Shelves are bare at Hartlepool Foodbank and bosses need your help

Leaders of the town’s food bank says they are in desperate need of several items to continue to fight on food poverty.

Hartlepool Foodbank have made a desperate appeal saying shelves at its warehouse are looking particularly bare.

Co-ordinator Abi Knowles said it is a combination of increased demand for food parcels coupled with a drop in donations from the public.

She said: “I think it is one of the lowest levels I have seen it while I have been here.

“I would say it has been a busier year which is contributing to that.

“We have had a busy couple of weeks. The Tuesday before last we gave out 27 food vouchers and 37 on the Friday which is quite a busy week.

“At the moment we are never dropping below he mid-20s which is quite unusual.

“That used to be a busy week, now it is the norm.

“We are expecting school and church donations to start to come in during harvest period so hopefully we will catch up, but at the moment it has been a little bit lean in terms of donations.”

Vouchers are provided by a host of partner agencies to be exchanged for food parcels containing enough for three days.

The amount of food given out varies as the vouchers are used by single people, couples and whole families of up to 10 people.

Foods the charity is particularly short of at the moment are: dried pasta and rice, tinned fruit and vegetables, pasta sauce and tinned meat and fish.

Any sweet snacks along with toiletries would also be gratefully received.

So far in 2018 Hartlepool Foodbank have provided enough food for over 26,000 meals for people in food poverty in the town.

Supporters can drop off donations at the food bank’s distribution centre in Church Street between 11.30am and 1.30pm on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Permanent collection points can also be found in Tesco Extra, in Burn Road, Morrisons in Clarence Road, Asda on Marina Way and Sainsbury’s Local in Station Lane, at Seaton.