Are food banks a disgrace?

According to the headline on the front page of today's Telegraph, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster, Vincent Nichols, has said that it is disgraceful that many are forced to rely on food banks.

If the Archbishop is rejecting, say, restrictive work practices that lead to a lack of jobs, I can see his point.

But if he thinks government benefits are better than private charity I'm not sure why he thinks that. Private charity would seem more biblical. It is freely given whereas tax is coerced from people for the payment of benefits. Charity seems morally superior to me.

 Far from being disgraceful, food banks depend on grace. Their giving is more personal, direct and immediate than the state's. Many Christians motivated and empowered by the grace of God show grace to others through food banks.

Discuss.