Maidenhead foodbank puts out urgent appeal for items to feed families during school holidays

Maidenhead Foodshare has put out an urgent appeal for donations after stocks have run low.

With the summer holidays approaching, volunteers at the foodbank have urged residents to donate extra items as families will struggle due to children not getting school meals.

The charity, which supports 200 people a week, is in need of pasta, tinned tomatoes, tinned vegetables, jams and spreads, biscuits and soup.

Katie Hierons, one of the managers at the foodbank said: “We’re trying to give families extra food because they will not have school meals, so we’re asking for extra donations.”

The volunteers give out food on Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings at their base in King Street and have just started a pop-up foodbank in Cox Green.

Katie said: “We set up the Cox Green station for people that cannot afford to travel into town.

“Some people struggle to ask for help and we have to reach out to them.

“A lot of people think foodbanks are just for the homeless, we do give food to them, items such as corned beef and ham because they have no cooking facilities but we also help people from all walks of life.

“People who find themselves on hard times, they may have lost their jobs and be sleeping rough in their car. From university educated people to right across the board.

“We are trying to plug the gaps that society leaves.”

Katie said the foodbank also needs volunteers to help pick up food collections from supermarkets.

Contact info@foodshare.today if you are able to volunteer and visit www.foodshare.today to find out about collection points.

The foodbank is in need of:

-pasta and pasta sauces

-tinned tomatoes

-rice pudding

-fruit juices

-squash

-biscuits

-soup