Alan Bailey, manager of the centre, lamented, "In the 52 years I've been involved with the centre, I've never seen this happen before. It's something we never anticipated happening, but it's a demand that has been gradually building up." This highlights the unprecedented demand for food parcels in the city, illustrating a significant rise in need over the years.
Bailey explained the extent of the demand: "When we arrived this morning, there was a queue forming at 4am, and at one stage it stretched from our place along Bow Street right back to Church Street, so it was a lengthy queue." This vivid description underscores the urgent needs facing the community.
Discussing the centre's challenges, Bailey noted, "We are seeing our costs creeping up all the time... We are totally dependent on people's generosity, and without the generosity of ordinary people, we wouldn't be here now and we cannot acknowledge that enough." This emphasizes the financial strain on charities amid growing needs.
The centre's operational scale was highlighted by Bailey: "We serve roughly 1,050 meals a day, free of charge-up from about 700 a day five years ago." This statistic indicates a growing demand and reliance on their services in the community.
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