It is obvious and evident that far more people are depending on food banks than ever before in Britain, and certainly in Luton. It is not just for those unemployed and poor, but many employed people as well as pensioners are also seeking help amid the cost of living crisis.
Luton Foodbank is run entirely for the benefit of people in and around Luton who need emergency food. It is about eradicating food poverty in Luton and supporting people so that they can take steps to overcome the problems that brought them to us.
At Luton Food Bank’s 10th Anniversary, a founding member Sufian Sadiq said we started Luton Food Bank with one mission and that was to shut it down when there’s no one left hungry in our town. It was started for a 3-month period initially, but over a decade we are still here.
Another ardent Food Bank supporter Sujel Miah said we’ll celebrate Food Bank the day we no longer need it in our town, but right now Food Bank celebrates bringing the community together and enabling active empathy with a sense of common purpose that no one goes hungry in our town.
In her reflections, Helen Goulden – CEO of The Young Foundation stated that the rapid growth of Food Banks across the country is shocking and all Food Banks are experiencing a surge in demand. She said there’s an 8290% increase in the Food Bank usage in the last 15 years. On the other hand, donations to Food Banks have dropped by 50%, because of the ongoing cost of living crisis. This cannot be right that being one of the top 30 richest countries in the world, we are experiencing this level of poverty and hunger. It is disastrous that Food Banks have become the normal and accepted part of the UK welfare system.
She reminded whilst charity will always be a necessary part of any society, charity is not the answer to the challenges facing our society today. The answer lies in everyone including government, politicians, businesses, and public-voluntary-faith sectors, acting together differently so that structural injustices are addressed in a systematic way to establish fairness, equality, and equity in our communities.
Speaking on behalf of faith communities, Bishop of Bedford Rt Revd Richard Atkinson said, Luton Food Bank is not associated with any one faith tradition. This was both to enable and value the contributions of all – whatever one’s personal faith or belief; and also, to be true to the super-diversity of this town. And yet faith communities have been important contributors to the Food Bank, which echoes the rich faith identity of Luton. This should not surprise us, because at the heart of all major religions is the priority of love of our fellow human beings – especially those who are hungry.
He stated that in my own Christian tradition, Jesus commends those who respond to those in need. Matthew 25: 37 says – “Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? ….. And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.”
In the Islamic tradition, he quoted Surah 76, which says: “And they give food, out of love for Him, to the poor and the orphan and the captive, [saying] “We feed you, for Allah’s pleasure only — We desire from you neither reward nor thanks.”
In the Sikh religion, there is a remarkable tradition of the Langar (communal meal) – feeding people without discrimination. In Judaism, it is commanded in Leviticus to leave the corners of the field unharvested along with the gleanings so that the poor and stranger may benefit. Buddhism states that ‘hunger is the worst kind of illness’. In the Hindu religion, there is no better puja and ritual than feeding a hungry, not just human but all living beings. Annadanam (food donation) is Mahadanam (the greatest donation) and is an essential part of the Sanatana Dharma tradition.
Bishop also quoted one of the many wise sayings of Archbishop Desmond Tutu: “I don’t preach a social gospel; I preach the Gospel, period. The gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is concerned for the whole person. When people were hungry, Jesus didn’t say, ‘Now is that political or social?’ He said, ‘I feed you.’ Because the good news to a hungry person is bread.”
Bishop Richard concluded by thanking Luton Foodbank for ten years of doing just that.
