Mayor Andy Street backs Feed a Family campaign

West Midlands Mayor Andy Street is once again lending his support to the Express & Star’s Feed a Family This Christmas appeal.

West Midlands Mayor Andy Street is backing our Feed a Family campaign

We are asking our generous readers to support the work of food banks and other charities who are helping across the Black Country and Staffordshire who are providing a vital lifeline in our communities.

This year we are asking people to donate non perishable food and toiletries to the organisations supporting those in need directly by using their established collection points, which are listed on this page. Mr Street has welcomed the campaign and has urged anyone who can to get involved.

“The Express & Star’s Feed a Family campaign has become a real highlight of the festive period in recent years, helping to deliver tens of thousands of items of food and essentials for those most in need.

“Sadly the campaign cannot run in its same form this year because of the pandemic, but that must not stop us continuing to help those most in need and helping to Feed a Family this Christmas. So if you are able to, please find your nearest foodbank and get donating.”

Now is the time of year when the charities are always traditionally busy with increasing numbers of people forced to choose between eating or heating their home.

Many are seeing an increase in demand year on year and in many places 2020 has seen unprecedented numbers turning to charities for help.

One of the organisations helping families and individuals who are struggling to make ends meet is the Black Country Food Bank, which has already has already given out in excess of 305,617 meals and fed 19,994 people this year.

At the moment, the charity is particularly short of small packets of breakfast cereals, small bags of sugar, tinned meat such as ham or corned beef, tinned fish, bottles of fruit squash, long-life fruit juice, tinned potatoes, instant mash and long-life milk.

It is also appealing for deodorant and washing up liquid as the charity also supplies toiletries and basic cleaning products.