“It’s now more important than ever to continue to support us as we face the coming winter”

Wrexham Council is this week taking part in a national campaign to help raise awareness of how residents can donate to and support the local foodbank this winter.

For many people throughout the country, and here in Wrexham, it’s a daily struggle to put regular, healthy meals on the table.

Poverty, lack of food and hunger is affecting women, men and children, and its numbers include an increasing number of people who are currently in work.

As part of the National Safeguarding Week, Wrexham Council are helping to raise awareness of the support and assistance available, as food shortage and hunger can affect anyone.

In 2012 the Wrexham Foodbank opened and since then it has helped over 6,243 people including 2,337 children since last September who would have faced going hungry without their support.

The parcels provide three days worth of nutritionally balanced food to local people referred to them in crisis. This might be losing a job, waiting for benefit payments or wages, illness, debt, fleeing domestic violence or no recourse to public funds or an unexpected large bill.

As well as food parcels they also provide nappies, toiletries, pet food, cleaning products, cooking and budgeting courses, prayer and fuel vouchers.

Nearly a hundred compassionate volunteers give their time at the warehouse, at one of their nine distribution centres or as a driver.

Everyone who is helped by the Foodbank has been referred to them by an agency such as housing officers, social workers, work coaches, teachers, CAB advisors, and many charities and organisations across Wrexham who work within the community to signpost people on to further help out of their crisis.

Sally Ellinson, project manager with the Foodbank said: “Without the support of the Wrexham community we would not be able to help so many people and we would like to thank them for their extremely helpful contributions since we opened in 2012.

“It’s now more important than ever to continue to support us as we face the coming winter and expect to have more and more calls for support.

You can find out more about the work of the Foodbank on their website to find out how you can help or how you can get help.