Market Drayton food bank referrals up three-fold since coronavirus lock down began, manager says
Market Drayton's food bank is needed now during the coronavirus crisis more than ever, with referrals in the last month three times as high as during a normal month.
Market Drayton Foodbank, which operates out of the Parish Rooms at St Mary's Church, has seen a surge in the number of people receiving emergency food parcels since the UK's widespread lock down was announced in March.
The volunteers who make up the food bank team have helped 448 people in a little over a month.
They have been supported by the town's Rotary Club and Joule's brewery, while Market Drayton Town Council gave them £1,000.
Helen McSherry, food bank manager, said that she was grateful for the contributions of other groups as well as a number of individuals who have offered to volunteer, but that it is crucial that people keep donating food to the collection points.
Market Drayton's collection points are sited at Morrisons, Asda, Sainsbury's and Lidl.
"Referrals have gone up three-fold, we are dealing with three times the normal number," she said.
"Since the day the lock down was announced, March 23, we have helped 448 people and given out 5.2 tonnes of food."
Processes
In the whole of 2019, the food bank gave out 2,332 parcels of food.
Despite the crisis meaning more people than ever need the support of the food bank, social distancing precautions mean that the team has had to limit the number of volunteers helping to pack food parcels even though there has been a spike in the number of people putting themselves forward.
"We can only have so many volunteers working at a time. It's sad because a lot of people have been wanting to volunteer but we can't take them all on," she said.
"We have had to change our processes completely. We have gone from being face-to-face to delivery only.
"A lot of people are still in touch with organisations like the housing associations, schools – there are 50 to 60 referral agencies out there.
"People are in touch with one of those, they would be struggling, they contact the agency or vice versa and the referral agency then generates a voucher online.
"We contact the claimant, make sure that they are OK and can take a delivery and check whether they have any special requirements.
"The Rotary Club are helping us to collect food from supermarket collection points and dropping it off.
Generous
"Joule's Brewery delivery drivers are also helping. It's a real community effort.
"We get some help from the Trussell Trust [the charity that supports food banks all over Britain], and from the likes of Tesco, they have donated pallets of food to us.
"Morrisons, Muller, Lidl, Asda and B&M [have also donated].
"People are being very generous and donating money and food. We do need them to keep on donating, because this is set to carry on for a while yet.
"I don't see the need going down at all, I think it will go up in excess even of what it is now [in the coming weeks].
"Thank you to everyone for the help. Those people that have volunteered and we have had to turn them away, we are sorry.
"Hopefully we can all together get through this. It's a big team effort from everybody."
Call the food bank on 01630 654007 or email info@marketdrayton.foodbank.org.uk.
Call a trained Citizens Advice adviser for free on 0808 2082138 or call Market Drayton's outreach branch of the Citizens Advice Bureau on 07940 966542.
