Play your part in Foodbank collection

Volunteers and organisers at last week's opening of a new distribution centre at Ballyloughan Presbyterian Church for the Ballymena Foodbank. Incuded is Ballymena Foodbank coordinator Janice Colgan, Rev McCorriston of Ballyloughan Presbyterian Church, Rev Jamison of St Columbus Church of Ireland and Suzanne Downey who is the Northern Ireland coordinator of the Trussell Trust Foodbank network. INBT 43-111JC

They will be collecting all kinds of non-perishable food, toiletries, and many other essential items to help support local people in crisis.

Ballymena foodbank provide three days’ emergency food to men, women and children in crisis locally. The foodbank is an initiative of The Trussell Trust, a Christian based organisation, committed to launching life changing, community-based projects.

Supermarket collections are one of the main ways that the foodbank is stocked and with the foodbank busier than ever The Trussell Trust is asking people to give generously.

A spokesperson for the Foodbank said: “The current economic climate means more and more people are struggling to put food on the table, many choose between heat and food at this time of year, so we really rely on local citizens to give what they can to help.

“It’s not just people on low incomes that are feeling the pinch at the moment, increased redundancy and fewer jobs are having a real impact on local people and we’re seeing more people turning to the foodbank for help. We want to make sure that no-one in Ballymena is forced to go hungry, but to do this we’re asking for help.”

How The Foodbank Works:

Food is donated

• Tesco Stores, Schools, churches, businesses and individuals donate non-perishable,

in-date food to a food-bank.

Food is sorted and stored

• Volunteers sort food to check that it’s in date and pack it into boxes ready to be given to people in need.

Frontline care professionals identify people in need

• Care professionals such as doctors, health visitors, social workers, CAB and police identify people in crisis and issue them with a food-bank voucher. Foodbank’s partner with a wide range of care professionals who are best placed to assess need and make sure that it is genuine.

Clients receive food

• Foodbank clients bring their voucher to a food-bank centre where it can be redeemed for three days emergency food. Volunteers meet clients over a cup of tea and are able to signpost people to agencies able to solve the longer-term problem.

#EveryCanHelps – so we would love to have you get involved in the UK’s biggest food collection from Thursday 3rd December – Saturday 5th December, to make a difference in your local community this Christmas time?

If you can help with the collection or could volunteer on a weekly basis please contact Janice Colgan on 02825650123 or [email protected].

Ballymena Foodbank Office, Green Pastures Church, Fenaghy Road, Galgorm, Ballymena open on Wednesdays from 11.00 to 1.00pm and Friday from 11.00am to 1.00pm. Contact Janice Colgan

Ballymena North Distribution Centre, Ballyloughan Presbyterian Church 88 Doury Road, Ballymena, open on Thursdays from 10.00am to 12.00pm. Contact - Karen Scott