits.

I’m relieved I won’t have to choose between feeding myself or feeding my kids tomorrow, or worry about whether they are getting enough nutrition. The kids have cereal and milk for supper, and we go to bed counting our blessings, looking forward to a good breakfast tomorrow.

END