Foodbank collecting at ASDA

Rochdale Foodbank Volunteers with items of food we are really short of

Volunteers from Rochdale Foodbank will be in the foyer of ASDA (Dane Street, Rochdale) on Saturday 9 February between 9am and 5pm to collect food donated by shoppers.

They will be handing out ‘shopping lists’ for non-perishable items of food which are in short supply at the Foodbank Centre on South Parade in Rochdale.

Since the start of November last year, the Foodbank has given out 9000 kgs of food to over 650 households, feeding over 1300 adults and children.

Iain Wight, from The Well Community Church, which project manages the Foodbank, said: "It is truly amazing that so much food has been donated by the Rochdale public, from Littleborough in the north, to Middleton in the South, Heywood to the west and Milnrow to the east."

"But", he added: "We are now finding ourselves really stretched to fulfil all the demands on the foodbank. We are regularly short of some key items of food. In January, we have spent £500 of money donated to ‘top up’ the stocks.

"We are feeding around 14 households each day – that’s over 70 a week, and each one is receiving an average of 14kgs of food, worth around £25. So, in any one week, we need over 850 kgs of food to be donated – or nearly £2,000 to buy it!"

The foodbank is asking Rochdale shoppers to add at least one item of food to their basket at ASDA, and donate it to the foodbank.

Mr Wight commented: "It is regular and constant giving that helps us survive. Harvest Festivals and Christmas gave us a super boost to our stocks, but this needs to happen all year round if we are to help the hungry in Rochdale. We are grateful to ASDA for allowing us to collect food in the store."

The Foodbank is short of milk, sugar, fruit juice, coffee, pasta sauces, packets of mashed potato, lentils, tins of fruit, desserts, custard, rice pudding, biscuits, jam and ketchups.

They have plentiful stock of soup, beans, vegetables, pasta and tea.

Financial donations can be made through the website at www.rochdale.foodbank.org.uk or by contacting Iain or Margaret Wight on 07956 337674.