Hackney Foodbank

General information

How a foodbank works

Food is donated:

Schools, churches, businesses and individuals donate non-perishable, in-date food to the Hackney foodbank. All food given out by the Hackney foodbank is donated.

‘Supermarket Collections’ are one of the main ways that food is donated. These are held at supermarkets where volunteers give shoppers a ‘foodbank shopping list’ and ask them to buy an extra item or two for local people in crisis.

Food is sorted and stored:

Volunteers sort food to check that it’s in date, ready to be given to people in need.

Frontline care professionals identify people in need:

Care professionals such as doctors, health visitors, social workers, CAB and police identify people in crisis and issue them with a foodbank voucher.

Clients receive food:

Foodbank clients bring their voucher to a foodbank centre where it can be redeemed for three days emergency food. Volunteers meet clients over a cup of tea and are able to signpost people to agencies able to solve the longer-term problem.