THIS is a community voice published in the Hereford Times on October 3.

Helen Parker, Hereford Food Bank

HEREFORD Food Bank is committed to the relief of poverty through provision of food parcels to those recipients deemed to be in emergency need, arising from, for example, homelessness, delayed wages or benefit payments.

We provide a food parcel for up to a maximum of seven days and work on a referral system from various statutory and voluntary agencies, such as housing teams, schools and churches.

Referrals to the food bank have increased significantly over the last five years and we continue to be busy.

During June, July and August we provided food and toiletries to 1,018 people, including 310 children. The estimated number of meals given was 21,280.

Unfortunately, we are anticipating a busy winter, with food parcel requests increasing as fuel and food costs continue to rise.

We are hearing more stories of parents saying they are going without food to feed their children, or fearful of winter because of not being able to afford put the heating on.

Thankfully, the Household Support Fund has been extended for a further six months, which enables us at the food bank to work with Talk Community, Keep Herefordshire Warm and Citizens Advice Bureau, to ensure we can signpost families for additional support around fuel, poverty, and financial issues.

If you would like to support the work of the food bank, you can drop donations off at Morrisons, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Co-op, Waitrose and Tesco Bewell Street, where they have baskets displaying our logo.

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We, along with the other independent food banks in Herefordshire, use the free Bank the Food app, where we update our most needed items weekly.

Our volunteers have also been busy in the community, hosting supermarket drives in Morrisons, Asda, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose.

Not only does this enable us to generate donations it gives us the opportunity to talk to customers about the work we do.