Contrary to assertions quoted in Philomena Cullen’s article (“The real hunger games”, 9 November), my experience, which spans 50 years, has shown me that Christians involved in serving the poor are well aware that the poor are not the problem. We are well aware of the unjust political systems and badly thought-out social security programmes that lead people to be deprived of basic human rights.

Ms Cullen states that the Churches do not provide cash transfers. St Vincent de Paul Society (SVP) has always provided cash transfers and continues to do so, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

I can assure Ms Cullen that there is nothing abstract about tramping around social housing at ten o’clock at night providing food for starving babies. We are not peripheral conversation partners; we are on the front lines, standing with the people who we know and love. We are working with them and encouraging them to get what is rightfully theirs.

Food bank clients are met at the door and given a cup of tea and some cake. They are greeted with respect and their problems addressed in a sympathetic way. They are signposted to other services including SVP, Citizens Advice and Shelter. People enter looking bewildered and leave with a smile on their faces. Having attended numerous food banks and talked to dozens of people using them, I have never yet heard anyone say that they were not treated with dignity.