I don't want to see my son's school mates go hungry this winter due to the cost of living. We have set up a food bank so no child suffers.
by Lucy Elizabeth Herron in London, Greater London, United Kingdom
We are running a pilot project which is the Food Bank until the end of term. Any unclaimed food will be sent to particular at risk families identified through the school welfare team as food parcels, and then the project will pick up again in the Spring Term of 2023.
My son started school last year and what I love about dropping him off now is seeing his little class mates who I have known from their first day of school. It is a constant cycle of shopping and cooking to feed these growing children who never seem to stop eating. I worry about the kids at his school who might be going hungry this winter with the cost of living crisis their parents and carers are facing through no fault of their own.
I am setting up a food bank at the school so parents can donate food, so that parents who need help can go - confidentially - to an area of the school and take what they need. They don't need to sign up, they're not means tested, they aren't even seen. They will just be buzzed in if they give a code word which means they're there for the food bank to ensure security at the school is maintained, but so is their anonymity.
This project aims to continue to April when the heating vs eating dilemma is eased for many struggling families as the weather gets warmer. No child should go without and we are horrified that we have to do this in 2022. But where the Government fail, the school community will pull together. Please consider donating what you can.
The school is not named for security and confidentiality.
Thank you,
Lucy