About
How foodbanks work
Providing emergency food to people in crisis.
Every day people in the UK go hungry for reasons ranging from redundancy to receiving an unexpected bill on a low income. A simple box of food makes a big difference, with foodbanks helping prevent crime, housing loss, family breakdown and mental health problems.
Food is donated
Individuals, schools, churches, and businesses donate non-perishable, in-date food to a food bank. Large collections often take place as part of seasonal celebrations such as harvest and Christmas, and food is also collected at supermarkets.
Food is sorted and stored
Volunteers sort food to check that it’s in date and store it ready to be given to people who are referred to food banks. More than 40,000 people give up their time to volunteer at food banks across the UK.
Community organisations identify people needing support
Foodbanks like us partner with a wide range of community organisations such as doctors, teachers, health visitors and social workers to support people facing hardship and give them a food bank voucher to access emergency food.
People referred receive food
People bring their voucher to a food bank centre where it can be redeemed for three days’ emergency food. Volunteers welcome people and connect them with further support, to make it less likely they’ll need a food bank again.
How to get our help
Visit our Get Help page to learn how to access our support.