Foodbank use is growing rapidly - is this a mark of shame for our society or a healthy response to social need. Or both? Tell us what you think.
What do you think of foodbanks?
- They are an indictment of our times
- 41
- They are a great response to social need
- 14
- Both
- 46
Foodbanks: are they an indictment of the times we live in or a brilliant way of helping those in most need?
This week, the Trussell Trust, which provides a significant proportion of the country’s emergency food provision, announced that the number of people using its facilities will hit record proportions this Christmas.
Martin Johnstone, secretary of the Church of Scotland’s Church & Society Council who is also chair of an independent Food Poverty Working Group, said that more needed to be done to help the needy: “What we have is more and more people without enough money to live on. At some point, and quickly, we need to be addressing the root causes of the ever escalating numbers of people being forced into food poverty.
“As a society we have to stop believing that foodbanks will solve the problem of food poverty. They are important in stopping individuals and families going hungry this Christmas, but they cannot solve the problem we face.”
This is a burning issue – as well as the new Trussell Trust figures, TFN recently revealed that the problem of hunger in the UK is much worse than previously thought - and a series of pilot projects are to start next yearin Ibrox and Irvine where schools will open at weekends and holidays to feed poor families.
So what do you think – are foodbanks an indictment of our times – or a fantastic response to those in need? Or both?
This is a complex, nuanced issue and this poll is designed as the starting point for a debate – if you feel strongly, please leave a comment below.
