Feed a Family: Can you help restock the shelves?

An appeal for donations of tinned meat, puddings, sweet treats for children and toilet rolls has been made by one food bank which is running low on supplies.

Adam Tilsley, project manager at Cannock & District Food Bank, is appealing for help to restock the shelves

This week we have launched our Feed A Family This Christmas campaign to support food banks and charities in the Black Country and Staffordshire working to support families and individuals struggling to put meals on the table.

We want to ensure nobody goes hungry this Christmas and we are asking for your help to support the efforts of charities and volunteers who are providing a vital lifeline in our communities

One of the organisations helping families and individuals in need every day is Rugeley Food Bank,which is part of the Trussell Trust network and handed out almost 2,000 emergency parcels to people in crisis last year.

Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic the charity has continued to give out emergency food to people who have fallen on hard times.

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Earlier this year volunteers received a letter of gratitude from Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Staffordshire, Ian Dudson, for the support they were giving to the community.

He wrote: “The innovation, collaboration, courage and selflessness shown by so many across the County during the Covid-19 pandemic has been truly inspirational and uplifting. As Her Majesty The Queen’s representative, I would like to thank you for the wonderful contribution you have made to the county during these extraordinary and challenging times.”

Volunteers at the food bank said they continue to be very busy and have appealed for help in refilling the shelves to ensure they can meet demand.

They are asking for donations of tinned meat which might include things like meatballs, curries, stewing steak and hot dog sausages.

The team is also running low on instant mashed potato, puddings and instant custard to go with them.

he food bank, which is based at Rugeley Community Centre in Burnthill Lane, is also appealing for small treats that can be given to families with children.

As well as food, the charity gives out toiletries and is in need of more toilet rolls to ensure no one goes without.

Tinned meat is also on the wish list of Cannock & District Food Bank, based at Coniston Hall in Chadsmoor.

Project manager Adam Tilsley said: “We are particularly short of biscuits, tinned fruit, tinned meat, rice pudding and UHT milk.

Any donations will be very gratefully appreciated and put to immediate use.”

Cannock and District Food Bank feeds people in need across Cannock, Heath Hayes, Norton Canes, Burntwood, Penkridge, Great Wyrley, Huntingdon and parts of South Staffordshire. The charity, which has 60 volunteers, operates from eight locations.

The charity is also appealing for donations of festive food such as Christmas puddings and chocolates.

“Our last day for donations of Christmas food is December 12 because this will give us enough time to get it out to people,” said Adam.

This year we are asking people to donate non perishable food and toiletries to the food banks and organisations directly by using their established collection points, which are listed on this page.

This will ensure the donations reach their dedicated teams quickly and safely so they can be passed on to the people who need them.

WHAT TO DONATE:

Christmas items:

All of the items in this list need to have ‘best before’ dates beyond December. Some food banks will not accept festive items after a certain date to ensure it can all be distributed in time for Christmas. The food must not contain any alcohol: