By Gerald Lynch
The growing demand for reprieve from the cost of living crisis has left the Braybrook and Maidstone Neighbourhood House (BMNH) with a lengthy waiting list for its services.
Every Monday at 9am, the self-funded, self-run neighbourhood house offers free bread donated by the Bakers Delight in Sunshine.
Manager Vivienne Conn said the evolving demand for the program has limited the neighbourhood house’s ability to cater for the community.
“Sometimes we used to have [the bread] till 2pm. But the demand has got so much bigger that we had to take the time off and just say ‘till it’s gone’,” she said.
On Tuesdays, BMNH runs a fruit and vegetable hamper drive, an emergency relief program that supports 59 families each week.
However, the service has reached capacity, leaving many others on a waiting list.
“We can’t even put any more people onto our waiting list. The demand has got so high that those waiting to get on the list will be waiting quite a long time,” she said.
“A lot of people that are on the list (of receiving hampers) stay on the list for quite some time, until things improve for them.”
BMNH partners with SecondBite, which supplies donated fruit, vegetables, and canned goods from major supermarkets.
Despite this support, the amount fluctuates week to week, leaving the centre to rely on community donations.
Families placed onto the waiting list also are often given frozen meals to help keep food on the table.
“We run this emergency relief program with no funding whatsoever,” Ms Conn said.
“We’ve just got to find our own way. People in the community also donate to us, which is lovely … not just food, but also clothing and other items we can hand out to those most in need.”
The surge in demand has been building over the last five years, with 2024 marking an especially significant increase.
“This year, we’ve had a lot more people calling out for fresh fruit and veggies and needing support with lots of other things as well,” Ms Conn said.
“The cost-of-living rises are affecting a lot of people, not only those who are unemployed, but also people who are working.”
