What is the purpose of food banks? Food insecurity is a human right, but it will exist as long as poverty does. With rising living costs and inflation, food banks are more important than ever for our residents.

For the past three years, Optimism Supported Housing (OSH) has been operating a food bank. We started by relying on local food banks before approaching The Felix Projects for larger supplies so that we could provide nutritious and healthy food to our growing residents.

The Felix Projects provides us with free healthy food as well as storage facilities (Freezer). Food parcels are delivered to each of our projects once a week to meet the immediate needs of all our residents. Residents who need food because of a sanction or debt repayment can come to the office for food assistance, budgeting advice, and referrals to financial-advice organisations.

A Standard food delivery includes:

Cereal, Soup, Pasta, Rice

Tinned tomatoes/ pasta sauce

Lentils, beans, and pulses

Tinned meat

Tinned vegetables

Tea/coffee

Tinned fruit

Biscuits

UHT milk

Fruit juice

Cooked food