 |
| Moreambe Bay Foodbank Christmas in a Box Appeal |
Generous shoppers in Morecambe, Lancaster and Carnforth have donated an incredible 10,000 meals for people in need this winter, following the Neighbourhood Food Collection in aid of Trussell Trust foodbanks and FareShare, which took place in local supermarkets, Tesco, Asda, and Sainsbury’s.
The fifth Neighbourhood Food Collection was held between 24-29 November, supported by ITV’s Good Morning Britain. The collection was held to try to prepare the charities to have enough food to help people during the winter, which is the hardest time of year for people in poverty.
The Morecambe Bay Foodbank has given three days’ food to over 2,500 people so far this year.
Members of the public can continue to donate food at the drop-off points at Sainsbury’s and Asda in Lancaster, and at Tesco in Carnforth. Donations can also be dropped off at Morecambe Methodist Church on Tuesdays and Fridays, 10am-11am.
The foodbank is also running a ‘Christmas in a Box’ campaign asking people to donate a Christmas food box (or goods for one) – you can see their poster explaining all about it above and at their website http://morecambebay.foodbank.org.uk/.
You can also keep up with their news on their facebook page Morecambe Bay Foodbank.
This Christmas is looking especially tough for people on low incomes, with many already really struggling to make ends meet. As winter bites many parents and vulnerable people will be forced to choose between eating and heating.
Annette Smith, Morecambe Bay Foodbank Project Coordinator, said “I’ve been amazed by the generosity and kindness of the public during this campaign – over four tonnes of food was donated in just one week! Support like this means that we can keep up with demand, as more local people than ever struggle to put food on the table as Christmas approaches. Thank you to everybody who got involved.”
120 volunteers of all ages from Morecambe Bay Foodbank joined with supermarket staff to collect donations, including six-year-old Summer who worked tirelessly at Sainsbury’s in Morecambe to help to collect over 500kg food in just one day!
Every Tesco store in the UK took part in the collection and customers were also able to be make an online cash donation to the appeal: http://foodcollection.tesco.com/donate-now Tesco will be topping up total donations by a further 30% (The 30% top up is based on the weight and estimated value of the donations).
In Morecambe and Lancaster, The Bay Radio heavily supported the donation drive with its own #baymealappeal campaign, with presenters visiting the foodbank and supermarkets.
In November over £1,000 worth of food, enough to make 770 meals, was donated by teams from Doosan Babcock and EDF Energy at Heysham 1 and 2 Power Stations, and this week staff from Morrisons supermarket teamed up to make another generous donation.
The foodbank is part of the Trussell Trust, an award-winning UK foodbank network partnered with churches and communities to provide three days nutritionally-balanced emergency food to people in crisis. Over 90% food given out by foodbanks is donated by the public. Every foodbank recipient is referred by a frontline professional such as a doctor, social worker or schools liaison officer.
Between April and September 2014 in the UK 492,641people received three days’ emergency food and support, including 176,565 children, from a Trussell Trust foodbank, compared to 355,982 during the same period in the previous year. This marks a 38% increase. (For recent research published by the Trussell Trust and partners, please see: http://www.trusselltrust.org/mid-year-stats-2014-2015.
For more information on the work carried out by Trussell Trust foodbanks visit: www.trusselltrust.org/foodbank-projects