A St Ann’s food bank is asking people to donate non-food items to help people who don’t have the money to buy some everyday necessities.
Steph Hagen, the food bank’s co-ordinator wants more non-food items to be donated but sometimes faces difficulties in getting them, she even stays up late some nights waiting for emails from charities so she can have first choice on the items they’re offering.
She said: “The clue is in the title, it’s called a food bank. We do class ourselves as a food store but a lot of people don’t think about the other things.
They see people in food poverty, but they need to look at the bigger picture of people in life poverty.
Steph Hagen, food bank co-ordinator.
The St Ann’s food bank mainly deals with people with no income, including helping families that don’t have any benefits in place.
Video: Steph outlines who they help with their food bank.
Margaret Bagnall is an administrative support worker for the food bank, who believes that non-food items like toilet roll, toothpaste and shampoo are just as important as food.
She is responsible for giving out food, parcels and donations to people that come into the food bank and must find out their dietary requirements so the right food can be given out to vegetarians, diabetics and so on.
Video: Margaret talks about the importance of non-food items.
St Ann’s food bank are putting together about 40 parcels a week. If you would like to donate to their cause, get down to Robin Hood Chase, St Ann’s or call St Ann’s Advice Centre on 0115 950 6867 for more information.
