The supplies food banks near you need - and how to donate
Christmas is a time for giving, and if you want to support food banks in your area, here's how you can help.
December is the busiest month of the year for food banks, according to the Trussell Trust, the charity behind a network of 420 food banks across the country. What’s more, the number of people turning to food banks has jumped sharply in recent years.
In December last year, its network provided 159,388 three-day emergency food supplies to people in crisis, with 65,622 of these going to children. That’s a 49% increase on the monthly average for 2017-18, and up by 10% on the number of supplies provided in December 2016.
What’s more, the Trust expects this to increase further this year, with increasing levels of food bank use throughout the year.
Why is food bank use increasing?
According to the Trussell Trust, the most common reasons for referral to a food bank are the inability of benefit payments to cover essential living costs and issues with benefit payments.
A big part of this is Universal Credit, where people are required to wait five weeks before receiving their first payment, a situation that is causing significant difficulties for vulnerable people.
Emma Review, chief executive of the Trussell Trust, said that ultimately it was unacceptable that anyone should need to use a food bank in the first place.
She continued: “We do not want to be here in the long-term, continuing to pick up the pieces. That’s why we’re urging the Government to ensure benefits payments reflect the cost of living and reduce the waiting time for universal credit to help ensure we are all anchored from poverty.”
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Who can visit a food bank?
It’s worth noting that you can’t simply turn up off the street to try to get help from a food bank.
You will need to get a food bank voucher - these are issued by ‘local agencies’, like Citizens Advice, housing support officers, health visitors, children’s centres and social services, if they believe you are struggling to put food on the table.
You can contact your local food bank to talk through your situation and to be put in touch with a relevant local agency, and after a visit they will supply you with a food bank voucher if they deem it appropriate.
What do you get in a food parcel?
If you visit a food bank with a voucher, then you can exchange it for a parcel containing three days’ worth of emergency food.
A typical parcel contains the following:
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Breakfast cereals
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Soup
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Pasta
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Rice
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Pasta sauce
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Tinned beans
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Tinned meat
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Tinned vegetables
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Tinned fruit
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Tea or coffee
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Sugar
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Biscuits
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Snacks
These parcels can normally be adapted to meet certain dietary needs, such as if you need them to be gluten-free or vegan.
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What food banks need
It’s worth noting that each food bank is different - while some will have a surplus of particular items, others will be desperately short of them.
As a result, if you really want to help the food bank and the people who most require its services, it pays to do a little homework first on precisely what they need.
Thankfully it’s dead easy to find out precisely what each individual food bank needs, simply by visiting its website. You can find your local food bank using the Trussell Trust website.
Each individual website will detail what the food bank has plenty of, and what it needs most urgently. For example, my local food bank in Hertfordshire has plenty of beans and sugar, but is short on tinned fruit, tea bags, dried pasta, breakfast cereals and UHT milk.
How do I donate?
Each individual food bank site will detail where you can drop off items, and what times to aim for.
Alternatively, you can donate cash, so that the food bank can devote those funds to whatever it needs most.
Another option is to donate your unwanted clothes or furniture to the Trussell Trust’s various community stores, just as you would with any other charity shop.
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Comments
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Did we starve to death in say the 1960's? No. This is just more political garbage, and more people should be made to work for what they want. How come I don't need free food? I left school with empty pockets. Welfare should be scrapped, and those very few who genuinely need help can be cared for by expert charities, part tax funded if necessary. I'd kill the need for welfare by not actually offering it.
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Once again someone with an axe to grind puts forward erroneous and inaccurate information. Our local food bank in Farnham is run in partnership with local churches, facilitated by Farnham Christian Community Trust Limited, a registered charity. It was seeded by the Trussel Trust but is independent of them. And you can’t just turn up you need a foodbank voucher. Please get your facts right before slagging off those less fortunate than yourself or those trying to help.
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Food banks... the above article is inaccurate. There are 3 types of food bank. The Trussell ones, which yes, you need to be refered to. (This kind I can get behind) However there is also the independant charity ones and the church ones. No questions asked. If you have seen any of these, these are the ones you just turn up, pleade poverty and get a bag of food. The fact that you parked up your 2 year old Lexus around the corner, went in and got your free food and then sent your partner in after you to get another free bag is just pure greed. The media made out that Nurses were going to food banks.. Well, truth be told, anyone can go to a food bank, even millionaires. However, the Trussel ones are the real ones, You cannot go to these unless you are refered. Nurses are earning too much to qualify to be refered to the Trussel bank. Unfortunalty, too many pepole in the UK think they have a consciens, they feel bad that so many people have to use food banks, live on the streets, beg... But the truth is, the Homeless and poverty stricken are in a minority, the rest have found it a lucrative way of life. Begging prime spots where the beggar can cash in more than £200 a day. Yes they do exist. Beggars have been recorded working 8-10 shifts, then walking away getting into their car and driving home. These same people go to the No questions asked food banks. Its a cushy life for some. Tax free!! What really needs to be addressed is checks, As the old saying goes, dont give to the beggar, give to the charity box. (However, that is becoming more difficult these days as the charities them selves are no longer squeeky clean. ) Or like I have seen, a beggar being very ungrateful when they were bought a cup of tea and sausage roll.
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19 December 2018