Festive season keeps food bank busy, but extra-generous donations help
The work has not stopped for a Sandwell food bank as the festive season turns into the New Year.
Breaking Bread, in Walsall Street, Wednesbury, is one of dozens of food banks around the region which has relied on donations to help it continue to support its community.
Breaking Bread works by a wide range of care professionals such as doctors, health visitors, social workers, schools, churches, welfare rights centres and Citizens Advice identifying people in crisis and issuing them with a food bank voucher.
Those clients can then bring their voucher to a food bank centre where it can be redeemed for three days of emergency food.
The food bank had seen a 200 per cent increase in demand for help, with more people being referred to the service for reasons such as being kicked out of homes and high levels of debt, and had struggled at times to keep up with demand.
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However, as manager Lin Walford explains, the festive period has been busy, but has been boosted by the generosity of people.
She said: "We've been absolutely amazed by the generosity of people across Christmas and even considering the situation that everyone has been in due to cost of living, we have been absolutely inundated with donations.
"This has come from people we haven't seen before as well as people who have always donated to us, but have been extra generous this year.
"We are also now getting donations from a man who was walking past and saw the queue outside, so came in and said he hadn't realised what we were about and is now going to come each month to donate, so we have been very lucky with the generosity."
Ms Walford said the donations from people had been a great help, although there was always the worry that demand could exceed supply and leave the food bank in a bad place.
She said the festive period had seen an unbelievable amount of demand and said it could get worse in April when the funding sent out for electricity and gas bills was stopped, but said the food bank's supporters would always be there to help.
"We've had people come in from all over Sandwell, including one man who had a disabled child with him and had walked an hour and a half to get there and would do the same to get home," she said.
"I do think to myself that it could get worse in April when the money stops for gas and electric, but I certainly hope that we can make it through this period.
"I can't fault any of the people who have donated to us, such as Morrisons in Wednesbury, which has given us a £200 donation, which is absolutely fabulous, and they have always been very good to us."
Ms Walford said the team was continuing to work hard to meet demand, but said they were able to take a break every now and again, compared to a few months ago when the place was busy all day.
She also said that if people were genuinely in need, they would be there to offer a helping hand and said that their independent status made it easier for people to make donations.
"We are independent and we work with people who are referred to us and genuinely need help, so we welcome the donations to help them," she said.
"I know people who say that they want to donate to food banks, but often wonder if they are genuine, but I can reassure you that we are independent and will make sure your donations go to the right people."
To find out more about Breaking Bread and how you can help visit breakingbreadfoodbank.co.uk
