SALISBURY Foodbank is warning this winter will be the “biggest challenge in our history”.

The charity has already seen demand rise over the last several months as more people struggle with the rising cost of living.

In August, it fed 745 people – 40 per cent of them children – which was up from 321 recorded in the same month last year.

Foodbank manager Maria Stevenson said: “We gave out almost two tonnes more stock then we took in during August. This winter will be the biggest challenge in our history.”

In July, the foodbank fed 478 people. This was an increase from the 352 fed the previous July (2021).

Maria says September has been “very busy” for the charity, adding “it’s another really big month for people accessing food support in Salisbury and beyond”.

Maria explains that support is being rolled out by the government to ease the cost of living, for example, help with energy bills but these were “short term measures”.

“There are things in the pipeline that are going to ease the next few months. But what is scary for me is people are reaching out to us in their droves more than ever before and this is even before we’ve started to put our heating on. It is quite a worrying time for us at the foodbank.”

She says the charity is seeing more people affected by the cost of living with many “worried” about it.

More families are accessing support with the charity seeing more single parents than previously. However, the largest number of people it supports is single people.

“It is so hard to say what the figures are going to be. I anticipate they are going to be as strong as or even more than our August number which was 745 people. Already this month we’ve fed around 620 which is probably going to end up more at the 700 mark as well,” added Maria.

“Historically, the autumn into winter months just creep up and up and up – 10 or 15 per cent per month additional to the previous month – as more and more people are struggling with making impossible decisions whether they want to put their heating on or eat. We hope that some of the extra resource the government has put to safeguard the most low income families is going to help them.”

In preparation for this rising demand the charity is looking to build up its food supplies to the maximum levels to ensure it has three months worth of stock.

“I am very worried, food levels are so low,” admitted Maria.

The demand for support is being impacted by the cost of living and also low wages with people struggling to make their money stretch as they previously did.

“It is so scary that so many people are coming. We are lucky to be in a position to assist and support them. But it is not sustainable. It is not sustainable for us as a charity or people coming for our help,” she said. “Even with all the additional support it is really hard to see an end to this any time soon.”

Maria says she worries for the foodbank as well as the needs of the people using it.

“What scares me the most is that more people are going to need our support,” she explains.

“We are well set to support them and I know our community will rally around and support us to support the people that need our help. But the fact there are going to be so many people knocking on our door is scary.”

 

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