FOODBANKS
Janet Fletcher in the foodbank warehouse
It relies not only on volunteers’ hard
work, but also on donations of food.
This is particularly the case in February,
when it traditionally has a shortage of
stock. You can find out how, and what,
to donate at ealing.foodbank.org.uk;
and also how to volunteer.
‘MANY ARE FACING EVICTION
FROM THEIR HOMES’
Adrienne Khan is a caseworker and
crisis navigator from West London
Equality Centre (WLEC). She is part
of the Help Through Crisis service
provided by a partnership of WLEC,
Ealing Law Centre, Ealing Community
and Volunteering Service and Ealing
MIND, supporting people at the
foodbanks. It is paid for through the
Big Lottery Fund.
She said most people found
themselves needing the foodbank
through financial crises. “It is often
because they have fallen into arrears
with their rent because of the benefit
cap and Universal Credit payment
delays,” said Adrienne. “And many are
facing eviction from their homes.
“People can come here multiple times
in the year but not more than once a
week, so they can get
food for about three
days in each week.
We then direct those
people who need
it to the local soup
kitchens so they can
have something hot to
eat on other days of
the week, but also to
help avoid isolation.
So often now, even
people with children
are going to soup
kitchens; and it’s not
just the homeless –
people who are in
jobs but are struggling
to pay for much more than their rent
go there too.”
‘I WAS THE LOWEST I HAD
EVER BEEN. IT CAN HAPPEN
TO ANYBODY’
Karen is a volunteer peer mentor
working with WLEC alongside
Adrienne, who has been through what
other foodbank clients have been
through. Her comfortable life suddenly
changed and she found herself alone
as a single mother looking after her
son – and was then evicted from her
home and the council had to find
temporary accommodation for her.
Karen said: “I was the lowest I had
ever been. I was going through a
divorce as well.
“I had already volunteered at the
foodbank in the past but now I was
on the other side of the fence and
needing to use it. And it shows it can
happen to anybody.
“You’re made welcome here and
are not judged. It is so important,
especially from a mental aspect. It
is easy to become isolated but the
foodbank is a refuge. It becomes a
hub for you – and it allows you to
Janet with Karen, a volunteer peer mentor,
at the Hanwell centre in St Mellitus Church
rediscover your confidence in other
people, and to understand there is
nothing to be ashamed of. These are
barriers that need to be broken.”
MORE INFO
n Read the full story
about our visit to the
foodbank’s Hanwell centre
at ealingnewsextra.co.uk/
features/foodbank – where
you can also find a list of local
soup kitchens
n You can go to the ‘give help’
section of the foodbank’s website
ealing.foodbank.org.uk to
register to volunteer – and you
can also find out how to make
donations that way, or email
[email protected]
n To
find out more about how the
council’s local welfare assistance
team might be able to help
you, go to the ‘health and adult
social care’ section of the council
website www.ealing.gov.uk or call
020 8825 6237.
around ealing February 2019
11