Foodbanks are in the news at the moment, demand is higher than ever due to the coronavirus crisis. I have been volunteering at a local foodbank for a couple of years now and it has taught me a lot.
Here are 6 things I have learnt about foodbanks since starting volunteering.
1. Not everyone is the ‘typical client’
Such a diverse group of people come to us for help. There are so many reasons why somebody might need some extra support. In the last few months, one of the key reasons has been people losing their jobs due to Covid.
However, there is a stigma attached to visiting a foodbank. People have a very stereotypical view of what a foodbank user is. Many believe that foodbank users are people who are lazy and don’t want a job, abusing the support the government offers.
This couldn’t be further from the truth!
I have met hundreds of people coming to the foodbank in their desperate time. Many were highly-skilled professionals who had lost their job or had just lost everything in a messy break-up. Others were single parents, choosing between their children or work.
The Trussel Trust, a foodbank organisation with over 1000 centres across the UK, has compiled statistics on the top reasons for visiting a foodbank. A couple of the top issues are outlined below:
- Benefit changes or delays
Since the change in the benefits system to Universal Credit, we have seen many more people coming due to delays in payments. This is through no fault of their own and they are doing all they can to fix their situation.
The wait for the first Universal Credit payment is at least 5 weeks, often more. In this time people can do nothing but hope they have enough to keep paying the bills.
2. Health Issues and Disabilities
We often meet people in their current position due to health issues or disabilities. Often they are not given the support they need and many cannot work.
For some people it is a lifelong condition but for others it is a sudden onset of bad health that puts them in their position. Foodbanks are regularly sought out by people suddenly unable to work due to illness.
These people will then be entitled to Universal Credit but, as outlined above, this takes time.
2. Demand is increasing at a worrying rate
Every year the demand for foodbanks goes up. Last year, the foodbanks across the Trussel Trust network gave out over 1.9 million food parcels.
In the past 5 years, foodbank use has increased by 74%! With coronavirus, usage is higher than ever.
Why is this?
The main reason is changes to the welfare policies in the UK and billions of pounds of cuts to the support in place. The benefits system is supposed to prevent anyone falling into extreme poverty and remove the use of foodbanks all together.
However, at the moment this isn’t working. The Trussel Trust are currently campaigning against the five-week wait for universal credit. You can find out more here.
3. Food bank parcels ensure that families have a healthy, balanced diet
The parcels given out to people have been designed by nutritionists alongside foodbanks to ensure that the food provides good nutrition for 3 days.
When volunteering to pack parcels, we are given a specific list of guidelines to follow as closely as we can. Included in the box are things such as: Tinned fruit and veg, tinned meat, long-life milk, pasta, tomatoes, etc.
We always try to make sure that each box contains something really nice too, like some chocolate or a fancy pack of biscuits.
4. So many companies support foodbanks with donations
Through my time helping at foodbank, I have been amazed by the genuine kindness of people. So many people donate food week on week and, on top of that, many companies are committed to helping out.
The Fairshare scheme helps foodbanks by distributing surplus food from supermarkets and companies, all in date and safe to eat, reducing waste at the same time. This means we often have plenty of fresh produce to offer alongside the parcels.
Over 500 companies are part of this scheme including; Asda, Nestle, Co-op, Sainsburys, Tesco, Greggs, Bird’s eye…
5. Not only food is given out
Many people are unaware of this and its not surprising really given the name! However, foodbanks will provide people with basic hygeine items such as: toothbrushes, washing powder and nappies.
Because these items are often expensive and people aren’t aware we give them out, foodbanks regularly run out of these items. So, if you are donating food, do try and donate some of these items alongside.
6. We don’t need any more baked beans!!
You don’t have to spend long in a foodbank warehouse to work out that people LOVE donating baked beans.
Many people opt for the staples when donating. This is great, but not always the most helpful! In order to provide good, nutritious food we do need slightly more than just baked beans and pasta!
Next time you donate, why not check the local foodbank website? They often contain a shopping list of essentials they are currently running low on. This will ensure what you give really helps.
