A housing association has provided £4,000 worth of funding to support three food banks which are continuing to help local people in need despite the upheaval caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Hambleton FoodShare, Influence Church and Community Works have all received money from Broadacres.
The three charities say the donations are well timed because the number of food parcels being handed out have increased as a result of the Coronavirus crisis.
At the same time, donations to the food banks in Northallerton and Thirsk have fallen due to many collection points now being closed because of lock-down measures, meaning people are less likely to be leaving their homes to drop-off supplies.
Hambleton FoodShare, which operates from The Living Rooms in Garthway Arcade, Northallerton, were delighted to receive £1,650 from Broadacres.
Co-ordinator Alison Grainger said: “In February, before the lockdown, we handed out 160 parcels and in April this figure had risen to over 300 parcels.
“One of the reasons for this was that people had either lost their jobs, or had been furloughed, and had to wait to receive Universal Credit or their furlough payment.
“It’s also been harder for people to make donations due to the lockdown restrictions now in place, so this donation from Broadacres is very much appreciated.
“It means we can buy food and other essentials, such as nappies and toilet rolls, to provide people with emergency 3-day parcels that will hopefully tide them over until their personal circumstances improve.”
The Influence Church, which is based in Victoria Road, Richmond, has also received £1,650 to support its StoreHouse food bank.
Coordinator Suz Gregory said: “Thankfully, we have managed to maintain and even increase our donations, but we are giving out more parcels, so this money from Broadacres is very welcome.
“We will be using the money to buy items which are not commonly donated, such as tinned pasta and toilet rolls.”
Community Works, which operates out of the Church Hall on St James Green in Thirsk, has received £700.
Chief executive Abigail Homer said: “This donation will make a massive difference in helping us support local people in need, and we would like to thank Broadacres for their support.”
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