Food bank lunch club a lifeline for local families

Teresa has been living with chronic pain for a year.

Unable to work, the single mother of two depends on Universal Credit but it isn’t enough to cover the basics.  The school holidays bring huge financial pressures, she struggles to fund the cost of meals and often goes hungry so her children can eat.

She’s among those supported by Hackney Foodbank’s Lunch Club. At Christmas and this February Half Term she received supermarket vouchers to enable her to buy food for her children (aged seven and 11).

She said: “Without this I don’t know what I would do. Lunch Club enables me to buy meat, bread, spread and tomatoes.  It means I can cook hot meals for the children to have in the holidays.

“Before Lunch Club, the six-week school holidays were murder. I ended up borrowing money.

“I don’t think the children are aware of the struggles we have. As a mother I have to be savvy – I think it would be harmful for them to know.”

Theresa, 42, was working full time in admin before a trapped nerve left her in chronic pain. She’s awaiting treatment and keen to get back to work.

She added: “At least twice a week I skip meals because I only have enough for the kids to eat.  I cope with it because I know I’m not the only one in this situation – there’s comfort in talking to others experiencing the same thing.

“Hackney Foodbank are fantastic – they really area a great support and everyone is so kind.”

Visitors are referred to Hackney Foodbank by a range of agencies and, in the school holidays, those with a referral voucher for an emergency food parcel who have school-aged kids are also offered a lunch club voucher to spend at a local supermarket.

All primary school children in London are currently provided with a free school lunch but many parents struggle with the cost of meals during the holidays.

To support lunch club with a donation, visit www.hackney.foodbank.org.uk/lunch-club