Who we help

“Due to domestic violence and sexual abuse, my offender also destroyed my identity documents. I had no way of accessing funds to support myself and FIND made it possible for me to receive food parcels. Otherwise, I would have literally starved.” Resident, Lighthouse Women’s Aid

 

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FIND helps people who have been referred by local and regional agencies and other bodies such as schools, local councils, doctors, health visitors, health centres, children’s centres, social workers, CAB and police . These care professionals are best placed to assess need and make sure that it is genuine.

 

Some of the families and individuals we help are very often referred more than once and some people we help over many years.

 

Examples of who we support

 

These examples are typical of the thousands of people FIND helps each year:

• Parents. Child aged 3, twins of 6 weeks. Benefits suspended for some weeks until assessment completed. Need food parcel and nappies.

• Male age 36. No fixed abode. Has been sleeping on the streets. Friend has offered him the sofa but food must be provided. Needs food parcels and toiletries.

• Female and male in 20s with baby. Both on Jobseekers Allowance. Six week sanction. Need food parcel, nappies, toiletries.

• Mother with 3 children. Has returned to work. Benefits have been stopped (suspended) for revision yet no wages. Needs food parcel and nappies.

• Male age 46. Severe depression. Attacked. Injury to eye has resulted in losing sight. Discharge from hospital after an operation. Benefits have been reduced. Need of food parcels.

• Male aged 54 and partner. No home. Having to stay in ‘homeless’ hostel. Food parcels needed.

• Parents and three children. Tax credits suspended due to change in circumstances. Need food and nappies.

• Female aged 47. Type 1 diabetes. Has ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Taken off Employment Support Allowance and application for Personal Independence Plan (PIP) declined. Loss of £100 fortnightly. Universal Credit has taken money for housing benefit arrears. Recent fall resulted in a broken leg. Needs food parcels.

• Rough sleepers

 

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FIND in the community

 

Lighthouse Women’s Aid

Lighthouse’s refuge in Ipswich has families arrive at short notice with nothing at all due to fleeing their homes from the threat of violence. Often families come with no ID and very little ability to support themselves.

The refuge regularly uses the food bank and at Christmas, FIND gives food hampers to those families who have nothing.

 

“FIND save lives. The food bank is a lifeline and is essential to our community. As a charity, we have very little resources ourselves and rely on the food to get our families through the first few weeks of being with us.”

Lighthouse Women’s Aid

 

University of Suffolk

The food bank is a lifeline for some University of Suffolk students at certain points in their academic year. Students often live on a tight budget and it does not take much for those budgets to be challenged. In particular, a lot of students are parents and many of them will be coming off benefits or having means-tested benefits such as housing benefit re-assessed.

 

“We see, day in, day out, the impact that FIND has in the local Ipswich community”

Ellie Carr, Student Adviser, Finance, University of Suffolk

 

Do you or someone you know need support?

 

If you or someone you know needs support, please contact one of the local referral agencies in the first instance.

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