Tales from the Food Bank Part Two

On a day when interest rates were raised by three-quarters of one percent and the Bank of England warned of a two-year recession, during which unemployment would rise dramatically, utility bills would continue to increase, inflation will fall but wages won’t increase and interest rates would keep going up, I was back in the food bank. It was relatively quiet.

There was a slow but steady stream of arrivals today. As I said last time, no one is asked for their ID. It’s all done on trust. And we try to make people feel as relaxed as we can.

After checking for any allergies, we go through a list of shopping and ask what people would like. There’s no fresh food for the obvious reason it would soon go off, but people who donate often go for healthy options. It’s the usual tinned stuff – meat, fish, that kind of thing – and choices, like rice or pasta. The team at the front take the order, so to speak, and the people in the store room put it all in bags. That takes some time but soon the storeroom staff emerge with large bags of food.

Everyone is incredibly grateful for anything they get and they often thank you repeatedly. It’s humbling and, at first, I was a little embarrassed, but I’m in the swing now. “You’re very welcome” and “no worries”, I’ll say. When we’re going through the list, I’ll chat away if we have time. “I’d have gone for the custard and biscuits,” I’ll say, when they choose something else. But I don’t make a special effort. It’s the way I’d talk to anyone away from the bank. Let’s face it: if things had turned out different, I might be on the other side.

The volunteers are overwhelmingly lovely. They come from many different walks of life and are there for the same reason: they want to help people. No one believes there should be food banks in a country like this one but everyone knows that the way things are the country needs them.

As I left, I couldn’t help feeling this was the calm before the storm. The stories we heard from people coming in were very sad and I fear will become increasingly common in the near future.

I’m not special for doing this. People do far more to benefit society than I do. And I’m doing it because I can, not just because I want to.

If you can donate, then please do. Everything you donate is gratefully received by often desperate people. Remember: hunger is not just for Christmas. Don’t wait until December.