Local foodbanks have been receiving fewer donations as a result of social distancing measures and are now working with the council to ensure they have supplies.
The coronavirus crisis has had a big impact on struggling families in the city, with many more experiencing severe financial hardship. As a result of this, and dwindling donations, the council has offered to donate food parcels made up at the city’s emergency food distribution hub.
Foodbanks receiving donated food parcels include The Well, Adventist Foodbank, Bilston People’s Centre, Stratton Street Park Village and the Elias Mattu Foundation.
The city’s emergency food distribution hub was set up by the council at Aldersley Stadium in just a few days at the start of the lockdown with the primary purpose of ensuring that people most at risk from coronavirus, who were isolating at home with nobody else to support them, would get essential supplies. It is currently delivering around 2,000 of these parcels a week.
Leader of the Council, Councillor Ian Brookfield ,said: “We heard that local foodbanks had seen a drop in donations of dried foods and toiletries when social distancing began.
“With the food hub set up at Aldersley Stadium and hundreds of employees redeployed to work there, we knew that we would be able to help our city’s foodbanks by making up extra food parcels to donate.
“Since then we have been donating a minimum of 60 boxes to each of the 5 foodbanks we are working with every week.
“These are exceptional circumstances and, as a city, we need to work together to look after our own – especially those struggling in hardship. When this is all over, and we will come through it, I want us to look back and say ‘we left no one behind’.”
Project Leader from The Well Foodbank, Caroline Price, said: “The donated parcels from the food distribution hub are a blessing during a time we need them.
“These food parcels will support residents across the city who are facing financial struggles for a variety of reasons, including the current pandemic, and we really appreciate this partnership with the City of Wolverhampton Council.”
The latest information and guidance around coronavirus is available at GOV.UK and on the council’s own coronavirus pages at Coronavirus advice and information. There’s lots of advice on how people can protect themselves and their families from coronavirus from the NHS at Advice for everyone – Coronavirus (COVID-19).
The council’s Stay Safe, Be Kind campaign offers clear and simple advice about how people can help themselves, and how they can support others who may be particularly vulnerable at this time. For more information, please visit Stay Safe, Be Kind.
