THE FIRST BASE FOOD PARCELS SERVICE
Our food parcel service has now been running for four years. At the end of the first half of 2008/9 we would have probably reported that the service had reached something of a plateau, not only in terms of the number of parcels we issue, but also in the list of referral agencies who send clients to us.
Things then started to change as the recession began to have a greater and greater impact. It seems clear that government cuts in staffing levels in various benefits agencies have left them in a poor condition to deal with the upsurge in demand that has come with the deepening recession. It is becoming increasingly common for newly homeless clients to have to wait for longer and longer to have their benefits to be put in place. This can mean that such clients need several food parcels instead of only one.
The year ended with the demand for food parcels growing strongly and it seems likely that this trend will continue for the foreseeable future.
Unfortunately, this growth as come at a time when the price of food has also escalated sharply. We have had to adjust the food parcel contents in an effort to contain the cost within the available budget. This has involved us in having to source products from more outlets which obviously takes up more staff time.
If the demand continues to grow at the current level, then the food parcel service will present a greater and greater strain on the First Base Agency’s time, finances and resources as we attempt to work within a capped budget.
In 2008-9 we issued 798 food parcels to clients referred by a total of 22 referral agencies.