Emergency: 07749 322 291
Email: help@exmouthfoodbank.org.uk
As the summer holidays begin (and the weather typically changes to rain!) we have seen a further surge in demand from families seeking emergency help with food. During July our team of loyal volunteers packed and distributed over 300 parcels - 10% more bags than they did in June.
The graph to the right shows the month on month increase we have been experiencing since April and also highlights that we are currently providing food for 20% more people than this time last year.
It’s not all doom and gloom though, as the recent spate of sunshine and rain has provided us with a bumper supply of fresh rhubarb, courgettes, French beans and runner beans kindly donated by our friends at Lympstone and Woodbury allotments. These have been much appreciated by our clients.
We are pleased to announce that Citizens Advice East Devon has agreed to increase the support they provide to the Food Bank by ensuring that an adviser is present each Friday and alternate Tuesday afternoon sessions. This means that, along with the expertise kindly provided by staff from East Devon District Council’s Finance and Resilience Team, clients can readily access face to face advice on aspects such as benefits, grants and debt as and when they need it.
As demand for our services has increased food donations have begun to decline. This is to be expected as the cost of food continues to rise and people are being financially squeezed. Undaunted by this Lisa O’Shaughnessy, Tesco Community Champion at the Salterton Road store, has sprung into action and is raising the profile of the Food Bank to shoppers. At the entrance to the store you will now see our banner, two trolleys and a list of items that we are short of. This month we particularly need the following breakfast and lunch items to help families with children during the holidays:
Thank you in advance to all of those who are able to donate.
For the past three months we have successfully piloted providing fresh fruit, vegetables and eggs to Brixington Community Church. These items are added to the basic food parcels that the church distributes to about 26 individuals and families each week. The fresh produce has been very well received so we have decided to extend this support until next spring as it has enabled us to reach families in need who have not yet approached us.
