More than just food for the hungry

In his regular quarterly column for Devon Life, fundraising expert PAUL COURTNEY profiles a charity which has provided a vital lockdown lifeline

- PAUL COURTNEY

“I never thought it would be me that needed to turn to a Foodbank.” Fourteen simple words that are uttered by thousands of people across the UK every week – and the numbers are growing week on week as the impact of COVID19 continues to hit.

Every day people are facing monumental shifts in their lives due to family bereavement, dramatic changes in finances and widespread job losses – theynever thought it could happen to them. But it does.

When circumstances suddenly change, there are very few places to turn. But that is where the UK’s network of Foodbanks comes in. And in Plymouth, the Foodbank does much more than simply provide a parcel of food that can feed a family for three days.

Since 2008, Plymouth Foodbank has operated out of the Oasis Centre in Plymouth – a community project in the heart of Stonehouse. The project is managed and delivered by the Plymouth Methodist Mission Circuit and it is a core part of their outreach work in the city.

But 2020 has been a year like no other. In the three months from March to June this year they provided almost 2,000 food parcels to people in need, supporting over 2,500 adults and over 1,200 children – that’s an increase of almost 50% when compared to the same three months in the previous year.

Thankfully, there has been great support from the local community – local people have donated many more items than usual and supermarkets have donated tonnes of additional products to fill food parcels for families in crisis.