‘Austerity causes a lot of suffering’: record number of food banks report stock shortage
I had been discussing my perception of the increasing number of people begging on Lincoln High Street. A colleague said it might be down to there being more people in dire straits as a consequence of changes to the benefits systems. This story which features some rural food banks suggests this may well be one of the causes. It tells us:
This food bank is not alone. A record number have been forced to ask for donations this summer after running out of some items, according to Trussell Trust, Britain’s biggest food bank network.
The charity said 42 of its centres – about 10% of its network – released an urgent appeal for items on social media, or through local media, in the past three months.
Stock shortages came into sharp focus in July when an independent facility, Eastside food bank in Swansea, South Wales, ran out of supplies. Volunteers who run the food bank from Mount Zion Baptist church in Bonymaen made an appeal for stock. The callout prompted a tenfold rise in donations.
West Somerset Food Cupboard, an independent food bank in south-west England, made an urgent appeal for baked beans this week. The coordinator, Ann Gibbs, said a surge in demand had triggered the request.
In Nottingham, low supplies were reported at Mount Zion food bank, in Radford. It has also noted a surge of donations since its appeal.