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Real Stories
“This service is a lifeline to people. I don’t know how I would do my job without this provision. A few months ago, it enabled a man following his stroke to be discharged from hospital. He had no next of kin, no friends he could rely upon, mental health and addiction issues. Other agencies could not assist with shopping for a week following discharge. He lived on the tenth floor of a tower block and due to his mobility problems was unable to get out to the shop or bank.
The B30 and South Birmingham Foodbank provided food parcels which enabled him to be discharged home where he received specialist rehabilitation who showed him how to shop online, whilst he recovered and had therapy. The food parcel gave him peace of mind that he would have food straight away when he got home, as I was able to collect it and drop it in to him. It provided essential nutrition to aid his recovery. He was completely overwhelmed by the kindness of strangers and it gave him hope that people did care, as he was feeling extremely vulnerable and scared.
Another stroke survivor used the foodbank three times as following his stroke, he became homeless. He slept rough for a number of months as he developed significant mental health issues, post stroke. He would take the food parcel to his brother’s house. His brother also suffered from ill health and could not afford to put him up, but when he had the parcel he would go and cook for them both. (His brother was unable to cook for himself due to his own issues) They would share a meal and the stroke survivor felt he wasn’t putting on his brother but doing something to help him. This helped him start to re gain some confidence and self-esteem. I remember when he had the first parcel, he said it had helped change, what seemed “like a very bad day into a not too bad of a day”. With lots of support, this man has made an excellent recovery and is now housed and has a full time job. He says without the support he knows there is every possibility that he would have been found dead in a ditch, as he didn’t care what happened to him but knowing that others were there to help him, pulled him through.”