Thank you for all your support. We couldn t do it without you. December2017 Headline Statistics Between 1-30 November 2017, Leeds South and East foodbank fed a total of 737 people,437 adults and 300 children. Various reasons caused these folk to need help from the foodbank, benefit delays and changes accounted for 434; debt and low income 187; sickness 6, homelessness 8; and other reasons 102. Generous Gifts from our local Schools and churches at Harvest Festival Massive thanks go to our generous children and families from all the local schools and churches who have donated their Harvest Festival food to the food bank to help needy families. Over 5 tons of food was collected, brilliant! Thank you Grateful thanks go to all our volunteers who helped with the 3 day annual TESCO collections on Thursday 30 November; Friday 1 December and Saturday 2 December. Over 5 tons of food was donated by our generous members of the public. Volunteers urgently needed for supermarket collections Our next collection will be at Morrisons in Rothwell on Saturday 16 December. Please volunteer using doodle below https://doodle.com/poll/4ge2pyr46ztfdia8 What we need this month Thank you! Long Life milk, tinned fish, custard (tinned or packet), rice pudding, cereals, cooking sauces tinned or packet potatoes, coffee, dilute juice. At Leeds South and East Food bank: We provide three days of emergency food to people in crisis We work with frontline care professionals to identify those in need We provide emergency food that is nutritionally balanced We signpost visitors to organisations best able to help address the underlying causes of each crisis All the food we give out is generously donated by the public We work to raise awareness of the causes of food poverty and encourage local people and policy makers alike to take action against hunger
Leeds South and East Foodbank Newsletter Page 2 Emergency Appeal We need all the donations we can get. Our food is going to desperate clients faster than we can collect it in. Please help! Signposting Co-ordinator needed A Signposting Co-ordinator is needed for 10 hours per week at a rate of 7.85 per hour, based at the office/ warehouse centre. A job description with key skills and attributes needed is available on application to John Newbould on 0113 2715866. Trustees needed Could you be a Trustee? We need people who would like to volunteer to be a Trustee for our food bank. Anyone who is interested, please initially contact Wendy Doyle on 0113 2715866 Volunteer Profile Stella is 78 and has been a food bank volunteer for the last 4 years. She works to a rota at a distribution centre, so usually does one 3 hour session per month, unless needed to fill in for anyone. Her role is choosing food for clients, checking use by dates and packing bags. She volunteered as she likes to assist where and when necessary, and likes to feel useful. Stella would say to anyone considering being a volunteer that it is all about volunteering in the community and understanding other people s situations. Thank You Heartfelt thanks go to all our volunteers and donors, who have helped over the last year without you all there would be no food bank. All the best for a happy and healthy Christmas and New Year. Grateful thanks go to Calder Oils Ltd who recently generously donated 250 to food bank. Also heartfelt thanks go to Parkside Garage Ltd for their superb ongoing support. Many thanks also to Atkins staff who had a food collection throughout November and collected a massive 67.22kg. Fundraising Event at the ChemicTavern The Chemic Tavern at 9 Johnson Street in Woodhouse held a musical fundraising event for food bank on 2 December!
Leeds South and East Foodbank Newsletter Page 3 Food Bank Christmas Appeal The LEEDS SOUTH AND EAST FOODBANK is part of The Trussell Trust s 400-strong network of foodbanks. The Trussell Trust is a Christian organisation which provides a minimum of 3 days emergency food and support to people experiencing crisis in the UK. In 2016/17, nationally, the foodbanks gave 1,182,954 three-day emergency food supplies to people in crisis. The LEEDS SOUTH AND EAST FOODBANK as part of the Trussell Trust is a third-sector, non-profit making charity, staffed by non-waged volunteers. It meets the needs of those in South and East Leeds in crisis by providing emergency food; providing a listening, non-judgemental space to listen to people and their immediate issues; to sign-post them to those who can provide a long term solution to their problems. From the 1 st April 2014 to the present, across South and East Leeds, we have fed directly, through our distribution centres, 21,580 people (12,866 adults and 8,714 children). We also supply school breakfast clubs, and food for homeless charities. For Christians, Christmas is a very important festival, commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ. It is a time for family, to be merry, a time for presents and perhaps the clinking of glasses. For many people on low incomes Christmas is a lonely and miserable time, made worse by the presumption that everyone else is having a great time. So, we are appealing to your readers to HELP FEED A FAMILY this Christmas. We urgently require: Cereals, Tinned soup, Tinned Beans, Tinned Spaghetti, Tinned Tomatoes, Tinned Vegetables, Tinned Meat, Tinned Fish, Tinned Potatoes/Mash, Pasta, Rice, Pasta Sauce, Tinned Fruit, Tinned Rice Pudding, Tinned Custard, Biscuits, Juice, Tea bags/coffee, UHT Milk. Food donations can be delivered in the usual way or directly to the foodbanks warehouse at Unit 16, Ashbrooke Business Park, Parkside Lane, Leeds LS11 5SF, telephone 0113 2715866. Opening hours are Monday to Wednesday, 08:30 14:30. Christmas closure dates All sites will close for the Christmas period from Friday 22 December and will reopen on 2 January 2018.Last day for collections will be Wednesday 20 December.
Leeds South and East Foodbank Newsletter Page 4 Corporate Help Many thanks go to our corporate volunteers, who help out in the warehouse dating, sorting, and storing our food donations, both before and after our supermarket collections. Thank you volunteers from the Halifax; Lombard Banking ; Leeds City Council and HSBC. Special thanks also go to Dave Patterson from Food aid Network for help at the Garforth TESCO collection. Crowdfunding update Many thanks to anyone who donated to our crowdfunding page which has now been closed. Funds received will go to our transport costs. Thanks for your support New Centre Opened 1 March- Can anyone volunteer to help here please? We have opened a new distribution centre located at Osmondthorpe One Stop Centre. We desperately need volunteers to help there on Wednesdays from 10 to 12. Change of address for Rothwell distribution centre The last opening at the Windmill Centre in Rothwell was on 29 June. From 6 July Rothwell distribution centre is in Rothwell Firestation. Easyfundraising Please help us raise extra funds every time you shop online. All you need to do is join here- https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk and support Leeds South and East Food bank. Then when you shop the company will make a donation to the foodbank. EasyPeasy! Are you interested in volunteering in our foodbank centres? Find out how to help https://leedssouthandeast.foodbank.org.uk/give-help/ Distribution Centres For a full up to date list of Distribution centres and opening times please check our website https://leedssouthandeast.foodbank.org.uk/locations/ REMEMBER, PRAYER POWERS OUR WORK!
Leeds South and East Foodbank Newsletter Page 5 Pray about the role you have in foodbank the tasks you do, and the clients you ve met or will meet this week. Pray that volunteers will continue to be generous with the time they give to foodbank. Pray for our project leader, Wendy Doyle, and Amie Thompson, assistant project leader, and their family, giving thanks for all they do for Foodbank. Give thanks for the admin team doing their best to keep on top of the work, compiling information that we need about client s attendance and the statistics for the Trussell Trust. Pray for the warehouse men and women sorting, weighing, packing and delivering the food to the sites, and for the job seekers among them that they may find the paid work they need. Pray for Linda Jackson that her slow recovery will continue.