GENEROUS shoppers gave Worcester Foodbank an early Christmas present by donating almost five tonnes of supplies during a three-day supermarket collection.
Volunteers were able to fill up 400 crates with urgently needed food, toiletries and festive treats as customers at the Tesco stores in Warndon and St Peter’s donated items from the charity’s festive shopping list.
It’s estimated the collection will help to provide about 5,000 meals at a time when foodbank is facing unprecedented demand for emergency food, fuelled by low income and delays in benefit payments.
The charity is on course to feed a record number of people during 2019/20 having provided more than 3,500 three-day food parcels during the first six months of the year – up a quarter on the same period 12 months ago.
Grahame Lucas, Worcester foodbank manager, said: “We’re always overwhelmed by the extraordinary generosity of local people – once again we had some shoppers filling up trolleys with donations for us.”
“It gives us every chance of being able to ensure as few people as possible go hungry this Christmas, but we cannot afford to be complacent given the huge demands being placed on our supplies.”
There is still plenty of time to support food bank’s efforts to fill empty stomachs and children’s stockings this Christmas by donating items from its festive shopping list.
Volunteers are also appealing for people to donate gifts for children aged 0 to 18 to help light up the faces of youngsters who the food bank will help to feed this Christmas
