You might remember last summer we were asking for donations of basic toiletries to be able to give out with parcels, highlighting that often if you can’t afford food you’re not able to buy these either.
“Hygiene poverty” has been highlighted as a growing concern in the UK. As with little money to cover the cost of everyday essentials, families are being forced to choose between buying food or personal hygiene and cleaning products.
We ask our referral agencies to add a note if someone needs toiletries and we try and ask if they’re needed when we’re putting the food parcel together but we’ve found that sometimes people are too embarrassed to say that they need help with this too. Often they’re so overwhelmed by the fact they’re having to come to the foodbank that the need for other things can be missed.
Although we would like to put a bag of essentials into each parcel sometimes we just don’t have the items to add.
Our number 1 priority is getting food to those that need it but we’d like to help with the other things too, so we’re trying to raise funds to help us be able to put a bag of essentials into each parcel.
Here’s where you can help…
If you shop at the Co-op please support us by picking East Lothian Foodbank as your local cause.