‘I used to donate to you’: Food banks in crisis with spike in users and drop in donations

Food banks across South London are running out of food as the cost of living crisis crunches and hits donation levels.

A report from the Independent Food Aid Network (IFAN) has found that 11 independent food banks in Wandsworth, Lewisham and Greenwich are supporting more people in employment and more people who need support for longer. 

Food banks across the capital have also reported a drop in food and cash donations.

Felicia Boshorin, chief executive of Spring Community Hub, which runs five food banks across Southwark, said it was seeing different kinds of users they had not seen before who earned “decent money”.

“They’ve got jobs earning over £22,000 but because of increased rent and bills they can’t afford food,” she said.

“People are very worried and scared they can’t manage. I had a teacher who said they felt they were earning decent money but their utility bills had doubled and they were scared it would go up again.

“We’re now in a situation where people can’t afford to give, we’ve got campaigns that are not making their targets. I’m really worried about winter.” 

Charlotte White, who helps run the Earslfield Foodbank at St Andrew’s Church in Waynefleet Street, said she was seeing people who used to donate food now looking in need of food.

“We’re just getting by,” she said. “We’re having to work so much harder to get the same level of donations and at the same time obviously demand is going up all the time. 

“The kind of people that have never used food banks before are coming to us and saying ‘I used to donate to you’. More people are coming through our door.

“So we are just about coping at the moment. One thing we’re noticing is people are coming to us in a much worse state. In the past people would talk about cutting portions or maybe missing meals. Now we’re seeing people that haven’t eaten for a day or two, so it’s really quite severe.”

The food bank managers also warned of the severe impact on users’ and volunteers’ mental health, resulting from increasing poverty.

IFAN said it was calling on the Government for immediate and targeted cash support for people on low incomes, as well as long-term policy changes that would see social security payments and wages match the soaring costs of living in the UK.

Sabine Goodwin, coordinator of the Independent Food Aid Network, said: “IFAN, like so many other anti-poverty charities and campaigners, is calling on the Government to introduce urgent, cash first interventions to ensure people can afford food and heating this winter. 

“Relying on overburdened food banks and their volunteers to alleviate food poverty temporarily is both unconscionable and unsustainable. 

“It’s for the Government to ensure the basic needs of its citizens are met, not food aid charities buckling under the strain.”

Pictured top: Earlsfield food bank (Picture: Kyle Isitt)