“I never thought this would happen to us – we were both working, we’ve paid our taxes… If it wasn’t for the foodbank I don’t know what we would’ve done. I want to work again, that would sort everything out. Then we could prepare for the babies, get our house back. I don’t even have a hospital bag ready at the moment”
Last week, our foodbank was visited by Anna*, just six weeks before her twins were due. They will be her first children, and she and her partner currently have no home to call their own. They have been sofa surfing for the last few weeks because they hit financial difficulty when her antiques business collapsed and they were evicted from their home. Anna’s partner hasn’t been able to get enough contract work to support them.
It will soon be Mother’s Day, a day when families come together to celebrate the wonderful sacrifices that Mothers make for their children and loved ones. Gifts are often given, and perhaps a celebratory breakfast or lunch has been arranged. For many mothers though, it will again be a day when the stark reality of parenting in poverty is deeply felt.
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