A blog post by
Emma Greenwood
Area Manager for South West England
One of the greatest privileges of my job is spending time with our amazing food bank teams. Living, breathing, walking embodiments of our key values of community, compassion, dignity and justice.
I spent yesterday morning with a small group of project managers. We were discussing what their roles entailed – the list of responsibilities went on and on and on.
Stock management, volunteer recruitment, volunteer management, health and safety, safeguarding, data protection, social media, external relations, donor relations, fundraising…
All that and the capacity to drop everything and deal with whatever issues are facing the people that arrive on their doorstep on any given day.
Handing out parcels of emergency food is part of what they do, but also advocating and signposting people to the support that is available. Spending time listening. Helping people join the dots of what support is available to them. Inviting often isolated people into community – making people aware of local social activities. Giving practical help. Small acts making a big difference.
In the face of rising numbers of people coming through their doors, what these project managers achieve is amazing. Some are paid, others volunteer. These are the people that achieve the impossible – whatever they are faced with, they get the job done.
But it takes its toll.
Mentally, physically, emotionally.
An increase of 23% of food parcels given out across the network equals an increase of 23% on the demands of our volunteer base, on the time and energy they are devoting to make themselves available to those experiencing crisis.
It’s fantastic that across the country we have so many volunteers turning their compassion into action. Using their skills and life experience to help others. The truth is they shouldn’t have to be giving out emergency food parcels to people in increasing numbers.
Volunteers should not be bearing the mental, physical and emotional burden of supporting those who are driven through their doors when we know there are things that could reduce the amount of people needing their help.
Understandably the work they are involved in does not leave our food bank teams a lot of time to campaign for change. This is where you can play your part.
Become a Trussell Trust campaign supporter and join us in calling on the government to:
- End the five week wait for Universal Credit
- Make sure benefit payments cover the cost of living
- Invest in local emergency support for people in crisis
Food banks should have no place in our society. We know that with your support #ThisCanChange
