Foodbank bosses make summer holiday appeal

Sunderland Foodbank fears for its busiest summer ever with increased food bank need during school holidays .

In previous years, the rise in the number of families struggling to stretch their money to cover the summer break has left Sunderland Foodbank’s stocks running low for certain items.

Now the charity has launched an urgent appeal for food donations ahead of the holidays to ensure they can continue to offer emergency help in the community to people in crisis.

In the last financial year, the food bank, which is part of the Trussell Trust’s network, provided 2,771 three day emergency food supplies to people in need.

Of these, 1,245 went to children.

The charity is now backing calls by the Trussell Trust for the Government to tackle delays and gaps in benefits, which affect families’ ability to afford essentials, as a first priority. .

Locally, the food bank is urging families to seek help if they are struggling to afford food this summer, and asking local people able to donate to support their work.

Jo Gordon, Sunderland Foodbank manager, said: “No one in Sunderland should need a food bank and we want to see an end to local people needing emergency food at all.

“But more people are finding that their income simply won’t stretch to meet the extra pressure of missing free school meals or paying for extra childcare during the holidays.”

He added: “We’re determined to work alongside other food banks in the Trussell Trust’s network to bring about long-term change to end hunger not only during the holidays, but at any time of year.

At present, the food bank is most in need of milk (UHT or powdered), custard, tinned rice pudding, biscuits, tinned tomatoes, shower gel, shampoo and toilet roll

Donations can be dropped off at Sunderland Foodbank Foodstore, 90 Coronation Street, SR1 2HE, or at Sunderland Minster, Asda Grangetown, Asda Seaham, Tesco the Bridges, Morrisons Seaburn, Sainsburys Fulwell and Sunderland Carers Centre .

For up-to-date lists of urgently needed food, go to https://sunderland.foodbank.org.uk/ or search Facebook or Twitter for Sunderland Foodbank.