A father who recently lost his job has spoken about the time he cried after having to use a food bank for the first time and eating one meal a day as he feels he “does not deserve” to eat as much amid the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.
The PA news agency has been contacting some of those hit hardest by the cost-of-living crisis, including Wayne Baker, 38, who lives in Thurrock, Essex, with his partner Zoe, 32, a part-time child carer, and his 12-year-old son Cody. Wayne lost his job in construction as a hod carrier in November 2022.
He said: “I went in to work one day on a Wednesday and around half the team lost their jobs – we went from a team of 48 to a team of 22. I had worked there for eight/nine years, so it was a bit of a shock to the system.
“As I lost my job in the first week of November and my (12-year-old) son’s birthday was at the end of November and Christmas was coming up, it was a hard time to lose a job. Christmas was really bad. . . we could not give our son all the presents he wanted, but he was quite understanding.”
Not long afterwards and finding that he had “nothing left”, he was advised to use a food bank. he said: “My partner was quite hesitant because we were not putting stuff in, we were taking from it. But when I went, it was hard to swallow.
“I cried the first time I went. I felt quite embarrassed as I thought, ‘really? I’ve got to this stage?'”
Since then he has had to go to a food bank a further two times. He spoke about the hardships of living like this: “It’s the simple things, like worrying about where the next meal was coming from, because the food banks are handy but they don’t supply an actual meal – it helps with the meals, but I just still constantly worry about when and where the next lot of food is coming from.
“I have only one meal a day — I had toast for dinner for one week straight.
“But I would make sure my son and my partner ate three meals a day. Because I’m not working, I think I don’t deserve to eat as much. . . he is going to school and my partner is going to work. They need the energy, and I have lost three stone in the past two months.
“We also had no heating for three weeks because we could not afford it.”
Despite all the economies, Mr Baker said he has racked up more than £2,000 worth of debt. “The council have been quite understanding as I am without a job, but it is a debt that I will have to pay back. It is still hanging over my head," he said.
To make ends meet, he has been forced to sell a computer, a TV and “jewellery that has been handed down to me — just to get a bit of money”. In the second week of November he was handed an eviction notice, piling further stress on to the family.
And getting help has not been easy. He said: “It’s been really hard. I have been helped by a woman called Heidi at Thurrock Council. She put me through to (crowdfunding platform) Beam and helped me throughout the process.
“She put me through to the food bank and bought me a Christmas hamper so I could eat on Christmas Day, but the last two months have definitely been a struggle.”
Beam create individual fundraising profiles – also known as campaigns – to help those struggling with social issues including homelessness and migration, using public donations. Mr Baker hoped to raise a little under £600 — and in the space of eight days, the target was reached.
The funds will pay for items including his CSCS card (a Construction Skills Certification Scheme qualification), a laptop to complete his training and some safety boots.
“I didn’t expect the money to be raised so quickly by roughly 30 people,” he said. “It just shows that even though there is a crisis going on, people are still willing to help. It’s a nice feeling and hopefully when I am back on my feet I can do the same for someone else.
“I could not really ask for help or money from friends or family, as everyone is struggling with the cost of living right now.”
Beam fundraisers can be found here, where the website says that 100% of the donations from friends and colleagues go directly to Beam campaigns.
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