Stacia Whittaker, Manager of the HIV/AIDS Food Bank.
The demand for food supplies from the HIV/AIDS Food Bank well outstrips what the organisation currently has to offer, but personnel there are trying their best to still meet the needs of people living with HIV and AIDS.
Stacia Whittaker, Manager of the HIV/AIDS Food Bank acknowledged the client that would have only qualified for once a month, is now qualifying to be serviced twice a month, because they have no other means at all,” Whittaker stated.
Whereas the emphasis before was on having personal talks with clients to ensure that they eat healthy and stay on track by having their weight checked and also ensuring that they have access to counselling sessions, these additional services have been suspended at present due to the pandemic and the need for social distancing. The aim now is to ensure that persons can have access to wholesome food, in a safe, quick manner, but Whittaker noted that with so many other organisations out there in need, it is fast becoming a challenge.
“At the end of the day, we really want to support our clients as much as possible, so it is not a good feeling when you realise that is not always possible. When you see a client come back for a second time saying, ‘I ran out of food and I don’t have any other means’ and ‘I don’t know what to do’, you have to find some
way to help them, because you don’t want them to go back through the door with that story. So you find some ways or means to at least give them something, to just bridge the gap between those times when they do not have enough. So it is hard; it is challenging and we are trying our best to see what process we can put in place to help our clients, as much as possible,” the Food Bank Manager said.
The HIV/AIDS Food Bank remains open from Monday to Friday and Barbadians wishing to assist can contact the Food Bank at 536-3314 or by e-mailing hivaidsfoodbank@health.gov.bb to find out when their donation can be dropped off or collected.