Merthyr Cynon Foodbank
Merthyr Cynon Foodbank, Gurnos Christian Centre, 26 Spruce Tree Grove,
Merthyr Tydfil
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The foodbank is designed to help individuals and families in crisis through the provision of emergency food supplies. Local care professionals in the Merthyr-Cynon area refer people, with a food voucher, to the foodbank centre where they are given their food supplies, a cup of coffee and help in finding other professionals who can help them out of their crisis. (In rural areas we deliver Emergency Food Boxes directly, or give boxes to local care-workers to distribute.)
The foodbank allows the general public to contribute to and support local well-being in a simple practical way.
13 million people live below the poverty line in the UK. Every day people in the Merthyr & Cynon Valleys will struggle to feed themselves and their families because of redundancy, illness, benefit delay, domestic violence, debt, family breakdown or simply having to pay an unexpected bill on a low income.
Since 4th November 2011, over 1192 people (692 adults and 500 children) in the Merthyr & Cynon Valleys have been fed through our foodbank network. Food poverty is a reality in our town and we seek to bring the whole community to solve the problem.
You can donate food to our distribution centres or to our warehouse in Gurnos Christian Centre, 26 Spruce Tree Grove, Gurnos Estate, give funds, volunteer or even hold a fundraising event.
Foodbanks help prevent crime, housing loss, family breakdown and mental health problems.
Some of our clients testify that if it wasn’t for foodbank they would have increased depression, the strain on their family relationship would have increased, they would have to skip meals, use a loan shark or doorstop lender and even commit a crime such as shoplifting or theft.
A simple parcel of food makes a big difference. Frontline care professionals such as health visitors, district nurses, social workers (VAMT, Communities First, JOB Centres, CAB, Barnardo’s) etc., identify people in crisis and issue a food voucher. Clients receive three days of nutritionally balanced, non-perishable food in exchange for their food voucher. Our Foodbank volunteers make time to listen and signpost clients to further support.
