Food banks work with frontline professionals to identify people in need and issue them with a food bank voucher. These include local agencies such as children’s centres, housing associations, advice charities and mental health teams, who are best placed to assess need.
Once a person is referred, they can bring the voucher to their nearest food bank centre, where it can be exchanged for a parcel containing a minimum of three days’ nutritionally balanced food.
Food banks are designed to provide short-term, emergency support with food during a crisis. Their aim is to relieve the immediate pressure of the crisis by providing food, while also providing additional support to help people resolve the crises that they face.