Thriving food bank calls on public to KEEP their donations
ROCHDALE Food Bank, in Greater Manchester, have issued a plea for people “hold onto their donations” rather than donate them for the time being.
Many of the volunteers for the food bank are elderly, and therefore in the vulnerable category, putting them at risk of contracting Covid and struggling to fight off the virus.
A new variant of coronavirus is believed to be 50 to 70% more infectious than the original virus.
Speaking on behalf of the trustees and volunteers, Chair of Trustees Steve Field thanked people for the “almost overwhelming” amount of donations in the Christmas period.
He said: “Thank you for all the donations of food we have received from you over the eight years we have been serving our clients in food poverty in the borough.
“Thank you in particular for the [almost] overwhelming amount of food we have received in the last five weeks, over the Christmas period.
“The loyalty and generosity of the people of Rochdale never fails to astonish us.”
He added that, at present, the food bank can now support its users fully, and that finances are also in a “healthy position.”
He continued: “This might surprise you, but we are in the happy position to support our clients fully for the time being.
“Our finances are also in a healthy position, should we need them, to be able to buy quantities of any food we might become short of.
“We don’t expect to have to do that.
“From that very fortunate position, we ask you to understand that we must now look at the health and safety of our volunteers.
“We already operate as best we can in a Covidsafe environment at both South Parade and at our warehouse in the Wheatsheaf Centre.
“However, our volunteers are almost entirely in the vulnerable age category and we feel we must protect them further, particularly those who are going to supermarkets, buildings and houses to collect donated food.
“We will continue to manage both centres but in a more streamlined way, reducing the overall demand for and risk to all our volunteers.” The move comes to protect the food bank’s volunteers.
Steve added: “In that time period, we also have to manage our departure from the warehouse at the Wheatsheaf Centre.
“What we ask of you, whether you are an individual, family, school, church, mosque or business, is to hold on to your donations for the present time.
“You still remain very important to our work.
“We will need your support again but for now we are well placed to manage. We will review the situation in a month’s time when, hopefully the vaccination programme will be well established.
“When the restrictions are eased, we will contact you again through the same ways we have shared this message and ask you to pick up again where you left off. Rest assured, we will collect whatever has already been donated in the stores and at No1 Riverside.
“By holding back on your donations now, even though that seems a strange thing to do, you will help us to continue to provide the service to our clients in need; the service you expect of us and have trusted us to deliver for more than eight years.
“Thank you for your cooperation in these very difficult of times for all of us.”