VOLUNTEERS at a Southampton food bank have told of their efforts to keep Sotonians fed during a cost of living and refugee crisis.
The Echo volunteered for a shift at Southampton City Mission's food bank at Central Baptist Church where hundreds of items of food, toiletries and pet supplies were being handed out to those in need.
It comes as we launched Boost the Bank - our campaign to support the charity through summer when donations fall but demand increases.
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At 10am it's not long before people start pouring through the food bank's doors collecting much-needed supplies.
From young adults to parents and full families of seven, the bank volunteers helped everybody they could during what they said was a busy period.
Janet Browse, 70, has volunteered for the Basics Bank for around 16 years and said there are more clients now but fewer donations coming in.
“We do get a lot of families now," she said. "During the crisis with the Ukraine, people have been very much torn about where they should donate their food.
“So, our donations have changed. They’ve dropped.
"But people need to make choices and with the current financial climate people don’t have money maybe to buy spares.”
Providing everything from vegetables, meat and fish, to toothpaste and even cat food, volunteers worked throughout the day to collect everything users required.
Another volunteer, Peter Hudd, 58, was meeting people at the door as they visited.
He explained how users of the bank must first be referred to then be given a food voucher to be used at the bank.
“If people don’t have a voucher, we’ll issue a voucher here if we can," he said.
"A lot of the guys that come down they sleep on the common. They’re in tents.
“We want people to feel valued and it to be a community of people rather than just simply collect your food and off you go.
“We’re probably the first in line talking to people about what their needs may be. It is really signposting them to where they can go to.”
As well as providing food, users of the bank were invited to sit down, have a drink of tea or coffee and talk with others.
Taking around five to ten minutes per person, users of the bank selected what items they wanted, and received help carrying the supplies to their vehicles as they left smiling and talking with volunteers.
Jane Lee, 59, is one of the newest volunteers at the bank.
She added: “If we could close down because we weren’t needed that would be brilliant.
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"There’s always going to be people that need to be here.
“At the moment we’ve got a lot of people because the cost of energy is really high, we’ve got a lot of Ukrainian refugees.”
Stalwart Janet added: “Anyone could fall into the situation of our clients, especially over the pandemic.
"We want the places where we are to be places of acceptance and peace and love.
“One of the things that we prioritise is you don’t judge.
"You don’t know people’s situation so you can’t judge them. We’re always ready if we get the opportunity to chat to people.
“We never want anyone to go away unloved or judged.
"People used to think if you go to a food bank, you’re really on the lowest level of society but that’s not true anymore.
“During the pandemic we had people who had been furloughed, people who lost their jobs. We do get people from probation.
“Some people are just sent on because they’ve had health issues where they can’t work. It could happen to anyone here.”
Working until the close of the food bank at around 3pm, the Echo helped to dish out tins of meat, soup, spaghetti and veg to users.
Bagging the items up, volunteers chatted and smiled as they collected items to help those in need.
“I really enjoy the work," Janet added.
"I’ve done other work for other agencies, and I just felt that this was the right thing for me to do.
“I’ve never regretted working here. The people I work with become friends. We see people come and go.
“It is really good because everyone who’s here has a real heart to look after people and feed people.”
We are encouraging readers to donate, where they can, to the 14 drop-off food collection points in the city:
- Asda, The Marlands
- Lidl, Nursling
- Lidl, Shirley
- Nisa Local, Maybush
- Little Waitrose, John Lewis
- Sainsbury's, Bitterne
- Sainsbury's, Hedge End
- Sainsbury's, Lordshill
- Sainsbury's, Portswood
- The Co-Op, Sholing
- Sainsbury's, Shirley
- Natwest, Bitterne
- The Co-Op, Archers Road
- The Co-Op, Mayflower Halls
These are the out-of-stock items that are urgently needed:
- Tinned cold meat (ham, spam)
- Coffee (small jars)
- Custard
- Nappies size five plus.
- Noodles (packets)
- Tinned mixed veg
- Tinned fruit
- Tinned peas
- UHT Milk
- Squash and drinks
- Tinned tomatoes
For up-to-date information, visit: southamptoncitymission.co.uk/get-involved/how-to-donate and dailyecho.co.uk/boost-bank
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