Covid-19 has shone a harsh light on already-existing causes of poverty and food bank use. We hope this new report, Covid-19: A view from the Foodbank, will help to shine a light on how we can help protect people in Wandsworth from further hardship, together.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, we’ve seen the need for emergency food aid double across Wandsworth Borough – as a growing number of local households have been swept into severe hardship by loss of jobs or hours, illness, and benefit payments that fail to cover the cost of essentials like food, rent and bills.
During the first lockdown in March-July, we provided emergency food aid and essential toiletries to 1217 individual households referred to us in crisis – 7 in 10 of whom had never had to use the Foodbank before. More recently in November and December, we’ve been providing up to 300 seven-day emergency food supplies a week to local people and families. 4 in 10 emergency food supplies have been for children.
But no charity can replace the dignity and efficiency of being able to buy the food you and your family need. We know that emergency food aid is not a solution to poverty and hardship.
That’s why alongside providing emergency food, we offer expert advice in partnership with Citizens Advice Wandsworth to help people resolve the causes of severe hardship, and advocate for policies and provision that will end poverty and the need for our Foodbank.
