Coventry Food bank hands out 10,000th crisis food parcel...

[dutchman]

Coventry food bank is set to hand out its 10,000th food parcel.


Gavin Kibble of Coventry Food Bank

Since it was launched 18 months ago, the food bank has helped thousands of Coventry residents facing destitution, when they have been too poor to feed themselves.

The operation has grown dramatically, now running across 11 distribution points, with two more expected to launch soon.

A food bank is being launched in Kenilworth later this month, with others in operation in Bedworth, Nuneaton, Rugby and Hinckley.

Gavin Kibble, operations director at Coventry Food Bank, said: “Most food banks are community projects but in Coventry ours is feeding an entire city.

“Birmingham has six or seven food banks which are area-specific, but our system has worked in Coventry. People are realising there is a definite need for this, with benefit cuts rising, unemployment rising, costs of food rising and debt rising across the population.

“More and more people are finding they are struggling to make ends meet.

“We’re not about feeding the homeless, we’re about feeding the hungry, and there has been an interesting development in recent days that we are seeing the kind of people you wouldn’t automatically expect coming for help.”

He added: “We had a guy three weeks ago who was made redundant when the company he worked for went into receivership, so he got no redundancy money and the DWP mucked up his benefits so six weeks later he had gone from a middle management position to finding himself in the food bank asking for a food parcel.”

Recent figures suggest two food banks are opening every week in the UK.

The number across the country has risen from 100 in 2011 to more than 200 in 2012.

Coventry’s food bank organisers don’t want to “celebrate” the landmark, saying they would rather there wasn’t the need for the food bank at all.

But supporters including Lord Mayor Tim Sawdon, Coventry North East MP Bob Ainsworth, and Bishop of Coventry Christopher Cocksworth are expected to back an event today marking the 10,000th parcel.

That the food bank hasn’t run out of food at any point is a major testament to the generosity of people across the city.

Donations can be dropped off at the Hope Centre in Vauxhall Street, Hillfields, during normal working hours or volunteers can arrange to collect.

To donate food call 024 7663 3500 or visit http://www.coventryfoodbank.com