Walk INN Food Bank – UTV Live / ITV News 1st August 2021 ‘Focus your energy on the positive’

What are food banks?
Food banks are a bit like supermarkets, but everything is free. They are for people who struggle to afford to buy enough food to eat.
The products available in food banks consist of basic items that people need to live, most of which are given to the charities by members of the public.
It’s not just food available, though. Other essential items like loo paper and soap are also available.

The pandemic has led to an increase in food bank usage, particularly amongst families with children.

On the Holywood Road Belfast at the Arches area where we run our food bank, we have face loads of problem lately from local businesses and individuals looking to close down our Food Bank by calling even some of the retailers that supports us and also calling the Belfast Environmental Health to get them to stop our Charity Food Bank from giving out free food to those in need. This experience made us to focus our energy on the positive which keep us stronger that we are actually doing something positive in people’s life if our free food giving out is affecting their business.

UTVLive / ITV NEWS visited us on Thursday the 29th of August 2021 to see how people are benefiting from our Walk INN Food Bank. It was an amazing day to see how we are helping the locals in our community.

For some families in our local area, they may now have a little less stress in their lives, even if it is just for a few days. This summer might be a better summer than they might have had.

Food Bank is an essential service being provided to local residents in their time of need. Our food bank follows the rules of the UK Food Standard Agency, All of our perishable food as we call it are mostly ‘Best before date’ food. However local business that are looking to stop us helping those in need are not familiar with this, food that has passed its best before date can be legally sold, redistributed, and consumed after this date, if judged to be of sufficient quality to be donated and made available to be eaten. Our Food banks check all food that is past the best before date to ensure it is of sufficient quality – usually a visual inspection of the food will do this. We work hand in hand with retailers that support us.

Again requirement for food are now increasing as it helps family in need to focus on other aspect of their life, like paying bills, heating and supporting their children.

Belfast charity sees demand for weekly food parcels increase by 40%

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