Story: Andrew Birtwhistle, Burngreave Foodbank Manager
On 23rd December 2014 Burngreave Foodbank fed our 5,000th customer since opening in June 2012. There was no fanfare or gold-plated tin of food because we didn't know the date until we checked later!
People are referred to us using our special red vouchers which are held by about 100 different local agencies, including Citizens Advice, social workers, health visitors and various support organisations. 34,000 kg of food went to those 5,000, which would have kept them going for a few days while they were sorting things out. We also offer tea, coffee and biscuits while food is packed, and a bit of time to chat.
You may have seen us collecting food at Savile Street Tesco, and we hope to be collecting there again in the future. We also have a permanent food collection point near customer services.
5,000 may be a sad milestone to pass, but it does give us the opportunity to say a big thank you to everyone who has helped us by donating food and in other ways – we really are grateful – and so are the people who have received it. Thank you!