All Cambridge City Foodbank centres are currently open and will continue to operate throughout the ongoing national lockdown. While services are still running, we have moved back to the ways of working that were put in place last March to ensure the safety of our volunteers and clients visiting the Foodbank.
Increased distancing measures are in place and we have restricted client access to centres where we have previously been able to let them into the building. Our Fairbite shop has reverted to offering members pre-packed bags, rather than allowing them into the shop to select items.
Foodbank volunteers count as essential workers and are allowed to leave home to volunteer. We have had some volunteers who are vulnerable and have needed to, understandably, step back for a while, but we have plenty of other volunteers who are keeping our services operating.
As we look to the months ahead, we are preparing for the longer lasting impact of the pandemic that we know will continue far beyond the restrictions easing – its impact on poverty in Cambridgeshire.
During 2020, we supported over 10,000 people in Cambridge – this is up 9.7% from 2019 and the highest it has ever been. Throughout the pandemic, Cambridge City Foodbank has been providing stock to local food hubs as well as the distribution centres. In 2020 we distributed over 144 tonnes of food, 44% more than in previous years.
Though the need has increased – and continues to rise – we have an enormous amount of support from our community and a strong team of volunteers who, one parcel at a time, are helping to prevent people in Cambridge from going hungry.