A Jersey charity reports a significant rise in the number of people needing assistance with food and electricity expenses.
Caritas, which operates the St Vincent de Paul food bank in St. Helier, revealed that the number of families relying on their services has more than doubled since 2022. According to CEO Patrick Lynch, the charity now requires 51 additional bags of food and hygiene products donated for every one they distribute.
So far in 2024, Caritas has supported over 500 families, serving between 700 and 800 individuals. Lynch noted that in February 2022, the food bank was assisting 195 families, a figure that climbed to 391 by February 2023.
The surge, he explained, is driven by rising inflation, interest rates, and rental costs. This year, requests for financial help spiked at the end of September as colder weather increased heating expenses.
Despite "a huge amount of support" during the recent harvest season, Lynch stressed that donations are struggling to keep up with demand. “Before COVID, we received one bag of donations for every 10 bags we gave out,” he said. “At the beginning of this year, it was one bag in for every 46 out, and now it's one in for every 51 out.”
Lynch encouraged anyone in need of support or wishing to donate food and hygiene products to reach out to Caritas.