Food Bank & the floods
Flood-hit areas have seen a rise in the number of residents using food banks over the past month.
Epsom and Ewell Foodbank has distribution centres across Tadworth, Leatherhead Epsom and Ewell and has helped more families since January as numbers on low incomes steadily rise.
Jonathan Lees, a volunteer at the food bank, said: “We’ve been feeding around 195 people per month since April last year. I couldn’t directly say that flooding has caused the rise in the Tadworth bank, but January was busier than I expected.”
He said: “It’s not the same people week in, week out. We see different people in different times of financial crisis and benefit delays.”
Those who are affected by flooding can face serious financial issues as they begin to pay for damage caused by bad weather.
This week the Epsom and Ewell Foodbank are appealing for the following items: female shower gel, sanitary products, nappies size 5 and 6, pet food and children’s toothbrushes as well as spreads like peanut butter and chocolate spread.
- (c)2014 Epsom Guardian
