Call for Christmas meat donations to perk up those in need

Maidenhead’s food hub for those in need, FoodShare, is appealing for donations of a joint of meat to help make Christmas a proper one for people using its service.

Food donations have been ‘significantly lower’ this year, says Debbie Gee, trustee.

“Donations have been dropping over the last two years, but this year is significantly down – below half the donations we had,” she said.

“People continue to give generously, donating what they can afford, but they can’t afford it. Everybody’s having to tighten their belts.”

FoodShare’s demand, by contrast, remains as high as ever.

It is supporting about 140-150 families, as well as many individuals.

“We get people coming in now saying, ‘I can’t even afford to chew the toothpaste,’” said Debbie.

“We put out some shower gel on our service last Saturday, and we had to restock the shelf three times – this is a big indicator to us that personal hygiene products have shot up in price.”

It affects what people donate to FoodShare – for example, toilet paper, something the food bank rarely receives now because the price has ‘gone up by a ridiculous amount.’

Pet food, too, is taking a toll: “We are hearing about people who are feeding their pets before they feed themselves,” said Debbie.

FoodShare is looking for tinned meat donations, among other items, and small packs of rice. It cannot always put fresh food in home deliveries as it doesn’t have enough shelf life, so tinned meat helps make sure people get their protein.

FoodShare is also ‘always after puddings’ and will welcome sponges, custard and the like. Sauces, too, are in demand, including salad cream, mayonnaise and ketchup.

“People are really hard up and trying to make their food last to make ends meet. One lady said, ‘It’s amazing what you can do with brown sauce and pasta.’

“It’s instead of just having plain boiled pasta – all of a sudden they feel like they’re having a meal.”

Given all the difficulties, FoodShare has had to ‘rethink’ how it supports families at Christmas.

It is creating Christmas Dinner Bags so every family we support can enjoy a proper Christmas meal – with a joint of meat taking centre stage as a ‘high priority’.

FoodShare is hoping for chicken, pork, lamb or beef this Christmas, to make sure the meal feels like a proper Christmas dinner.

When Debbie told visitors to the food bank that its Christmas bags will be smaller this year, she heard back: “As long as I can put that dinner on the table for the kids, I think we’ll be alright.”

The Christmas food will be packed into special Christmas Roast Appeal bags, so every household receives ‘a complete and comforting Christmas dinner.’

Treat donations are also lower this year, so each family will receive a small treat bag.

“We are incredibly grateful for every item received, and we know how much these mean to the children and parents who visit us,” said Debbie.

“Thank you to everyone in Maidenhead who continues to stand with us. Together, we can make Christmas brighter for local people who need a helping hand.”