By Emily Stott

estott@thekmgroup.co.uk

@emilyhstott

Volunteers have been thanked for helping Deal Area Emergency Foodbank have such a successful first year.

Since it opened in Deal last year, Foodbank has been beating poverty by providing emergency food as well as helping to refer people to the right agencies for help.

The chairman of Deal Area Emergency Foodbank, Alan Thompson said none of their successes would have been possible without the dedicated group of volunteers.

He added: “We are entirely volunteer run and it is both staggering and humbling what our volunteers do in the warehouse and outlets, collecting food, running events to help raise funds and all fitted in to busy lives.”

Other groups who appreciate the work of the volunteers is the Walmer Baptist knitting group who have kindly knitted and donated wooly hats to the warehouse volunteers to keep them warm in colder conditions.

Rita Bishop from the knitting group presented the hats on behalf of knitter Pat Scanlon.

This month, Foodbank is holding a raffle with Sainsbury’s who chose Foodbank as their charity of the year.

Tickets cost £1 and will go on sale on Monday (Sep 16) from the West Street store, Deal.

It will be drawn in store on Saturday, September 21 at 4pm.

Sainsbury’s have partly donated the first prize which is a large flat screen colour TV. The second prize is £50 cash and the third prize is Sunday lunch for two at 81 Beach Street, Deal.

Other prizes have kindly been donated by local businesses including an two hour cake decorating course plus six cupcakes by Nirusha Govender at Insanely Cakes, a handbag from Tamarisk, a £20 jewellery voucher from Sara Beevers Jewellery and a beauty voucher from The White House, Victoria Road, Deal, as well as 10 classes of Bowka or Zumba with The Fitness Mix.

The harvest collection lists are now being sent out to schools, churches and community groups in order to keep the charity stocked up on what clients need the most.

For more information or to become a volunteer visit the website at www.dealarea.foodbank.org.uk