Epsom and Ewell foodbank are appealing for donations after revealing another surge in demand for their services recently.
Volunteers who run the foodbank say that the recent trend of more and more people in the Epsom and Ewell community is only increasing as the social and economic impact of the ongoing Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic grows.
On Twitter, a short statement released by the foodbank on Wednesday detailed the latest rise in demand for their provision of food and other essential items.
We have to buy boxes & chill bags to pack food parcels into, we have increased admin costs and our staff are working extra hours.
— Epsom&Ewell Foodbank (@EpsomFoodbank) July 8, 2020
If you would like to donate to our running costs, you can do so here. As always, we couldn't do what we do, without youhttps://t.co/wE7buP85Mt
June had been their "busiest ever month", a spokesperson said:
"Sadly again, our latest stats make for sobering reading. In June we fed 1,243 people, our busiest ever month.
"This is up from 1,169 in May, and 398 in June 19.
"Thanks to your continued support, we are able to currently meet the need. But we have costs which too are increasing."
The borough foodbank have seen year on year increases in the numbers of people they help since 2010.
On Wednesday they added an appeal for donations and financial support that the foodbank relies on in order to continue helping people who need food and essential items urgently.
"We have to buy boxes and chill bags to pack food parcels into, we have increased admin costs and our staff are working extra hours," the foodbank said.
"If you would like to donate to our running costs, you can do so here. As always, we couldn't do what we do, without you," they added.
Click here for a link to donate to the foodbank.
During the most recent peak of the coronavirus pandemic in April, Epsom and Ewell foodbank told the Surrey Comet that the pandemic, combined with the impact of the Universal Credit benefit system, had witnessed an unprecedented number of people in the borough needing urgent support to get essential items and enough food to get by on.
"I set up the foodbank just under eight years now and the current period is the busiest period I've ever known since we've been going," Jonathan Lees, who founded the foodbank, said.
"When people are on Universal Credit there are times when people struggle because it is quite basic.
"In a moment of crisis for example a car breaking down, our benefit system doesn't cover those sorts of eventualities," he pointed out, adding that the pandemic had only exacerbated those crisis moments.
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