Worcester Foodbank has praised the extraordinary generosity of its supporters after feeding a record number of people during the countdown to Christmas.
Volunteers defied the challenges posed by Covid-19 to provide meals to 1,654 people throughout December – making it the busiest month since the charity opened its doors almost a decade ago.
They were buoyed by the kindness of the local community, which also enabled foodbank to provide 651 toyshop gift cards – worth more than £9,700 – to families unable to afford presents for their children.
However, the charity has warned that even more challenging months lie ahead with the threat of a cost of living crisis – fuelled by rising energy costs, high inflation, and the prospect of another wave of household bill increases in April – set to pull more people into financial hardship.
Grahame Lucas, Manager at Worcester Foodbank, said:
“The generosity of local people never ceases to delight and amaze us – but it is bittersweet when you witness so many households experiencing hardship.”
“These are not the sort of records we want to be breaking and yet we find ourselves sliding into another cost of living crisis that will leave more people at risk of going hungry.”
Efforts by the foodbank network and other charities to alleviate the mounting pressure on struggling households were undermined in the autumn when pleas for the Government to retain the £20 a week Universal Credit uplift fell on deaf ears.
“We are under severe pressure to maintain the flow of donations, although we know the local community will always come through for us.
We will continue to lobby the Government to act and ensure everyone receives a living household income that covers the cost of the essentials we all depend on.”
Worcester Foodbank is also facing the task of finding a new warehouse and distribution premises, with its current Lowesmoor base earmarked for redevelopment.
You can find out how to support our foodbank by visiting the Give Help page