Clare who has lived in Bude for over 25 years, enjoys the company of her 3 children.
It was at the start of the first lockdown when she made the difficult decision to take 3-months unpaid leave following the birth of her new born baby.
Clare told us ‘I was pregnant and struggling a lot as a single Mum. I had difficulties with my pregnancy and my mental health deteriorated – and didn’t know which way to turn at the time. Having lost my income during lockdown, I was referred to Bude Foodbank but really felt uncomfortable in contacting them. I was put in touch with the manager, Sue and she and the team simply went above and beyond in supporting us. They dropped off food parcels at our door, delivered us healthy meals – they were absolutely brilliant!’
Clare added ‘Sue would text me every week asking if they could do anything to help, it was so reassuring. They made us feel comfortable without judgement and it really picked us up out of a big hole. The team have an empathetic way of understanding what people are going through. During lockdown, they would drop of food, give us a wave and check we were ok. I can’t begin to tell you what this meant to me and my family.’
Clare has since returned to work and continues to receive the support of Bude Foodbank. She said ‘It’s great to know that they are still there for us as we readjust. I would encourage anyone that is feeling uncomfortable about asking for support to just reach out. The team at the Foodbank have a loving and empathetic way of understanding what people are going through and it’s simply fantastic that they are here in our community.’
Bude Foodbank is looking to expand its service to not only provide food support, but to additionally support the community with emotional and mental health issues and also in practical ways such as financial and debt support.
For more information on the work of Bude Foodbank or to support us with a donation, visit our donation page or call us on 01288 488748.
Original Post Date: March 15th 2021
