Coventry Foodbank urgently needs these items
The combination of a dip in donations and rising numbers of people being referred to the foodbank for support has left stocks running low for certain items
Fionnula HaineyNews Reporter
Coventry Foodbank has launched an urgent appeal as demand for emergency food parcels in the city keeps growing.
The foodbank is asking the public to donate items like tinned meat and sauces to ensure the charity can continue to feed those going hungry.
The combination of a dip in donations and rising numbers of people being referred to the foodbank for support has left stocks running low for certain items.
A full list of the items the foodbank is appealing for can be found further down the page.
In the last financial year, Coventry Foodbank, which is part of the Trussell Trust's network, provided 22,000 three-day emergency food parcels to people in need.
Shockingly, 8,800 of these parcels went to children.
'We are not turning people away'
Hugh McNeill, the project manager, said: "We can only continue to provide crucial support with the community's help; we rely on local donations to run the food bank.
"We are not turning people who come with a foodbank voucher away, but we want to make sure that whilst there is a need for our work in the area, we are able to provide a full, nutritionally-balanced supply of three days' emergency food.
"The foodbank really is the community working for the community; we're very grateful for all of the support we've received since we opened in 2011, and we're pleased that all of that food, time and money given generously by people in the city of Coventry goes straight back into providing support when someone local is hit by a genuine crisis.
"It is humbling to see how much people are willing to give, and the difference this can make when someone is at their lowest point.
"We have received donations from people who have been helped by the foodbank before, and are now back on their feet and want to help someone else.
"An emergency food parcel, cup of tea and a listening ear at the foodbank can have such an impact, so any donations will make a difference."
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The food bank is most in need of the following items:
Tinned meat
For up-to-date lists of urgently needed food, information about where donations can be left and to contact the foodbank about possible collection points, visit the Coventry Foodbank website here.
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The year 2018-19 has been the busiest year for food banks in the Trussell Trust's network since the charity opened.
The number of food packages handed out in the UK has increased by 18.8 per cent compared to the year before, and a shocking 73 per cent in the last five years.
As the end of year statistics were revealed earlier this year, the charity launched a campaign calling on the government to end the five-week wait for an initial Universal Credit payment, which it claims is leaving people without enough money for food.
The Trussell Trust's chief executive Emma Revie said: "What we are seeing year-upon-year is more and more people struggling to eat because they simply cannot afford food. This is not right.
"Enough is enough.
"We know this situation can be fixed - that's why we're campaigning to create a future where no one needs a food bank.
"Our benefits system is supposed to protect us all from being swept into poverty. Universal Credit should be part of the solution but currently the five week wait is leaving many without enough money to cover the basics.
"As a priority, we're urging the government to end the wait for Universal Credit to ease the pressure on thousands of households.
"Ultimately, it's unacceptable that anyone should have to use a food bank in the first place. No charity can replace the dignity of having financial security. That's why in the long-term, we're urging the Government to ensure benefit payments reflect the true cost of living and work is secure, paying the real Living Wage, to help ensure we are all anchored from poverty."
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