Despite living in the nation’s economic powerhouse, there are Londoners who find themselves in food poverty, unable to feed themselves or their families. On Tuesday 14 July, Caritas Westminster and the Hurtado Jesuit Centre held a panel discussion chaired by Phoebe Jackson, development worker for Caritas, to explore the rise of food poverty in the capital. Contributors on the panel included Dr Jon May from Queen Mary University of London, Fr Michael Dunne from Bow Foodbank, and Fr John Moffatt, who is a member of the Jesuit community in Wapping.
The panel explored the social, political, and moral considerations that we must take into account when
addressing food poverty. At the end of the evening, each audience member identified a practical step they could take in response to what they had heard, with suggestions including community projects and advocacy work. This event made it clear that there is no simple solution to food poverty, and our response to this growing need must be considered and community-based.
This session was the thirdin the Hurtado Jesuit Centre series on social action, following on from Caring for Our Common Good. For more information, please contact welcome@hurtadocentre.org.uk.
To find out more about Caritas Westminster’s work on food aid, please contact Phoebe Jackson.
