To mark National Food Bank Awareness Day today (Friday), The Welcome Centre is calling on the Huddersfield community to rally behind its vital work to help feed people in need of support.
The Welcome Centre in Huddersfield town centre is one of the largest independent food banks in the UK, providing crisis food packs, essential supplies and practical support to people experiencing hardship.
Over the last 12 months, The Welcome Centre has distributed enough food to provide 345,341 meals, supporting 5,044 people including 1,906 children.
But The Welcome Centre’s work goes far beyond providing emergency food.
Everyone who has accessed The Welcome Centre’s food bank has been offered support from its in-house Advice, Guidance and Support team, helping people address the underlying reasons for their crisis.
The service supports individuals and families to help them move towards greater independence and a future free from food insecurity.
With the cost-of-living crisis continuing and demand for food bank support remaining high, The Welcome Centre is asking the Huddersfield community to show its support on National Food Bank Awareness Day by donating food or money, or simply spreading the word about The Welcome Centre’s work.
Charlie Taylor, fundraising manager at The Welcome Centre, said: “National Food Bank Awareness Day is an important opportunity to shine a light on the reality of food poverty and food insecurity in our community and the reasons why people find themselves needing support.
“For more than 30 years, The Welcome Centre has been supporting people through some of the most difficult periods of their lives.
“We don’t just provide food, we work with people to understand the challenges they are facing and help them find sustainable solutions.
“People can show their support by donating food or money, or simply spread the word about our work. Every contribution makes a difference.”
Several local businesses are holding food donation drives to support The Welcome Centre. These include: Macs Trucks, Syngenta, Longwood Engineering, Wooltex, Cummins, Byram Arcade, Jewsons and The Zone.
