Yahoo News Sadiq Khan: Let’s support Londoners at risk of food poverty
The altruism of the British people in recent days has been a beacon of hope amid the darkness of coronavirus. We are truly pulling together to deal with this unprecedented crisis. The public are overwhelmingly staying at home to save lives. We must continue to do so for as long as required.
Nearly a million people have signed up as NHS volunteers to support our health workers and vulnerable people through this crisis.
In London, many are volunteering this week to support the new Nightingale Hospital at the ExCeL centre in Docklands.
We’ve seen the #viralkindness postcards that offer support being put through letterboxes across the country. And many more small acts of kindness have happened without fanfare, with neighbours giving each other a helping hand.
In this inspiring context, I want to appeal to Londoners to help support those at risk of food poverty in the capital — just as the Evening Standard is doing with its Food For London Now campaign.
Many food banks have been forced to close, or consider closing, because of a shortage of food, money and volunteers. More than 400,000 children and 1.5 million adults in London lived in food insecurity before this crisis, and many rely on food banks every day. Sadly, these numbers will only increase as a result of coronavirus — and life will get even harder for those already in that situation.
I am especially concerned about the many Londoners not in the “shielded” category, but who are struggling to feed themselves or their families. We can all play a part to alleviate this hunger.
You can donate spare food at a series of hubs being set up across the city. If you can afford to, you can donate money directly to help keep the food banks open. And if you are fit and healthy, you can volunteer your much-needed time.
Supermarkets have a vital role to play. Morrisons today donated £10 million of groceries by keeping its food-making sites open for an extra hour a day. I urge others to follow suit.
And the Government can do more, by establishing a new task force, led by a minister, to deliver the right package of food and financial assistance to all vulnerable groups.
I want to be honest — things are going to get worse before they get better. But we can find huge hope in the way we are all helping those in need.
We must stick at it, because winning this fight will take everything we’ve got.
Donate at virginmoneygiving.com/fund/FoodforLondonNOW
Our appeal in a nutshell
WHAT ARE WE DOING? We have launched Food For London Now, an appeal to fund the delivery of food to poor, elderly and vulnerable Londoners who are unable to afford food or are confined to home and at high risk of losing their lives from catching the coronavirus. Monies raised go to our appeal partner, The Felix Project, London’s biggest food surplus distributor, which is part of a co-ordinated food distribution effort taking place across London. The appeal is under the auspices of the Evening Standard Dispossessed Fund and run by the London Community Foundation, which manages the Fund.
HOW DOES THE SCHEME WORK? The London Food Alliance has been set up by the Felix Project together with the capital’s two other largest food surplus distributors —FareShare and City Harvest — to pick up nutritious surplus food from suppliers and deliver it in bulk to community hubs in each borough
HOW WILL FOOD GET TO PEOPLE? Each borough will create hubs to receive the surplus food, divide it into food parcels and deliver them to the doorstep of vulnerable Londoners
WHO WILL GET FOOD? Boroughs are in touch with local charities, foodbanks and community centres as well as the government to ascertain who is most vulnerable and in need
HOW HAVE THE FOOD REDISTRIBUTORS DIVIDED UP LONDON? Felix is responsible for co-ordinating surplus supply across 14 boroughs, FareShare 12 and City Harvest 7. Actual deliveries to boroughs could be made by any of the three providers, based on what is most efficient on the day.
Read more
Spurs' stadium transformed into food hub as appeal soars to £850,000
£550,000 raised in 72 hours for Food For London Now appeal
Food For London Now: Help us feed the capital
It’s the challenge of our lifetime — let’s unite to feed London
