The charity has said that despite a spike in some very generous donations over the past few weeks, due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis it is seeing the number of people requiring its free food parcels sharply rise week on week.
Operations Manager Dawn Stanford estimates there will be an increase of up to 200% by Christmas as people struggle to make ends meet due to Covid-19.
She said on the charity’s website: “The sad reality is that numbers are rising week on week, and we are preparing to deal with a peak at Christmas where we may be delivering to around 150%, to 200% more people than an average week pre-Covid 19.”
Christmas has always been an exceptionally busy time for the charity, and this year with the pandemic’s many restrictions and resulting financial struggles even more so.
Nourish recognises it is not as easy for people to shop as regularly as they would have done due to a second lockdown, and that its volunteer numbers will be lessened due to social distancing, so it has come up with an alternative Christmas donation package.
Instead of running its usual Reverse Advent Calendar, one where people buy one food item a day from its most wanted list, the charity is now asking supporters to donate £1 a day for the 12 days of Christmas.
Everyone, from individuals and families to schools and business, can get involved and the Nourish team will then pick up the donations to purchase food for children, who account for around 44% of the people they will support.
Alternatively supporters can donate £20 directly to Nourish in order to cover the cost of a Christmas dinner for someone by texting FOOD £20 to 70085.
If you would like to take part in the £1 a day for the 12 days of Christmas email admin@nourishcommunityfoodbank.org.uk
