The Charity is urgently asking for donations to enable food banks to continue supporting their communities.
The trust supports more than 1,200 food bank centres in the UK, who provide a minimum of three days’ nutritionally-balanced emergency food to people who have been referred in crisis.
A spokesman for the trust said: ‘Last year, food banks in the Trussell Trust’s network provided 1.6 million three-day emergency food parcels to people in crisis, with over 500,000 of these going to children. This was an increase of almost 20% on the previous year.
‘Now, as the Coronavirus pandemic develops, it’s likely that increasing numbers of people will need support from their local food bank.
‘As food bank staff and volunteers work to support people in crisis in their local communities, their resources are becoming increasingly stretched as they come under additional pressure during this outbreak.
‘We’re working closely with our network of over 1,200 food bank centres to work out how we can best support each and every one in the coming weeks and months to make sure that they’re able to continue to help people in their communities.
‘Right now, the Trussell Trust is focusing all its efforts on supporting our network of food banks during this unprecedented time. We’re working with each food bank to understand their situation, offer practical guidance, and provide local and national solutions.
‘Our main priority is ensuring the safety of everyone who comes to a food bank – whether it’s someone needing help, someone volunteering their time, or someone making a donation.
‘We’re exploring how we can ensure that people in crisis can access support safely, that food reaches the places it’s most needed, and that food banks have enough volunteers.’
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Photo Credit – Trussell Trust