A CHARITY has said people in Jersey are struggling to buy chocolate eggs for their families this Easter, as the cost-of-living crisis sees an increasing number of people reaching out for support.
It follows a recent anonymous Facebook post that asked if there is anywhere donating easter eggs this year for struggling families. In it, the Islander said: “I’m barely making it through each week buying normal food and horrified at the price hikes on the eggs.”
They added that three or four years ago they could buy three or four for each of their children, but now are “choosing between heat and the Easter bunny” to just buy one for each of them. This inspired many to offer to help in the comment section below.
Yvonne Corbin, chief executive of the charity Caring Cooks, said: “I saw that post. Normally Caring Cooks has a referral service that comes through other charities or a school, parish or other arms-length services.
“But when I saw that post I thought I could help on a personal level so I responded saying please contact me.”
Ms Corbin explained that she gave the person food vouchers that can be used at the Coop as well as for electricity.
It wasn’t the only person who contacted her. She added: “I did have more than one person contact me saying they were in the same boat.” When they reached out she gave them an Easter egg “just to see them through”.
Because of her own experiences during childhood, she says it’s important to help anyone who finds themselves in this position, which can “happen to anyone”, whether that’s from losing a job or a “family breakdown”.
In yesterday’s JEP, the Jersey Consumer Council highlighted that Easter eggs in the UK are getting increasingly more expensive in price, while often getting smaller in size, with more packaging than consumers think is necessary.
However, Ms Corbin said that “regardless of how much value you are getting for that Easter egg” it’s important to acknowledge that there are people who “people who cannot afford the Easter egg in the first place”.
She added that her charity which strives to ensure no child on the Island goes without food has seen “more referrals coming through” for people “who literally have nowhere else to turn”, over the “last three years”.
