THE Salvation Army has seen demand for its services double this year – and has urged struggling Islanders to “never be embarrassed” to seek support.
And the Shelter Trust homelessness charity has given out twice as many food parcels so far in 2023 than it did last year, citing a “severe need” to provide “that extra bit of help”.
The surge in demand comes following a year of stubbornly high inflation as well as multiple interest-rate hikes which have pushed up some monthly mortgage payments by hundreds of pounds.
Bills are also expected to increase further, with electricity, water and some postal charges due to rise in January.
Salvation Army officer Richard Nunn said that in 2021 the charity gave practical support – including electrical vouchers and food parcels – on 1,040 occasions, with the figure rising to 1,470 last year.
So far in 2023, the charity has handed out similar goods and vouchers 2,850 times.
Mr Nunn added that the charity was also contending with price rises on the goods it buys to provide that support, having this year spent just over £60,000 on food – around £26,000 more than last year.
Attributing growing demand to the rising cost of living, Mr Nunn said: “What we are seeing is charities working and pulling out all of the stops to increase their capacity to provide care and support. There is hope out there in that, if people are struggling, there is still support from charities that they can access.”
He stressed that those in need should “never be embarrassed” to seek help.
He said: “Times are so hard at the minute; they are not alone.
“We [the Island’s charities] will all do our best to help, but also talk to your politicians and tell them what your experiences are, because they need to hear that.”
Neville Benbow, chairman of the Shelter Trust – which operates from eight sites and provides accommodation for around 124 Islanders – said that the charity had this year given out 1,500 food parcels – twice as many as last year.
He added: “It is now a regular part of what we do.
“There are people finding things really tough and there is a severe need for that extra bit of help. People are having to make some difficult choices.”
