Volunteers from Burnham-On-Sea and Highbridge’s local Foodbank have been collecting food donations from generous shoppers at the town’s Tesco store this week.
Tesco supports the Trussell Trust, which oversees the national network of banks across the UK, with top-up donations by giving an additional 20%, which provides a vital lifeline for the charity.
“In a typical year the Burnham and Highbridge Foodbank supports about 1,800 people, over a third of whom are children, who have no other means of support in emergency,” local volunteer Andy Ballard told Burnham-On-Sea.com.
“The Foodbank provides a supply of food to tide over families and individuals during a crisis period.”
“Nationally, Foodbanks have seen a big increase in demand and locally volunteers report a simple increase in need for help from a wide range of people in different circumstances.”
“People with benefit problems, changes to disability benefits, unemployment, and difficulties with insecure zero hours contracts come to the Foodbank where they are advised and guided by Citizens Advice staff and receive a food parcel to help them through.”
“As ever, the people of Burnham-On-Sea and Highbridge are very generous and provide almost all of the food which is given out. Without this regular kindness, many more people in the district would be going hungry.”
