A woman who launched her own food bank now faces shutting the doors as the UK’s cost of living crisis increases demand – but says people are forced to “turn away chicken” because they can’t cook it.
The tragic news comes just three days after a survey by The Trussell Trust showed almost 1 in 10 parents will be “very likely to use a food bank in the next three months”.
During the first lockdown, Jen Savaris, 28, from Manchester, started a support group on Facebook, gathering volunteers to help those who were struggling.
After a few months, people began asking for food parcels and thanks to her local community, Jen soon found her living room filled to the brim with donations.
At the end of 2020, she formed a food bank – named Perry’s Pantry.
But now, with more people pushed to the poverty line, donations are swiftly drying up, while demand has doubled to 60 parcel drop-offs per week, plus increased in-store visitors.
The surplus of foods that people are turning away also means that Jen needs to find a new space to operate from – but with rental prices skyrocketing (and her current venue rent-free) this is an impossible task.
Hiked-up product prices also mean that Jen and those who are still donating goods are paying more for less.
The food bank owner recalls once paying £250 a week for supplies but now spends around £700.
“If we don’t find a new space, I don’t know what we’ll do – people will go hungry,” Jen told Jam Press.
“We can no longer cope with where we are.
“People are turning away food they can’t cook.
“I put a package together over Easter, which was filled with chicken and Yorkshire puddings – everything you would need for a roast.
“I had two people come back to me saying that they can’t afford to pay for the heating or oven use, so couldn’t make use of the food.
“I was shocked, as they’ve been offered this delicious meal but can’t afford to make it.
“Something like this didn’t even enter my head before and I started wondering about how many more people were like this on my list.
“I gave her some extra packets of Pot Noodle as she said that they were only using the microwave and kettle as they’re cheap to run.
“It broke my heart, as I truly can’t believe that in this day and age we’re living like this.”
The food bank also desperately needs more volunteers to help deliver parcels to those who can’t come in.
She said: “I think come May, we will see our biggest increase [in need].
“Initially, I was worried about having more clients on our list and about how we would get enough donations.
“Donations have dropped significantly, as we were getting a consistent amount each week – but now I can’t remember the last time we had one.
“We’ve got two employees and 15 volunteers at the moment, but we’re so stretched and need more people due to the demand.
“More people are struggling and that means that they’re unable to donate, or now coming to us for help.”
Jen has also assisted with the Ukraine crisis, having visited the country three times to donate medical supplies, food and clothing.
