Urgent appeal for donations to Flintshire Foodbank – demand is outstripping supply

Flintshire Foodbank volunteers have revealed that more than 2,000 people, including 800 children, have been forced to turn to them for help in January-April of this year alone.

Alyn and Deeside AM Carl Sargeant, is backing an urgent appeal for donations to Flintshire Foodbank as demand is outstripping supply.

Over the Christmas period 1,092 people from across the county were helped in just 17 days.

Up until now generous donations from kind local people have kept up with demand from those struggling to feed their families. In the last four months a heart-warming 15,138.6kg of food was donated, yet this was not enough.

Last week Connah’s Quay foodbank ran out of stock and volunteers had to raise money to buy more than £160 of tinned food as demand took over supply for the first time.

“The demand for the foodbank hasn’t gone down at all and at the moment demand is greater than the stocks of food available,” said foodbank project manager Sue Leake.

“We had to raise money and buy some food last week so we would have enough to give out. We have to have enough to be able to give people packs with three days’ worth of nutritionally balanced meals.

“We would urge anyone who can help to donate tinned fruit and vegetables, long-life UHT milk, tinned ready meals, soup, pasta sauces, rice pudding, custard, rice, pasta and more.”

Carl Sargeant AM said:

“People just like you and me are going hungry under our noses for various reasons including redundancy, domestic violence, or a large or unexpected bill when on a low income. One of the most common reasons is changes to, or delays in, benefits.

“Flintshire Foodbank and the kind people who make donations are doing a wonderful job giving those that are struggling the helping hand they need. The foodbank needs that help more than ever now. I will be donating food and urge anyone else who can help to please do the same.”

For those in Alyn and Deeside Carl Sargeant’s office at 70 High Street Connah’s Quay is accepting donations to Flintshire Foodbank Monday-Friday 10am-4pm. For those nearer Mold, Flintshire Foodbank on Wrexham Street, Mold, accepts donations on Tuesdays and Fridays between 10am-2pm. Volunteers have asked that when dropping off your donations you let them know where you heard about the appeal.