HAVING just celebrated National Volunteers’ Week in June, it seems appropriate to give thanks and some well-deserved recognition to our wonderful team of over 100 volunteers.

We could not provide emergency food parcels without them; they are the heartbeat of the Hereford Food Bank.

To put this into perspective, in 2023, this volunteer group contributed almost 8,000 working hours, undertaking tasks such as attracting donations at supermarkets, all the way through to food management processes and packing and delivery of emergency seven-day food parcels.

However, all of us would agree that we would prefer that there was no need for food banks.

Unfortunately, like national trends, demand for emergency food parcels is continuing to increase.

In 2023, we provided enough food parcels for 104,000 meals. We do not want to celebrate this figure, but we are anticipating it will be higher in 2024.

Alongside the amazing team of operational volunteers, it is also appropriate to recognise those people in the community who donate time, food and funds to help us to continue to provide food.

Imagine a day when you hear stories of families who cannot afford to eat, and then a child comes into the foodbank with food purchased with his birthday money, this kind of generosity is what inspires us to keep going.

From local businesses, churches and individuals hosting events to raise funds through to school children coming to the foodbank with items collected through food drives.

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This support not only provides vital food and funds, but it also provides us with the inspiration to continue.

It is evident from the support given towards the foodbank that Hereford is a proactive and caring community.

HELEN PARKER

HEREFORD FOOD BANK MANAGER