1 IN 5 PEOPLE ARE LIVING BELOW THE POVERTY LINE IN THE UK
Today in Neath there are families struggling to put food on the table. For people on low incomes, a sudden crisis - reudundancy, benefit delay or even an unexpected bill - can mean going hungry. Every day parents skip meals to feed their children and people are forced to choose between paying the rent and eating.
Neath foodbank provides emergency food and support to local people in crisis.
The video below briefly explains the work of the food bank project
How a foodbank works
Food is donated
Schools, churches, businesses and individuals donate non-perishable, in-date food to the foodbank. All food given out by foodbanks is donated.
‘Supermarket Collections’ are one of the main ways that food is donated: These are food drives held at supermarkets where volunteers give shoppers a ‘foodbank shopping list’ and ask them to buy an extra item or two for local people in crisis.
Food is sorted and stored
Volunteers sort food to check that it’s in date and pack it into boxes ready to be given to people in need.
Frontline care professionals identify people in need
Care professionals such as doctors, health visitors, social workers, CAB and police identify people in crisis and issue them with a foodbank voucher.
Clients receive food
Foodbank clients bring their voucher to a foodbank centre where it can be redeemed for three days emergency food. Volunteers meet clients over a cup of tea or free hot meal and are able to signpost people to agencies able to solve the longer-term problem.