Help city foodbank to feed our struggling families

St Catherine’s Foodbank, based on Doncaster Road is now giving out 100 food parcels each week, providing free lunch for more than 50 people, and running a weekly free evening meal for around 30 adults and children.

This is a 40 per cent increase on the same period last year and means the centre is at constant risk of having to turn hungry people away.

Centre manager Lisa Grant said: “The shelves are so low on stock all the time at the moment and we go from day to day worrying that we just won’t have enough food to continue to provide food parcels. This is particularly difficult as more and more families with children are relying on us to help them.”

The centre describes itself as “a lifeline for people living in crisis situations in Wakefield”.

St Catherine’s is particularly looking for tinned goods including fish, meat, vegetables, tomatoes, fruit, soup, beans and rice pudding.

It is also short of packets of pasta, rice, cereals, instant mashed potatoes, cooking sauces and UHT milk.

Lisa said: “We are so grateful and extremely thankful for all the support we receive on a regular basis, from local businesses, supermarkets, other churches, schools, not forgetting all the amazing individuals who give so willingly, and it’s sometimes difficult to ask when people are already so generous, but this is a sincere plea for help.

“We are particularly keen to ask local businesses whether they can help either by running food drives in their place of business or by sponsoring our work with cash donations.”

Anyone who would like to help can either drop off donations, arrange for a supermarket to deliver items purchased online or contact Lisa on 01924 211130.

•The Express is backing the appeal through its Time to Care campaign. We are highlighting the reasons why there is a need to care, looking at issues affecting people in our communities and the work being done to address them.