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positive pointers<br />
HUNGER FREE FUTURE<br />
The Hunger Free Future is a campaign by the<br />
Trussell Trust to end hunger and destitution in<br />
the UK, for good. To learn more, and to add<br />
your voice to the movement, head to<br />
trusselltrust.org/hunger-free-future<br />
JO’S STORY<br />
Personal tragedy led Jo to<br />
spiral into depression and,<br />
soon after, she lost her job<br />
during the global pandemic.<br />
She managed to find casual<br />
work here and there but, after<br />
paying off debts, her income<br />
from Universal Credit came<br />
to just £250 a month – all she<br />
had to pay for all her living<br />
expenses. On the brink of<br />
homelessness, Jo realised that<br />
she needed help, but reaching<br />
out to a food bank wasn’t easy,<br />
and it took courage for her to<br />
take that first step.<br />
Yet when she did, she was<br />
immediately supported – given<br />
a choice of what food she<br />
wanted, as well as additional<br />
household products. With this<br />
care behind her, Jo was able to<br />
address other areas of her life,<br />
and was put in touch with Beam<br />
– a platform that crowdfunds<br />
new career opportunities for<br />
homeless people.<br />
Although reaching out<br />
wasn’t easy, reflecting on<br />
the experience, Jo sees how<br />
it restored her confidence in<br />
people during what was a<br />
difficult and isolating time.<br />
SUPPORTING A FOOD BANK<br />
Where should I go?<br />
You may have spotted food bank<br />
collection boxes in supermarkets<br />
– they’re usually behind the<br />
checkout area, and this is a really<br />
convenient way to donate. Simply<br />
add a couple of spare items into<br />
your trolley as you’re doing your<br />
usual shop, and then drop them<br />
in the box on your way out.<br />
You can also look into donating<br />
directly to a local organisation<br />
– many have donation times<br />
where you can drop off items, so<br />
it’s worth checking in with them<br />
to see if there are certain days<br />
you can donate on, or if they<br />
have any additional or specific<br />
requirements or requests.<br />
You can also donate money<br />
to food banks, either one-off<br />
donations or set up a monthly<br />
payment. This money helps them<br />
to run their services and, in the<br />
case of the Trussell Trust, also<br />
goes towards campaigns to help<br />
end food poverty for good.<br />
What do I need to know?<br />
Food banks don’t just supply<br />
food, and there’s a host of other<br />
household items that you can also<br />
donate, including:<br />
• Toiletries: deodorant, toilet<br />
paper, soap, shampoo, dental<br />
hygiene products<br />
• Cleaning supplies: washing up<br />
liquid, disinfectants, laundry<br />
detergent<br />
• Feminine hygiene products<br />
• Baby items: nappies, wipes,<br />
baby food<br />
Other ways that you can<br />
help could be through<br />
volunteering your time, or<br />
putting on a fundraising event<br />
to donate money to your local<br />
organisation. It’s also important<br />
to keep the conversation going,<br />
stay up-to-date with the state<br />
of things, and look out for<br />
opportunities to get involved<br />
in long-term campaigns and<br />
movements.<br />
When faced with a problem as<br />
big as the one food poverty has<br />
become in the UK, it’s easy to<br />
feel overwhelmed and hopeless.<br />
But in difficult times like these,<br />
it’s good to reflect on the things<br />
that we do have control over,<br />
and which we can help with.<br />
Big or small, in donations or<br />
in fundraising, there are ways<br />
that we can all get involved in<br />
supporting the people who need<br />
it most.<br />
happiful.com | <strong>April</strong> <strong>2021</strong> | 43
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