How Wallingford Foodbank uses Huggg for Voucher Disbursement
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Wallingford Emergency Food Bank has been supporting the town and its surrounding villages for 11 years, but it has never been more needed. In the last year there has been a 50% rise in uptake of its services with over 3000 interactions and the increase is expected to continue, due to the cost-of-living crisis and fuel prices rocketing.
It is a complex problem that requires a simple solution - getting more food into the hands of those that need it most.
David Tole, the organisation’s treasurer has been working to do just that, despite many of the local villages having no transport links to the town, and many of the service’s clients needing regular help.
And with 60 volunteer packers and 20 delivery drivers working on a rota they have been making a huge impact on the area to support those experiencing extreme poverty, often for the first time.
No one can predict a crisis but thankfully that’s exactly what the food bank is there for. With no public funding, a number of regular donors keep the organisation alive, which means they’re able to support families like these at their worst moments.
The Wallingford area has welcomed a significant number of Ukrainian refugees since the war in Ukraine started in early 2022.
When refugees from Ukraine began to arrive, David knew that the Food Bank would have to adapt. Rather than making assumptions about what food to give, the team at Wallingford Food Bank was keen to give the Ukrainian arrivals meaningful choice, to make them feel at home and preserve their dignity. That meant giving those people the means to buy their own groceries.
The decision to use Huggg to send vouchers to the Ukrainian guests - via text, email, printed vouchers or whichever other mechanism worked for the recipient - meant that they could give the recipients a choice, even down to the supermarket they could shop at.
The organisation believes it’s important that people retain their dignity, no matter their circumstances
“We heard of Huggg through our contacts with Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) and the local council, so thought it would be a good service to use for this special situation which was proved right.
We have provided help to over 90 Ukrainian families (around 210 people) whilst they wait for Universal Credit or wages to be paid. I am hopeful that the Huggg system will be a way we can help support local people struggling with gas and electric bills in 2023.”
The next challenge will be more people going into fuel poverty. People who may have never struggled with bills before will find they need support.
Next year may be difficult for many, but whether those people need help with food, extra funds for groceries or energy vouchers to go towards bills, Wallingford Emergency Food Bank will be there for those who need them most.
Find out more about Huggg and how we can help you with disbursing vouchers to those in need
