A mum has visited a food bank in Birmingham every weekday for nearly two years so that she can feed her children.
Since the beginning of 2020, this woman has gone to Feedo Needo in Digbeth to feed herself, her three young children, and her husband. She does this despite the fact that her husband works.
Rafa Ahmed, project manager at Feedo Needo said: “The parents come every day Monday to Thursday just before 6pm to collect sandwiches, bread, fruit, salad and snacks for their children’s school dinners the next day,”
“Then on Fridays, they come to collect a larger food parcel that we put together for them for the whole week. It contains things like rice, milk, pasta, tins, packet meals, condiments and fruit for the children.”
“For them it’s become part of their daily routine. We have friendly staff and they’ve built up a rapport with them because they see them every day.
“They are a low income household and the children are very young. The dad works full time as a lorry driver but he doesn’t earn enough to feed the family, it’s not enough to keep the family going.
“He goes to work but they’re still having to rely on the food bank really heavily. This is the reality for some families. It’s something they’ve come to rely on, even though they shouldn’t have to.”, she added.
As a charity, based in Smithfield House in Digbeth, Feedo Needo supports people struggling with homelessness and financial difficulty. The bank remained open during the first lockdown period so that no families went hungry at that most difficult time.
Rafa says she is seeing an increase in the number of working parents. Parents who have been made redundant, simply do not have enough money to feed their children.
This charity also helps people to overcome feelings of isolation and loneliness.
she said: “The family say it’s made such a difference to them and that they do not know what they would have done without the food bank,”
“The mum also sometimes comes to our coffee mornings on Mondays where she can talk to others in similar situations. It’s good because people can interact with other food bank users and help each other with tips and advice.
“It’s nice for people to have that support, it’s good to know you’re not on your own.”
Source: https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/mum-visits-birmingham-food-bank-22050629
