Foodbank adapts to help people struggling with bills stay warm

The foodbank works with hundreds of struggling families

A Manx charity has said it has had to adapt to meet the needs of people struggling to stay warm this winter.

Foodbank Isle of Man has been offering electric blankets and winter supplies, as well as groceries to those in need.

Operations manager Madina Sharpe said over time the charity had move to a "wider remit of what we give out".

"We've had to factor in the heating, because if you can't afford food you definitely can't afford heating," she said.

To adapt to the changing needs Ms Sharpe said they "try and heat the person, not the home", by offering electric blankets and where possible slow cookers, which are cheaper to run than stoves.

Madina Sharpe said working for the charity was incredibly rewarding

She said some families she worked with were "too scared to put their heating on", so were provided with supplies to offset the cost of bills and given help to make financial plans.

It was about "so much more than food", and was now about "giving them their lives back, that bridge to independence", she said.

The charity works with an average of about 100 households over the year, however that figure rises to about 150 at Christmas time.

Ms Sharpe said the charity had seen more professionals working in what was "deemed to be a good job" that should earn them "a good salary" need to access the foodbank due to rises in energy bills.

"It becomes difficult for them and they can't afford to keep up with the costs, especially with children as well," she explained.

In the lead up to Christmas the foodbank received hundreds of crates of donations

The foodbank also provides Christmas presents for children, as well as school bags and stationary for those returning to school.

Annual food drives in conjunction with local supermarkets during the lead up to the festive period had brought in between 60 and 70 crates of food donations a day, compared to an average two or three throughout the rest of the year, Ms Sharpe said.

She said while it was difficult to see people struggling, the job was incredibly "rewarding".

"It's so wonderful because every step of the way you're like the mother bird encouraging your fledglings to take flight," she said.

"Eventually they build up the strength and the courage to take flight, and it's so amazing to see them flourish."

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