Fears for Wolverhampton foodbank's future as donations drop
A city foodbank has said it fears it will not make it past the end of the month without help with donations.
The Elias Mattu Foundation has been supporting more than 500 people each week by delivering food parcels to people who are self-isolating, as well as elderly and vulnerable people.
The foundation, launched in memory of the late Mayor of Wolverhampton, has helped about 100 extra families in need since the coronavirus pandemic started.
However, Councillor Asha Mattu, who runs the foundation, said she was seeing the level of donations dropping and the foundation was having to take people off its donation list as a result.
She said: "The current situation is that we've still got people coming to us for help and we're having to take people off who have been with us for quite a long time.
"It's not easy having to select who to take off and who to keep on, but we have no choice as the situation with the food bank is not looking good due to donations dropping.
"The food bank is looking rather empty and we would like more donations so that we can continue with our food parcels."
Referrals
Councillor Mattu said the donations may have dropped due to a level of fatigue with donating amongst members of the public, but the number of referrals to the foundation kept on coming.
She said: "We're seeing it daily with more people getting referred and that's not just self-referrals, that's also the professionals who are referring people to us.
"We are asking people to help us with donations as there are many out there who desperately rely on our food parcels and they need them to put foot on the table.
"At the current rate we are working out, we would run out of stock by the end of March, possibly the beginning of April."
Items required include cereal, pasta, pasta sauce, soup, beans, tinned vegetables, fruit, biscuits, rice, eggs, sugar, tea bags, coffee and milk, as well as specialist items like baby food and pet food.
Food items can be dropped off at a number of locations around the city, with the main drop off location at 8 Owen Road, Wolverhampton.
For more information, go to the foodbank's Facebook page or ring Asha Mattu on 07904 310530.
