Watch more of our videos on Shots!
and live on Freeview channel 276

The individual quietly purchased £500 of food in Tesco and left it for the foodbank, which is experiencing a rise in requests for help.

Praise too has been extended to many others in the community for their donations to the charity during the last seven months, including churches and schools who recently held harvest collections.

Rev John Dickinson, chair of the management committee, said: “Since the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis the Newtownabbey Foodbank has faced a significant increase in the demand for its services. This has obviously placed an additional strain on our volunteers and our donors. But the generous response of individuals and the businesses within our community has been overwhelming.

Five-year-old Elliana and three-year-old Adalie Lynn helping with the harvest collection at Rathcoole Presbyterian Church.

“New people have volunteered in the warehouse, in sorting and labelling the food we have in quarantine and in our distribution centres and as a result of the increased donations our stock levels are higher than ever. We are grateful to everyone who has helped us respond to food poverty in our community and to opening doors for us to serve in this way.”

Since the beginning of April, 3,654 people including 1,612 children have been fed which is more than the total of last year. Since 2015, when the foodbank opened, 17,250 people have been fed in the Newtownabbey community.

The charity’s high level of food stocks will enable it to provide a good selection of food in Christmas hampers this year but to ensure the inclusion of the festive treats many enjoy, the foodbank would be grateful for donations of shortbread, sweets, biscuits, Christmas cake, mince pies, large tins of ham, mince pies, selection boxes, bottles of Shloer/juice and Pringles.

Donations may be delivered to Carnmoney Presbyterian Church Centre on Monday and Thursday between 10.00am and 12 noon. Monetary donations may be handed in at the same time or by contacting the Foodbank on 07581 179604 or [email protected]

Click here to read: Fourfold increase in demand at foodbank

Thank you for reading this article. We’re more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

Please consider purchasing a copy of the paper. You can also support trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription of the News Letter.

Newtownabbey customer buys £500 of food in Tesco and leaves it for foodbank