Poverty Hurts: Providing food for emergency supply

Poverty Hurts: Providing food for emergency supply

Gloucester Foodbank used a grant of £2,000 to provide emergency supplies for those most in need.

Up until the last year or so donations from people roughly equated to the amount of we gave out to people in need. However, the cost of living crisis meant that donors could not afford to donate as much and the numbers in need increased.

In 2023-2024 we saw a 18.7% increase in demand for emergency food parcels. Gloucester Foodbank like many in the country has had to buy food etc from supermarkets and wholesalers.

The grant from GCF has gone towards the purchase of essential items, helping us to support individuals and families in need. We supply three days food and toiletries as an emergency help. This grant has helped to meet the shortfall between donations given by local people and the supplies needed by others.

Some more statistics for their financial year, ended 31st March 2024:

Numbers of food & toiletry packages delivered – 17,037
Numbers of adults helped – 10,766
Number of children under 16 helped – 6,271
Kg of food etc given to clients – 137,867
Kg of food donated to the Foodbank – 98,150
Kg of food purchased by the Foodbank – 35,912

Emergency food supply for the community

This is a thank you from one of our clients: "Thank you so much for the food parcel - really really appreciated - even more so as I felt heard - couple of razors, selection of things ideal as ingredients to make bigger things - chilli con carne and kidney beans to go with the onions and garlic I said I had and the rice in my cupboard - packet of custard creams for dessert maybe dipped in the tin of custard and bam that's two three days sorted. Tuna and corned beef full on protein to go with the bread in my freezer from fare shares. Anyway, I'll stop rambling I know you are busy but honestly a heart-felt thank you and what blessing is mine to give I give you all."