Every day people in the UK go hungry for reasons ranging from redundancy to receiving an unexpected bill on a low income. Foodbanks provide a minimum of three days emergency food and support to people experiencing crisis in the UK.
Just a couple of years ago foodbanks fed 346,992 people nationwide. Of those helped, 126,889 were children. Rising costs of food and fuel combined with static income, high unemployment and changes to benefits are causing more and more people to come to foodbanks for help. Redundancy, illness, benefit delay, domestic violence, debt, family breakdown and paying for the additional costs of heating during winter are just some more reasons why people go hungry. A simple box of food makes a big difference.
All food is donated by the public and sorted by volunteers. Frontline care professionals such as doctors and social workers identify people in crisis and issue a food voucher. Clients receive three days of nutritionally balanced, non-perishable food in exchange for their food voucher. Foodbanks also make time to chat and to signpost clients to other helpful services.
It is a sad fact that in a nation, the sixth wealthiest in the world has to feed many of its people in this way. Today marks a day that 1000 food banks across the United Kingdom are operating at full stretch.
Half of all towns stretching the length and breadth in Gt. Britain now has a food bank and rising rapidly and it is widely believed that UK food banks are feeding nearly 1 million people. Food banks have seen a 170% increase in demand in just one year and during 2013 and the trend is set to continue as the austerity drive continues.
Until recently had little need for food banks across Europe due to extensive welfare systems but their numbers grew rapidly after the lasting global inflation in the price of food which began in late 2006, and especially after the financial crisis of 2007—08 began to further worsen economic conditions for those on low income.
Reprinted with permission from 4bitNews.