Food For London Now: Families on frontline of hunger emergency

The anxiety felt by thousands of people threatened by hunger since lockdown is a hidden phenomenon that mostly takes place behind closed doors, but today vulnerable Londoners spoke out about how food from our appeal partner, The Felix Project, has been “a lifeline”.

A mother and son, deemed high risk and having to self-isolate, told how Felix’s deliveries had lifted their spirits in the face of “hopelessness”. A nurse said meals cooked with fresh Felix produce made her feel “that little bit stronger”.

All told of “the relief” at being able to access healthy food, thanks to The Felix Project, the biggest food redistributor in the capital, which has quadrupled daily deliveries to 40 tonnes since the outbreak of the virus.

Yesterday, in a sign of further upward spiralling demand, The Felix Project broke its own record, ferrying an extraordinary 44 tonnes to 73 schools and charities, with the heftiest deliveries going to 11 community super-hubs set up by local authorities as part of a pan-London effort to tackle food poverty in the wake of Covid-19.

Felix, on its own, is now supplying more than 100,000 meals a day, up from 20,000 at the start of the outbreak.

This is what some of the beneficiaries, volunteers and charities had to say.

Karen Barnes, 36, suffers from type 1 diabetes, an underactive thyroid and chronic back pain, and is a carer for her son, Aidan, six, who has health issues that affect his immune system

“We receive two boxes of Felix-supplied food a week, from Enfield Children and Young Persons Services, as my son and I are both categorised as high-risk.

“We felt a bit hopeless about being in isolation.

“I don’t have much family and you don’t want to be a burden on other people. So these boxes are a lifeline.

“It’s exciting when they come as we’re on our own.

“The person who delivers them leaves them on my doorstep and we chat. It’s a nice interaction.”

Kim Pallas, 38, is a nurse working 12-hour shifts at Barnet Hospital. She picks up dozens of cooked meals to give to her colleagues, made each day by BreadnButter, a charity supplied by The Felix Project

“All the patients in our hospital ward are coronavirus patients so it’s been difficult — very emotional and overwhelming at times.

“You’re just so grateful when fresh, healthy food is put in front of you and you don’t have to think about doing all the cooking.

“The support of the food charities is making a massive difference to people like us.

“To know people care enough about you to do this makes you feel that little bit stronger to cope with all that’s going on during the crisis.

“It makes you feel valued.”

Magda Bozek, 37, is a mother of two and part-time administrator at Southgate College. She struggles to make ends meet and has claimed universal credit since her husband died suddenly from lung cancer five months ago

“I collect food parcels from my children’s school in Enfield once a week.

“We are in a very hard situation. When my husband died, my life was turned upside down.

“I was alone but had to look after my 11-year-old son David and six-year-old daughter Ola. I work so I’m lucky but life is expensive.

“Felix is a huge help and — now that we are in isolation — so important.

“We leave the house once a week to collect our parcel so it’s the best part of our week.”

Justine, 38, is a mother-of-four who escaped an abusive relationship and lives in temporary housing, claiming universal credit

“I first heard about The Felix Project through my six-year-old son’s school and have been picking up weekly packages since the end of last year.

“At the moment, we are in isolation and things are tough, but Felix is a lifeline. I have used food banks in the past but they do not provide fresh food.

“There are luxury items in my Felix boxes that I could never afford, like Innocent Smoothies and mozzarella cheese.

“Picking up our box from the school is a weekly highlight. I don’t know what we would do without it.”

James Quayle, 30, is manager of North Paddington Food Bank

“Before coronavirus we were feeding 100 households per week but now we are supporting more than 600 families.

“We used to be open one day a week with The Felix Project delivering a single truckload of fresh produce, but since Covid we are open six days a week.

“We have increased our volunteers from a couple of dozen to almost 300 and I am working 14-hour days.

“The only other comparable thing was the start of the Syrian refugee crisis when I was on Lesbos and witnessed people coming off boats.

“Similarly, this feels like a tidal wave.”

Edward Pereira, Haringey Play Association

“Demand for our help since lockdown has doubled from 30 to 60 families.

“People could come and help themselves every Thursday and there was always enough food for everyone, but now we’ve got a queue of people around the corner.

“Tensions are high and emotions are magnified. Without The Felix Project a lot of people in Tottenham would be in real trouble.”

James Smart, 36, Made Up Kitchen, Hackney

“We deliver 500 meals a week thanks to 12 crates of surplus food from Felix.

“The crisis has hit us all.

“My situation feels uncertain.”