Crowland Community Larder sees great support from town
Volunteers at Crowland Community Larder have seen first-hand how the town has opened its heart to help those in need during lockdown.
Donations from businesses and the public mean that up to 50 Christmas hampers will be given out to families hit by redundancy, furlough and low income.
Originally set up in January 2018 by Crowland Methodist and Anglican Partnership in Mission as a satellite centre linked to Agapecare Foodbank Spalding, volunteers now run a larder system at the town's Methodist church where people can pick up both food, toiletries, household cleaning products, baby items and pet food on a fortnightly basis.
Coordinator Laura Beeken said: "Two weeks before the first lockdown, we started taking calls from people who were needing more help from us.
"At our peak, we had 35 families registered with us and we handed out six months' worth of food parcels inside three weeks.
"So we saw the need to operate something different and when Crowland Abbey had to close due to lockdown, South View Primary School kindly allowed us to move there at the end of April.
. Long Sutton Food Larder is part of Christmas Foodbank Appeal
"From then on, we were able to operate as a larder and offer ongoing support, rather than one-off parcels.
"We now offer a fortnightly service where people can pick up non-perishable-food and other items as they need them."
When South View closed for the summer holiday, the foodbank found a new home at Crowland Methodist Church, in Reform Street, where at least 25 families from the town and surrounding villages are finding help in tough times.
Laura said: "The support has been overwhelming and we've had more donations in the last six months that we did in the previous two years.
. Agapecare Foodbank Spalding is getting a welcome boost through a new project aiming to give families in the town a Christmas to remember.
Families Helping Families is collecting food, presents and cash donations to be shared between the foodbank and The Lighthouse Project, which helps young mothers, homeless and vulnerable young people.
Mandy Baxter, one of the organisers, said: “Since COVID-19 started, charities have been struggling for donations in a year when people need help and to know that others care.
“We have secured a drop-off point at the Springfields Horticultural Society offices, in Camelgate, where people can bring their donations between 10am and noon on Saturday and Sunday.”
"It's really shown what a fantastic community we have here in Crowland and that nobody here wants to see anyone struggling."
Volunteers would still welcome donations of both regular and Christmas food items, such as mince pies and selection boxes, as part of this year's Spalding Guardian Christmas Foodbank Appeal.
Donations can be taken to the Methodist church on Fridays between 10.30am and noon, or the Coop foodstore, in West Street.
. Donations of food 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.
