Written by Carl Walker
This blog has been reposted from Cost of Living. Find the original post here.
“I felt very worried going in. I thought, do I need to give false details in case they actually report me and say, ‘This woman can’t afford pasta, can you take her son away.’ I was terrified.”
“It’s not easy to ask for help… and then when you do, you’re always worrying in the queue: Is somebody going to drive past that you know from the work? Is somebody going to phone my daughter and say, I’ve seen your mum at the food bank queue? It’s just constant… I just wasn’t comfortable with the whole experience at all.”
Since the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent cost-of-living crisis, food insecurity has surged in the UK. Recent surveys indicate that 15% of all households, and a staggering 25% of households with children, face regular struggles to afford sufficient food. As more people turn to food banks and other community support, many still avoid seeking help due to the stigma and shame associated with charitable food aid. The charity sector, burdened by resource constraints, faces the dual challenge of responding to surging demand, whilst also supporting individuals who experience profound emotional trauma from food insecurity.
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