When people experiencing homelessness visit our centre, food is often their first request.

This is unlikely to be a surprise to anyone. People need food and, as most people we support struggle to afford a meal or find somewhere to cook, we’re able to provide a quick fix to an immediate need.

But if we’re not careful, this can become a disempowering experience.

Due to reasons outside of their control, people often rely on us for food. This can create an unequal power balance. If you’ve ever had a friend or family member cook a well-intended but bland meal for you, we’re sure you can understand how uncomfortable it is to be in this situation.

This can act as constant reminder of the lack of control people facing homelessness have in their day-to-day lives.

Food and homelessness: The facts

Before someone becomes homeless, buying food is often seen as less important than paying rent or bills. This is because having a safe space can provide better long-term protection than one meal.

However, this issue often spirals out of hand, which might explain the 30% of at risk young people often go without food for a whole day. If a person does become homeless, they may continue to struggle affording food, leaving them with limited options like food banks and gifts from strangers.

There can be many issues with this from dietary restrictions to lack of nutrition. We’ve seen the ways this can impact a person’s health, with one study finding that 17% of people facing homelessness were malnourished and underweight. This can lead to a range of issues including slow recovery from illness, increased tiredness and reduced psychosocial function. All this can make leaving the streets for good more complex and therefore creates a cycle of homelessness for many.

The impact of limited food on someone’s mental health can also be severe, especially for parents who also have children to feed. Many spend significant parts of their day worrying about where their next meal will come from while also balancing fears around housing, family and employment. This can be draining in and of itself but when combined with the lack of energy some will experience from missing meals, the impact can be very dangerous.

Clearly, becoming disempowered from choosing your own food (either due to financial or structural factors) can affect a person more than you might first think.

Discover more on homelessness and health here.

When homeless, food is more than a need

Food is a human right and when it becomes harder to come by, people facing homelessness can really suffer. But food is more than a physical necessity. It can be a sense of security, of comfort, a reminder of identity and so much more.

At The Connection at St. Martin’s we understand the importance of food to people we support which is why we always offer a range of options to suit all dietary needs, cultural backgrounds and health preferences. We also listen to feedback which helps shape our meal plans for the centre to make sure everyone feels their voice is being heard.

This helps us build relationships with people and gain their trust which can allow us to support them onto bigger steps in their journey home. If you’d like to be part of this journey, please consider donating the cost of a meal below. This is more than a meal: it’s a lifeline.