A FOODBANK and soup kitchen, which has seen need for hot meals surge to 10,000 a week, warns it may not be able to meet demand this winter as benefit cuts and pandemic pressures combine to create a looming crisis.
The People's Kitchen at Farset foodbank in west Belfast - which also delivers food and essentials to families in poverty across the city - has seen a huge increase in number of people seeking help during the pandemic.
However, SDLP councillor Paul McCusker who runs the service, said in recent days they have appeals for "more help around nappies, baby items and baby food".
It comes after the £20 weekly `uplift' payment ended last week, which he said has already increased pressure on those already struggling to make ends meet.
"We do a weekly family day that parents can come and get help, but every day we're dealing with families with six or seven children at home and when they get that parcel it's a big lift for them."
He said the problem of food poverty "is not going to go away".
"With furlough ending as well we're looking at more people facing financial problems.
"We're preparing for a very busy winter, particularly among the younger homeless people feeling trapped within the system.
"We haven't seen anything get better, it has got worse. The sheer number of people experiencing poverty who are having new demands made on them and we haven't seen the full impact of the pandemic, the mental health problems - it was bad before but it is worse now and we will be seeing the effects of that.
"I fear we will be unable to meet demand this winter."
The number of people needing help from the soup kitchen trebled in the first six months of the pandemic alone.
Mr McCusker called for focus from the executive on tackling the causes of poverty, with focused training for the unemployed and support for those struggling.
"I was at a meeting last week with the Housing Executive who are finding it hard to recruit people. It's the same with retail, hospitality is struggling to recruit chefs.
"We need initiatives to get people back to the labour market and to make sure the support is there when they need it."
