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Unfortunately, there is an increasing issue with poverty across the UK, and the most devastating part is that it is affecting children the most. Poverty affects 6 million people in the UK and for several of these people that means they will go a whole day without food.
What’s being done to try and eradicate poverty? In terms of food, there are charities in the UK that work to provide food for food banks and school clubs so that people can have a decent meal each day. Although this might seem only small to the majority of us, it makes a huge difference to those in need of it.
How re-distribution works
There are several ways food distribution can be done as long as it helps those that are lacking food. It basically means organisations find surplus food and redistribute it to charities that will turn it into meals and provide those in poverty with it.
Restaurants and supermarkets across the country waste and incredible amount of food each day, not only is this bad for the environment, but it is also a shame to see it go to waste when people don’t have food to feed their families.
The redistribution organisations first of all have to find the companies that have excess food and are willing to sell it or give it away. When these companies have promotions and sales in certain products fluctuate it means that more food is ordered than needed. The products that the redistribution organisations use is all in date and fresh so it is still a good quality. Last year alone over 20,000 tonnes of food waste was discovered in this manner.
Once the food has been collected, it is then distributed to regional centres that will send the food through to local communities and charities. These charities can then create meals and hand the food out to those in poverty. This can be through food banks, free school meals and breakfast clubs.
What does this mean for the rest of the community?
Poverty creates a large social impact on the rest of the country as it can lead to homelessness and other large issues. Currently at least 320,000 people are living on the streets as a result in a lack of financial aid and it is these people that need things such as food banks the most.
With these redistribution organisations, people on the streets have a higher chance of getting a good meal each day and are likely to see that society has not turned its back on them, in turn they are less likely to fall into a further downward spiral. The same goes for families living in poverty with children. Without the right nutrition, children will not be getting the nutrients they need to concentrate properly at school and living a substantial life, something that no child should be without.
One of the biggest problems for these organisations is finding funding to continue to expand and help people. Also, finding volunteers that are willing to help. Luckily, there are some companies that are willing to help this cause and Car.co.uk is one of them. They work with the redistribution organisations and offer financial aid so they can reduce costs but still expand. Likewise, they also offer aid in other ways so there are more people on-board.
Sound like something you want to get involved in? There are plenty of charities that are always looking for volunteers and you could be one of them. Whether that’s joining a redistribution team or taking a few couple of hours out to volunteers at a food bank, every little bit helps.
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