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Medway Foodbank is full to the brim thanks to the public’s generosity over the past few weeks.
The charity, which works from a warehouse on Medway City Estate, is the focus of this year’s Messenger Christmas appeal.
It’s been inundated with supplies to the point project manager Lorraine Schulze is now looking for another storage space.
For that reason financial donations are absolutely crucial heading into Christmas in order to keep the foodbank, a vital lifeline for 5,559 people in Medway last year, running smoothly.
It costs £30,000 a year to operate, with £12,000 of that spent on rent.
She said: “Thank you so much to all who have donated. We are currently considering the possibility of looking for further warehouse or storage space at a reasonable cost.
“If you wish to help us out we would very much appreciate financial donations as we have overhead costs to pay for our office and warehouse
needs. We also need funds to pay for van hire each week as we do not currently have our own van.”
Just as vital as money and food are the more than 150 volunteers working at the foodbank’s eight centres, office and warehouse. Without their support it wouldn’t be able to function.
Volunteers can give as much time as they are able, from an hour a month to 12 hours a week.
Some give regular hours to support administration, dealing with referral agencies, sorting out training for other colleagues and answer the phone.
Others work in teams in the warehouse weighing and sorting food, run café facilities or check visitors needs and pointing them in the direction of local services.
Most work in the centres themselves, packaging food based on nutritional value and family size.
If you are interested in volunteering phone the office on 01634 757 057 from Tuesday to Thursday.
Volunteers will need to go through a registration and training processes and if there are no immediate volunteer roles available will be added to a waiting list.
Users are directed to the foodbank by more than 120 referral agencies, including schools, lettings companies and social services.
They're given a voucher which can be exchanged for three days' of food. The aim is they don’t have to revisit a foodbank but if they do they can only access one twice more within six months.
To donate money click here or click the donate button the Medway Foodbank Facebook page.