4 weeks ago ⁦⁦ @guardian⁩ @Robert_Booth spoke with @IFAN_UK independent food bank members reporting that they were running out food. Since then many millions have been donated to help food charities cope with this crisis. But how are independent https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/10/food-banks-run-out-of-milk-and-other-staples-as-shoppers-panic-buy-coronavirus

food banks coping now? What as the public’s focus on this issue meant for them? Right now food supply to over 40% of the UK’s food banks is generally very short of what’s needed especially as economic vulnerability increases. @TrussellTrust has been advocating on behalf of

independent food banks. @FareShareUK is supporting independents among other frontline charities through a free membership scheme for the duration of the crisis. @Morrisons has engaged with local independent food banks with donations. BUT this help is not enough and for

independent food banks concern over food supply remains often at critical levels in different parts of the country. In particular independents are missing non-perishable food, often dont have the capacity to store the fresh food thats available, still struggle to purchase food

in bulk from many supermarkets and often report cancelled or unbookable online deliveries. The millions donated to large charities may signal some kind of solution to growing hunger but the reality on the ground is different. Let’s never forget that independents would not need to

struggle in this way, negotiating with supermarkets for whatever is leftover or hoping for donations here and there if those they were supporting were able to afford to buy food themselves. We can reconfigure systems and inject millions into parts of a fragile food aid system but

ultimately food aid charities should not be trying to cope with the level of need they’re experiencing and anticipating. Unless the UK government urgently acts to reduce growing poverty on the ground by increasing income then huge numbers will continue to need emergency food aid

and we fear that too many will not be able to access it.