Staff and volunteers with the St Vincent de Paul Society are feeding thousands of people every week during the pandemic.
Community centres report that staff, volunteers and SVP members are working tirelessly to feed and support people hit by poverty, unemployment, isolation and other hardships at this time, despite a suspension of face-to-face services. The manager of the SVP centres in Leeds and Bradford, Sheena Eastwood, has been interviewed by several BBC outlets in recent weeks describing what the SVP is doing to help feed people who cannot afford to feed themselves. “We have always provided free food for anyone who needs it,” she reported, “and we receive daily donations of fresh and dried food from supermarkets, FareShare and other organisations.” People can pick up food from an outdoor marketplace and there is no stigma attached to picking it up. “If you need it, it's there for you,” she told the BBC.
Mrs Eastwood told The Tablet this week that 1,500 meals are being distributed each week in Leeds and Bradford. “Boxes containing fresh food go out to families and with items that make a meal, not just random food,” she said, adding, “we put care into it.” For people who cannot cook, such as street homeless, hot meals are provided. There is a "pay it forward" scheme where people can donate the cost of a meal or a hot drink, so when anyone comes to the centre who needs a meal or hot drink, they can have one.
In Newcastle, the SVP centre provides 250 free meals every week. In lockdown, SVP innovates and provides an alternative, be that takeaway meals, 'knock and drop' food deliveries, or outdoor food provision. “We know our services are a vital part of the lives of our guests, so we will always meet the demand in the safest and most responsible way we can,” says Mrs Eastwood.
Centres continue to give advice by phone on such issues as benefits or immigration information. The newest centre in Southend-on-Sea has become the local focus of charitable action on poverty, homelessness and combating isolation. Meanwhile, the SVP centre at Tower House in Brighton supports older people.
The SVP in England and Wales has 10,000 volunteers and around 200 staff. Over Christmas, the SVP centres aim to continue feeding children and families who need help over the Christmas holiday period. They will also provide a Christmas gift for children whose families or carers cannot afford to provide one.
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