Tag: work

Archie & Sophie Lent 2021: Day 2

Last night I couldn’t sleep (despite a very filling dinner) so watched a film in bed. I was very tempted to have a snack to help me stay awake but managed to restrain myself! A lie in the next day as I had a day off made it a bit easier to get from breakfast through to lunchtime (as there was less time between them). Even this was a luxury though – I usually work 12-hour shifts and I don’t know how I’d manage to do that on £1 a day worth of food, and lots of people have other responsibilities to get up for too! 

I have found myself thinking about food a lot recently – whether that is the psychological effect of being limited in what I’m eating or a genuine desire to have a bag of crisps every five minutes I’m not sure! So far neither of us have felt desperately hungry which is a relief, although I think it’s fair to say we’ve both been a little grumpier than usual! 

We made some stuffing sandwiches for lunch (an unusual but cheap filling which we both could agree on!). I had to unexpectedly rush into work for a late shift, so I took some of the leftover sauce with rice for dinner. I left it as late as possible before I ate, because I wasn’t finishing until midnight and wanted to string it out as long as I could but I finally cracked at about half nine. It was slightly torturous when people were passing round mini eggs and ordering McDonalds but I managed to restrain myself! 

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Norwich foodbank is heavily reliant on volunteers and during the pandemic, the charity has been delighted, humbled and at times overwhelmed with the generosity of time offered by exisiting volunteers to take on new roles or more tasks, and new people wanting to get involved because they can.

Pre-covid, the charity utilised around 200 volunteers across it’s 10 distribution centres, in the warehouse, in the office, in the transport team, at the holiday project FISH and at supermarket colelctions. Some volunteers helped weekly, others on a rota perhaps fortnightly or monthly and others on an adhoc basis.

Since March 2020, the charity has worked in quite a different way – not least with all centres closed and a 100% delivery model in palce – and currently has around 90 active volunteers involved regularly.

Live on £1 a Day: Kathryn Day 3

I’m tired and weary today.   Could that just be a Friday feeling or there are other factors at play…?

There have been a number of interesting conversations in my office – for those staff who have heard what I’m doing and understanding why I’m more grumpy than usual.  It is great to hear the debates and making people think about what they take for granted and what they are (genuinely) grateful for.

Breakfast – cornflakes and milk

Lunch – pasta, vegetables with soft cheese

Late afternoon snack – small amount of spaghetti hoops

Tea –  NONE!

Food planning has been a challenge again today.   Due to knowing I’m out volunteering straight from work this evening, I’ve brought some of my spaghetti hoops for a snack to help me last the evening.

The relief that a cup of tea was offered first thing prompted a spontaneous hug for one of my colleagues.   Never been this emotional over a cup of tea before!

I will say here that it was noted at work that I was far more irritable and snappy than normal during the day.   I was asked a number of times ‘are you Ok?’

I was very glad for my late afternoon snack as my evening plans were a lot longer than expected and didn’t get home until past 9pm.   I’ll be honest, I was beyond being hungry and I didn’t have any tea.

The weekend is looming and I’m not looking forward to it.

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One myth about those who use the foodbank is that everyone who comes, is on benefits and not in work. Well many people are in employment AND need our support – this may be due to zero hours contracts which mean income is unstable and budgeting is near-on impossible, or it may due to low wages / low hours due to childcare or other commitments.

Some of you may read this blog and be thinking about food choices and shopping and hunger, but another point to sharing these experiences is to help better understand and therefore empathise with those who struggle day in, day out to make ends meet.