May 30, 2017Ruth Cadbury, the Labour Party candidate for Brentford and Isleworth, took an hour off from canvassing to visit Hounslow Community FoodBox which is based in Brentford. Ruth has been a long-term supporter of the FoodBox – she painted the shelves in their store room when it first opened.Following her recent visit, Ruth said, “Hounslow Community FoodBox provides an invaluable service to people in the community who are unable to afford food and other essential items, primarily due to recent welfare reforms.“The shambolic rollout of Universal Credit in Hounslow has left many people without income for up to six weeks at a time, with some people in work also having to choose between feeding themselves and their children or paying their bills. These waits for payments are in addition to ongoing DWP delays, sanctions and changes in claimants’ circumstances.“We shouldn’t need foodbanks in 2017, it is an absolute disgrace that in one of the richest countries in the world, people are left without the means to buy food for themselves and their families. Hounslow Community FoodBox and all foodbanks do fantastic work to help our community.”“The resources of all foodbanks in the area will be stretched even further this week as its half term in local schools, as families who rely on school meals to ensure their children eat during the day have to find a way to feed their children when they are not at school.“The Tory manifesto commitment to scrap free school lunches will create a food and nutrition crisis for some families in this country. Labour will introduce free school meals for every primary school pupil.”With the increased need seen by Foodbox in recent months, their stock of food is running very low. Items they need to replenish include cereals, bakes beans, tinned vegetables and tea and coffee.In addition to providing food and essentials, FoodBox provides opportunities for training and work experience, volunteering and offers social activities for those in the community and campaigns for the prevention of malnutrition in children and young people.ENDSFurther informationDetails of local foodbanks in Hounslow Boroughhttp://fsd.hounslow.gov.uk/kb5/hounslow/fsd/service.page?id=AuGNJunkkB8My message on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/RuthCadburywin2017/videos/1403510176362825/Full list of items needed by Hounslow Community FoodBox to help people who use their services:- UHT Milk/Powder/Tin- Tea/coffee- Sugar- Squash- Tinned fruit- Baked beans- Pasta sauce- Pasta/rice (they have a good supply of this at the moment)- Cooking sauces- Tinned vegetables- Tinned pasta- Meat tinned- Fish tinned- Potatoes (tinned or mash)- Pulses/chick peas- Cereal- Tinned tomatoes- Tinned/packet soup- Biscuits Extras:- Jam/preserves/spreads- Rice pudding/custard- Bread/wraps- Pot/instant noodles- Cake mix- Flour- Batter mix- Stuffing mix- Gravy/stock- Sauces (brown/ketchup/salad cream)- Chutney- Crisps/popcorn/nuts Non-food items- Toiletries (pretty much anything)- Sanitary protection- Nappies- Baby food/milk- Cleaning materials