This past week I have gained hands-on experience working at the Exeter Foodbank.
It was an eye opening and wonderful experience.
My placement allowed me firsthand experience of how foodbanks work. On Monday I had a visit at the Exeter Foodbank stores in Kennford where food that has been collected from supermarkets like Sainsburys, Tesco and Morrisons etc. The donations are then sorted perfectly into different categories and expiry dates.
When I started my work experience on Monday 19th July I only knew that Exeter Foodbank gives food to people – but nothing else. I have gained a lot of knowledge during this week that Exeter Foodbank gives food to those who have been referred to them through a voucher. For example people from Exeter City Council, Young Devon, Colab, Citizen’s Advice and many more give out these vouchers to those who are facing difficulty.
Households can be issued vouchers in times of emergency and crisis. If it is a longer-term problem they then get referred to Ali who is the Advice worker for the Exeter Foodbank. Ali then gives them a call or have an appointment with them to find out how they can help them more with certain areas issues (like benefit problems, banking, budgeting and debt problems).
Exeter Foodbank also provides emergency packs to people who are in temporary housing with things like cutlery, a washing bowel, plate ,mug, glass and more. This is something I have discovered during this week on my work experience that I never knew they did.
During the week Liz from Citizens Advice, Exeter works with the foodbank during the distribution session to talk to clients that need advice for different kinds of problems. These may include problems with benefit issues and anything that is related to citizens’ rights.
As I am 18 I got a chance to help out in the distribution sessions with the Exeter Foodbank distribution team, which was a lovely experience to work with everyone during this week. The experience provided me with practical skills, but also with a deeper understanding of the importance of community support and volunteer work. The dedication and passion of everyone at the Foodbank was really fantastic.
Thank you all for making this week an enriching and enjoyable. Your warmth and guidance was truly amazing and I really appreciate it.
Emma
