Food bank stocks 'low as client numbers increase'
Guernsey Welfare ServiceA food bank in Guernsey says its stock has run "extremely low" and it is seeing two or three new clients each week.
Guernsey Welfare Service, which runs the largest food bank on the island, raised the concerns in what it said was a rare such post on social media, and asked for donations including meat, pasta sauce and tinned fruit.
Service manager Simon Fairclough said "most people are struggling" and the demand and lack of stock was at a "different level" to what he had seen before.
He said: "If we're unable to send a pensioner who lives on their own away with a jar of coffee, that's a pretty sad state of affairs."
Fairclough said the service did not regularly post on social media about needing stock but the the charity was "really running low on things".
He said: "People come in to take food away and there are some things we simply aren't able to give them.
"Some are pretty stock items like granulated sugar, coffee and items like that. If we can't provide those basics, it's a bit of a concern."
He said the cost of living was going up and the charity knew that "everybody is feeling the pinch".
"Our concern is that harder times may yet still come with inflation going up and the full effect of the war in the Middle East having not quite worked their way through yet," he said.
"Demand is staying high and growing two or three new clients a week at the moment. There's no getting away from that."
What items does the foodbank need?
The service said its stocks are running low on:
- Tomato ketchup
- Meat products
- Pasta sauces
- Rice pudding
- Mayonnaise
- Tinned fruit
- Tinned veg
- Custard
- Biscuits
- Cordial
- Coffee
- Sugar
- Rice
- Jam
Bosses said people were able to leave items in donation boxes at Alliance, Coop Grand Marche, Smilers or Waitrose.
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