Exmouth Food Bank february 2023 newsletter

Looking back and looking forward

The start of a New Year gives us all time to reflect on what has gone before. In 2022 Exmouth Food Bank distributed 3,094 parcels (a 42% increase in demand when compared to 2021) that provided food for 8,091 people.

These are sobering statistics which are sadly symptomatic of the current economic situation. We are now consistently distributing over 75 parcels per week to feed over 200 people. The good news is that, due to our amazing team of unpaid volunteers and the loyal support provided by the wider community, we have been able to respond to such demand.

At the moment we are distributing about £8,000 worth of food per month; £4,000 of this we receive in physical donations of food and then we use financial donations to pay for the additional stock that we need to buy in. So, we’d like to say a big THANK YOU to all of our donors – we simply could not do this without you.

Launch of Mushroom Community Food Network

On 23 January we were invited to speak at the launch of Mushroom – a new community food network for Exmouth and the local area. We were excited to join with other organisations such as Open Door, Transition Exmouth, Launchpad and Budleigh Lions to explore how we can work together to ensure that no one goes hungry. It was also good to share with local councillors the work that we do and the challenges we face.

In addition to addressing food poverty, Mushroom will be focusing on the re-distribution of food surplus, food sustainability and education and nutrition. But first they will be conducting some local research to determine what is exactly needed and where.

Preparations for Pancake Day

Pancake Day, or Shrove Tuesday, will take place this year on Tuesday 21 February. To make sure that our clients and their children can join in the fun we will be collecting and distributing the following items:

· Pancake mixes

· Lemon juice

· Sugar

Food donations needed this month

We are continuing to focus on restocking our core items such as tins of fish, meat and fruit - and boxes of cereals.

As well as looking at our website for a full list of items that we need (https://exmouthfoodbank.org.uk/donate/donate-food/) donors can download and use an app called BanktheFood. The app allows us to prioritise in real time the items that we are short of.

If you have a smart phone you can register by scanning the QR code on the right or you can visit https://www.bankthefood.org/