Seaham Chippy manager launches online fundraiser to continuously provide food parcels for those in need

Michelle Gray, manager of Seaham Chippy on South Railway Street, has launched the project on the back of the chip shop offering free hot meals to individuals and families.

People will be able to donate to the Go Fund Me page which in turn will allow Michelle to buy the food necessary to create the food parcels for those who need them most.

Michelle revealed to the Echo her reasons for setting up the scheme and the level of support that she has received from people who she has helped.

She added: "I was surprised at how many people were coming forward for the free meals and I wanted to do something to help further.

“Obviously we started with the one free meal and that’s all good for the one day that they receive that, but I wanted to look at eliminating the stress of the rest of the week.

“It’s hard asking for help as a lot of people feel like their pride is damaged but I couldn’t imagine how I’d feel if I lost my job and couldn’t afford to feed my kids.

"I’m now seeing some people who I have helped have now managed to get back into work and have started to donate things like tins of beans to me to help others."

The food parcels consist of a mixture of fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, eggs and tinned food – providing enough meals to last people at least five days, with Michelle adding a personal touch.

She said: "Because I’m not a charity or a food bank, I can personalise the food parcels to suit to each individual or family and I can also supply fresh food such as meat or veg.

"A lot of foodbanks will just give people a food parcel and that’s it, there will be no say in what goes into it but I’d rather tailor it so that I know the food will be eaten,

“I’d hate to think that kids were going hungry because the food parcel had things in it that they didn’t like.”

Support your Echo and become a subscriber today. Enjoy unlimited access to local news, the latest on SAFC and new puzzles every day.

With a digital subscription, you can see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content.

Click here to subscribe.