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Foodbank launch offers vital help to the needy
Support...Jane White volunteer and Keith Nockels organiser during the launch of 'Foodbank' at Market Harborough Congregational church hall. (Picture: Andrew Carpenter/001396-24)
PEOPLE struggling to afford food will now be offered help by a number of agencies in the Harborough area thanks to an initiative launched by its churches.
The Jubilee Foodbank was launched on Friday at the Congregational Church in High Street, Harborough.
People in need of help in the form of food will be able to ask various agencies in the town for assistance.
Volunteers from Churches Together in Harborough will then be able to provide them with food that has been donated to them to help the cause.
The aim of the Foodbank is to give a free gift of three days’ worth of food to people in need.
At the launch event, 14 agencies signed up to distribute food collected by the churches to help people in times of need.
The food will not, however, be given out by the churches but through the agencies.
The agencies include the Citizens Advice Bureau, Harborough District Council, Home-Start, Sure Start, Harborough JobCentre and Harborough District Mind.
Although research by Harborough’s churches discovered there were two people a month in need of food handouts in Harborough, it is thought the number may be far higher as agencies previously have not been able to ask people if they have enough food to last them.
The Rev Suzanne Nockels, minister of Market Harborough Congregational Church, said: “It went really well. It exceeded our expectations. We thought it was going to be a bit of a slog.”
People are able to donate to help the Jubilee Foodbank by bringing non-perishable goods to the Congregational Church Monday to Friday between 10am and midday.
Food items needed include tins, cereals, pasta, rice, UHT milk, fruit juice and coffee and people are also able to donate by calling 01858 462376.
The Rev Nockels said that the food assists not only “gentlemen of the road”, whom they have helped in the past, but also people who are waiting for benefits or for a pay cheque at the end of the month.
She said: “Things are getting harder for people and some can fall through the social safety net. Just passing on a bag of food might tide people over until the first pay-check or benefit payment arrives.
“Frankly, in this day and age and in this town we don’t want anyone to be without the basic necessity of food.”
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Thursday 17 May 2012
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