People go hungry every day for a range of reasons, from benefit delays to receiving an unexpected bill whilst on a low income. The SVP actively supports local food banks around the country in addressing this need for basic provisions.
Food poverty is the inability of individuals and households to obtain an adequate and nutritious diet, often because they cannot afford healthy food or because there are few shops in easy reach of their location. In the UK, 8% of adults regularly struggle to put food on the table, with children at risk of food insecurity during school holidays. There are several causes of food poverty, including:
- Low income
- Delays in receiving benefits
- Change of circumstances
- Transfer between one benefit and another
- Sanctions on benefits
How we help
Our vocation is to visit people in need, in their homes and on the street. We offer food parcels to people in need we visit, and they can ask us directly without requiring coupons. There is no limit to the duration of support or number of food parcels. We deliver our food parcels, so our beneficiaries do not need to walk home carrying heavy bags.
SVP Conferences get in touch with their local foodbank and offer long-term support to their beneficiaries, collect food in our parishes for them and become a referring agency able to hand out vouchers to people in need. Some Conferences have set up their own foodbank and seek and find those who are in need in locations including Fleetwood, Lancs, and Whitstable, Kent.
