Canterbury Food Bank say they distributed enough emergency parcels to make more than 117,000 meals in 2024.
Oliver Leader de Saxe reports.
Oliver Leader de Saxe reports.
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00:00An early morning and another busy day here in Whitstable as Canterbury Foodbank prepares for
00:05another day of relentless demand. The charity delivered more than 13,000 meals in December alone
00:14but a new year hasn't stopped that demand from continuing to rise.
00:20This year we're giving out more parcels month on month than we gave out last year
00:27and that is shocking because we would like to see an end to this. We would like to see
00:32food banks as just a temporary necessity in society and could go back to a situation
00:40where people could support themselves off their incomes but that doesn't seem to be happening.
00:46When we've been here before shelves like this one here at the Canterbury Foodbank
00:51would normally be packed with cans of the essentials food that people need to get
00:57through their daily lives but that's not the case anymore because while donations may be steady
01:04demand has only increased over the last year. People can't afford I think to donate so much
01:13and whereas we used to pack some biscuits in every bag they don't get biscuits anymore there's
01:18more selective of what people get because there's just not so many people can afford to donate as
01:26well as demand going up. It's not just Canterbury Foodbank feeling the strain. Down the road in
01:32Herne Bay empty pockets and cold weather is forcing more people than ever to seek help
01:40from Myers Community Foodbank. It's been a lifeline because Basman's disabled and
01:47we need the heating on and it's like that saying that goes heat or eat we can heat and eat if I
01:54come here. The queue is literally growing every day January like it was the day when we didn't
02:00have enough food it's scary you're looking at the queue you're looking in the food available
02:05and it's scary and that question will I have enough will I have enough I literally have
02:09palpitations sometimes because I think will I have enough. 2024 was a tough year for many
02:15but with more cold weather incoming and energy bills being so high 2025 doesn't look
02:24like it'll be any easier. Oliver Leeds for KMTV in Herne Bay.