foodbank will open in town
A FOODBANK is to be launched in Bury St Edmunds within the next few months.
The Gatehouse charity has appealed for volunteers to help run the foodbank, which will help some of the town’s poorest people and families.
It has also appealed for people to donate food.
Amanda Bloomfield, chief executive at Gatehouse, said: “We already run a Christmas hamper scheme and we have alway found that we have had great support from members of the community.
“But we are asking the public to support us a little bit harder this year to help us launch the foodbank, hopefully in October.
“We also need volunteers who will work in the community centres handing out food parcels to people in crisis.”
The Christian charity already hands out a couple of hampers a week to people referred to them, but is now preparing to work with community groups, churches and supermarkets on a large scale project.
Asda and the East of England Co-op have both agreed to back the scheme. Other town supermarkets will also be approached to see if they will donate food.
Ernie Broom, chairman of the Howard Estate’s Association of Residents and Tenants, led calls for a town foodbank earlier in the year.
“On Sunday I got a call from the Presbyterian Church saying they had got some food to donate.
“I’ve never seen so much stuff – it’s great,” he said.
“It has gone far beyond my wildest dreams. We have virtually got the whole town behind us.”
Suffolk county councillor Mark Ereira, who is chairman of the foodbank committee, said: “We know there are many, many families and individuals who need a bit of support and help.
“It has all come together so quickly from the first meeting called by Ernie.
“It engenders community spirit and shows we have it in the bucket loads.”
You can donate food from Monday to Friday at Gateway in Dettingen Way.
The food needs to be tins or packets of long life dated items. A typical food parcel contains tea or coffee, sugar, long life milk, tinned vegetables, tinned meat, tinned fruit, and rice or pasta.
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Weather for Bury St Edmunds
Sunday 19 May 2013
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 9 C to 18 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: North
Tomorrow
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Temperature: 9 C to 15 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: North
