Express & Star

Smethwick food bank in urgent appeal for donations

A food bank was forced to make an urgent appeal for donations after it ran out of stock while coming to the aid of deprived families over the festive period.

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The bank at Holy Trinity Church in Smethwick dished out food and drink to 146 people, including 76 children, on the last Friday before Christmas, clearing out its entire stock.

Organisers responded by putting out an appeal for donations, which was met by dozens of people who rallied round to send in extra food packages to bump up supplies for this month.

Coral Musgrave, who heads the food bank, said: "Christmas saw one of the busiest days we have ever seen - families struggling for cash came in to stock up over the period, the problem was it saw us run out.

"But thanks to our supporters we got the stock back up again, ready for another year ahead of us.

"People are desperate. Some have large families, but not the money to find all the food needed. This is where we come in and help."

Coral Musgrave shows the half-empty shelves

Items handed out at the food bank include milk, sugar, pasta sauces and tinned vegetables.

The bank is open every Tuesday.

A health profile of the Sandwell borough published by Public Health England last year found almost 30 per cent of children in the borough live in poverty.

The life expectancy of men is 8.2 years lower than the national average.

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