'People who are stockpiling need to think' - Baby bank charity urges people not to hoard baby food

A nationwide baby bank is appealing to people not to stockpile infant food after they received calls from panicked mothers who had run short.

Laken and Emily's Baby Bank say mums living in emergency accommodation are really scared there will be a shortage of formula for their babies because of the panic buying and stockpiling in the shops due to Covid-19

Young mums Laken Mellor from Kildare and Emily Watson from Meath are running short of donations due to the panic as people start to hold on to everything for themselves, despite assurances from national agencies that there are ample supplies.

The Baby Bank, which now answers more than 2,000 calls a month from pregnant mothers and families in need, was originally set up in 2017 to donate maternity bags containing all toiletries needed for new mums and babies during and after labour.

However, the service was expanded to try and answer the needs of mothers and families in distress, living in emergency accommodation or those who have nothing to live on after paying the mortgage and basic bills each month.

Now, they have four other volunteer mums throughout Leinster and in Tipperary who are each answering up to 400 calls a month for help.

A lot of food and donations are paid for out of their own pockets as they understand what it's like to struggle.

"Both Emily and I, as mums, know how hard it can be and have struggled ourselves to pay for food and heating and then all the things that kids need," said Laken.

"We were inundated on Thursday by mums in real fear that they wouldn't be able to get formula for their babies. Many had tried but shelves in a lot of shops and supermarkets were empty from people stockpiling formula, food, nappies and wipes.

We would just ask people to think of those less fortunate. Many of the mums we deal with are in emergency accommodation and are on their own. They can't afford to buy more than one tin of formula at a time.

"People who are stockpiling need to think. They are stockpiling because they are fearful of their own babies running out, so imagine those who are living week to week with nothing extra to buy an extra anything for the just in case cupboard."

Emily, who is expecting her fourth baby in the coming weeks said: "I have actually run out of formula to donate from my house in Trim. People are panicked and so hoarding everything themselves at the minute.

"We are trying to help and answer over 400 calls a month from people with nothing and they are really afraid of what is happening or what is going to come down the line.

"Many are terrified that they won't be able to feed their babies because there is no food on the supermarket shelves and that's the bottom line."