Gosberton Foodbank supported by annual Christmas appeal
This year's Spalding Guardian Christmas Foodbank enters its final weeks just as non-essential shops reopen and people prepare to spend heavily on the festive season.
But there are families in South Holland whose Christmastime will be overshadowed by job loss, low income, benefit delay or domestic abuse, making all thoughts of seasonal celebrations more difficult at this time.
Thankfully, foodbanks in the area are proving to be a lifeline for those unable to afford what for others would be a weekly shopping list of food, toiletries, household items and treats for the children.
Gosberton Food Bank emerged directly from the needs of families living in the village, as well as Pinchbeck, Quadring and Donington, who were both isolated and desperate for help during the first coronavirus lockdown in March.
Linda Bayston, the food bank's team leader, said: "We got a few requests from people who needed support from support services and, at one point, we were delivering food bags to over 60 families during lockdown.
"Then as lockdown eases, and people started to go back to work when the school holidays were on, the figures dropped very dramatically and we're now helping 16 families in the area.
"We've been inundated with donations, such as tinned fruit from Princes in Long Sutton and van loads of stuff from Morrisons in Pinchbeck.
"As a church-based food bank, things work a little differently in that as long as there's a need, we're more than happy to help people.
"But we're trying to get people onto an official referral system now because there are people who have been taking food bags every week."
The food bank's work would be impossible without the support of volunteers from Gosberton who pack the donations ready for delivery to families.
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Linda said: "I've got a fantastic bunch of volunteers who turn up every week and prepare to send out food bags to those who need help.
"They say it's given them something to do and everybody is willing to give up their time and to go the extra mile for people on low income, or with no income.
"If the least we can do is to give them food, we're more that happy to do it."
Holbeach Community Larder and Cafe volunteers work hard to deal with flood of donations
The Rev Ian Walters, vicar of Gosberton, said: "One of our villagers decided to take our very tiny food bank and launch it in a bigger way.
"Then head teachers at schools in the parish gave us information about families who wanted help and so we were geared up into the summer.
"Demand tailed off as people got their jobs back, but the demand is now increasing again as we've been liaising with Agapecare Foodbank in Spalding which has referred people from this area on to us."
Long Sutton Food Larder is part of Christmas Foodbank Appeal
. Donations of food, household items and toiletries can be taken to Sainsbury's in Spalding, Morrisons in Pinchbeck, churches across South Holland, or the Lincolnshire Free Press/Spalding Guardian office at 4 Francis Street, Spalding, where you should knock on the door and someone will collect your items.