Turning hardship into hope: Michael’s food bank story

When Michael first walked through the doors of a Cardiff Foodbank session, he was wary of being judged.

Today, at 54, he still visits our foodbank sessions but not as someone in crisis but as someone offering help. He’s a trustee for a Welsh charity — FibroSupport Wales and now comes to food bank sessions to collect emergency food parcels for others or sometimes just to accompany a nervous first-time visitor.

Michael grew up in the Rhondda Valley but left home in his early twenties after struggling to feel accepted because of his sexuality. He arrived in Cardiff and spent months sleeping rough, sometimes sheltering on the top level of a multi-storey car park.

Eventually he secured accommodation but, without benefits or a stable income, could not afford to buy food and other essentials.

“I was selling the Big Issue, trying to get extra bits of money,” he recalls. “But there was never enough for food.”

His turning point came at a Cardiff Council advice centre in the city, where he was given a voucher and directed to a food bank run by Cardiff Foodbank volunteers at the City Church on Cowbridge Road East. What struck Michael was not just the food he was offered, but the warmth of the welcome and the compassion of the volunteers.

“It wasn’t so much just the food,” Michael says. “It was the company. I was lacking company. I was treated as a human, not as a scrounger.”

That sense of dignity was key to Michael's positive experience. Like many people who rely on food banks, Michael felt the weight of stigma—worrying about being seen walking out with carrier bags, afraid that they would be judged.  It’s a common feeling, but Michael says, “People don’t realise that everybody is just one step away from being in the same position.”

Over the years, Michael has come to Cardiff Foodbank during different periods of hardship, such as during the pandemic. He has built strong relationships with the dedicated volunteers who run the weekly food bank sessions.

Michael knows that the Cardiff Foodbank offers more than food. People in crisis are greeted by a Cardiff Council Money Advice Team adviser who attends the session and asks clients if they would like some financial advice and support.

People coming to the Cardiff Foodbank session are offered a warm drink and a listening ear from volunteers as soon as they walk in the door.  Food parcels are also tailored to reflect the number and ages of people in a household, as well as food allergies and client preferences. 

Volunteers can signpost clients to additional support that they can access, such as other charities that may be able to help with furniture and cooking appliances.

“It’s not transactional,” Michael explains. “They take the time to sit down and talk with you.”

“I’ve gone from being someone helped by a food voucher to someone who can say, ‘Here’s a food voucher,’” he says. “That’s not unique—but it’s important.”

Embarrassment and fear are common, he says. “People think they’ll get one small bag for three days and that’s it. They don’t realise the support or how kind people are.”

Michael now volunteers and supports others through his role with FibroSupport Wales, a charity that began as a small Facebook group and has grown into an award-winning organisation supporting people with fibromyalgia and related conditions.

As a trustee, he helps people with the condition who find themselves in crisis by issuing emergency support such as food vouchers and fuel support.

Now, Michael speaks openly about struggling when he needs to. “I’m not scared to come into a food bank anymore,” he says. “I know I’ll be welcomed.”

Christmas and winter bring additional challenges.  Michael sees pressures intensify, especially for families and people facing illness or benefit changes. Rising food and energy costs mean many households face impossible choices between heating and eating.

“The ambition is that there should be no food banks,” Michael says. “But the way things are going, it may get worse before it gets better.”

Last winter, Cardiff Foodbank gave out enough food to make 47,907 meals. This winter, we launched our Winter Cash Appeal so that we can continue to support those in crisis in Cardiff.  Your gift of £10 will help put food on the table of someone in crisis.

Be the reason someone eats tonight; please support our Winter Cash Appeal.