The last few weeks have been hugely challenging for Tower Hamlets’ biggest foodbank, First Love Foundation.
Though accustomed to dealing with society’s most vulnerable, the team of eight — led by programme manager Debbie Pemberton — have never faced anything quite like coronavirus.
In the 10 years since the foundation was born, Debbie has watched foodbanks go from being a rare fixture to being part and parcel of most communities.
Both she and marketing manager Yasmine Patpatia are keen to emphasise that the foodbank is just one of the services on offer, with the ultimate aim of the foundation to give people the mechanisms to ensure they don’t need the foodbank.
Yasmine says the key question they ask is: “why are you hungry and what can we do to get you back on your feet quickly?”
This is the approach under normal circumstances, though as Yasmine points out, these times are far from ordinary: “Things have changed dramatically because of covid-19; people who don’t usually live in crisis are reaching out, especially those who have lost their jobs.”
People are referred to the foundation through a variety of channels, with numbers on the rise. The constantly-evolving situation is proving diffiult to manage.
The foundation is focused on helping two key groups; the vulnerable who are self-isolating and parents whose children rely on free school meals.
A food delivery scheme is being piloted to help the vulnerable, and the foundation has brought forward their Love Summer Foundation scheme which helps struggling parents during the holidays.
Both schemes require funding to continue, with the foundation particularly in need because they also support smaller foodbanks in the area.
Debbie says their approach of bulk buying from wholesalers and supermarkets allows them to do this, but warns that resources will run out in two weeks should the situation continue to escalate.
This is why they have set up a covid-19 fundraiser page, with both Debbie and Yasmine urging people to help if they can.
Yasmine says the wreckage of covid-19 “will affect foodbanks for months to come.”
To help First Love Foundation, visit firstlovefoundation.org.uk/
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