The growth of food banks has been the subject of testy political debate in recent years, with some cynics suggesting that the more of them you open, the more people will come to depend upon them.
The former work and pensions minister Ian Duncan Smith once accused the charity running most of Britain’s food banks of “scaremongering” about acute poverty, while the department under his command claimed rising food bank use was simply down to greater “awareness” of their existence.
But food banks in Glasgow have made it clear the desperate need is real and demand is now outstripping supply.
Urgent we are running too low now on supplys.not enough for the week. if you can donate please do xxx
— Glasgow NW Foodbank (@Glasgow_NW_FB) April 30, 2017
The Glasgow North East, North West and South West food banks, all part of The Trussell Trust network, issued appeals for food donations over the bank holiday weekend.
“Our shelves are near empty this week,” Glasgow North West tweeted on Friday. The food bank has seen a surge in new people after independent food bank in the area was force to close, and organisers said “the pressure just now is staggering.”