This festive period Toon Aid in partnership with Newcastle West End Foodbank and NUFC Fans Foodbank is launching a campaign to raise funds to help keep this vital resource to the community going when demand for its services are at their highest.
Food parcels issued by Newcastle West End Foodbank feed an average of 2000 people a month in the local community struggling to feed themselves last year. It’s the aim of the foodbank to provide emergency food supplies and support those facing a crisis and locked in poverty.
“I was born and bred in in the West End of Newcastle where poverty, lack of opportunities and low educational attainment persists. If you do not even have food on the table how do you progress with other things in your life and society. The truth is you don’t. This campaign is about those barely getting by and getting their lives back on track. We want to end the cycle of poverty and have a lasting impact in the community. Make your pledge and get involved this winter period”
Monju Meah, Toon Aid campaign lead
The Funds for Foodbank campaign.
From December to the beginning of March demand for food parcels more than doubles as families struggle to cope with the financial pressures of the festive season.” Experience shows that at Christmas and into the New Year, people’s financial vulnerability is more exposed than at other times in the year, says John McCorry, chief executive of the foodbank”. Over the past year food distribution has risen by 23 per cent and amounts to 137 tonnes needed annually to meet increased demand. The Funds for Foodbank campaign is to help generate these much-needed resources to meet the demand for food-parcels.”
The funds raised will contribute towards the annual running costs of the food bank, including the maintenance of the Foodbank Kitchen that serves 200 hot meals a week. And investing in services to help people move beyond the foodbank, such as Pathways Out of Hunger, a project keen to help people out of poverty, working with other agencies – “challenging conditions that hinder their potential,” says chief executive John McCorry.
How can you get involved?
- You can get involved in the calendar of activities being organised, setup a challenge or fundraiser or even something at your place of work.
- You can setup a fundraising page on the ‘Food Bank Winter Campaign 2019’ portal here.
For any queries or if you would like to discuss how we could support you, please get in touch with [email protected] or 07531 491604.
