The rise in energy costs, coupled with increasing inflation rates, is making the cost of living more expensive. For some families, it means being forced to choose between heating or eating.
As families continue to struggle financially due to the pandemic, Islamic Relief UK supported Newham Community Project to help over 500 families with winter food packs on Tuesday 11 January.
@5_News @KNashTV report on desperate situation those with No Recourse to Public Funds sadly still find themselves in!
Elyas Ismail (Founder): “they choose between food on the table or switching on the light or heating”@IslamicReliefUK @CllrSarahRuiz @stephenctimms @Team_Timms pic.twitter.com/IY2AagalAX
— Newham Community Project (@newhamcommunity) January 12, 2022
“The Newham Community Project is doing incredible work to help people who have been financially hit by the pandemic,” Tufail Hussain, Director of Islamic Relief UK said in a statement published online.
“This winter, we hope that we can help ease some of the challenges families are facing and Islamic Relief UK is proud to be partnering with Newham Community Project and Stephen Timms MP to support vulnerable families with much-needed food packs.”
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Newham Community Project is amongst a small minority who provide help and support to destitute families and individuals with no recourse to public funds, including international students and their families who must also pay very high education fees.
Distributing Food
To help, vulnerable, and destitute families, Islamic Relief UK and Newham Community Project distributed food packs on Tuesday. Newham MP, Stephen Timms also joined the distribution.
The food packs contained essential groceries; fruit and vegetable bags, bread, eggs, milk, sugar, rice, cooking oil, hygiene products along with baby necessities; nappies, baby toiletries, formula milk, baby food and a selection of sweet and savory biscuits.
“Hunger and poverty remain very much at large, and we provide food and necessities to help support those with no recourse to public funds, facing vulnerability and destitution. Organizations like Islamic Relief UK make this possible!” Elyas Ismail, Chief Operating Officer, Newham Community Project said.
Our winter distribution drive has began! ❄️
Islamic Relief volunteers and staff are at @felixprojectuk today, helping to prepare and pack food for vulnerable communities across London – including 3,000 hot meals.
Thank you to @ApsanaBegumMP for visiting and showing support. 💙 pic.twitter.com/elxhGsLciP
— Islamic Relief UK (@IslamicReliefUK) January 10, 2022
Islamic Relief UK is concerned about rising levels of poverty as it plans to distribute more than 8000 food packs and 20,000 cooked meals this winter.
Islamic Relief UK is working with Mosques such as Green Lane Masjid in Birmingham, who have seen increasing numbers of users to their food bank during the pandemic. Masjid Al Falah in the same city have also seen a 30 per cent rise in households they are having to provide food to in just the last six weeks.
It will also be distributing food packs this winter through these partners as well as Sufra NW, Cambridge Central Mosque, Blackall Mosque, East London Mosque, Masjid Al Hikmah, Crookston Community Group and a few football club foundations including Celtic FC, Aston Villa FC and Liverpool FC.