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PILES of food have been donated to drop-off points across Plymouth as the whole city has jumped on board The Herald’s Feed a Family this Christmas campaign.
Even the staff at Royal Mail have been showing how much they care.
Their specially designated “foodbank bins” have been emptied and refilled on numerous occasions.
But Ralph Ferrett, Royal Mail’s branch secretary for Plymouth and East Cornwall Communication Workers Union, said: “It is great to see everybody getting involved, but I think it is scandalous that it is needed in a wealthy country like ours.”
One of Royal Mail’s union representatives at the Plymouth Mail Centre initiated their involvement with the campaign and “thought something had to be done”.
“Everybody then agreed to the idea,” said Mr Ferrett. “Now for the Christmas season we are all working together to collect for the foodbank. It has been such a success and we want to do it again.
“Postal workers have a particular affinity for the community and this project has really shown how much they understand the community they deliver to.
“Everyone at Royal Mail has dug into the project. We love our jobs and the business we’re in, and the sense of community we get through that.”
Also overflowing with generous donations is Santander’s Plymstock branch, where staff have been “overwhelmed” with the amount received.
Diane Gillestie, who works on the counter, said it is thanks to The Herald that they have had so much donated.
“The nearest collection point is the other side of town and now people know it’s much nearer,” said Ms Gillestie.
One of their staff members came up with the idea of donating to the foodbank instead of sending Christmas cards, and after just a few weeks, the bank has had to have food taken away after running out of space.
“Within the first two or three days of the story we were inundated with donations, and we’re still getting more in. It’s only at Christmas that you think of the foodbank and doing things like this, but they need help all year round.”
That’s why The Herald has also launched a Virgin Giving page, aiming to reach £1,000.
The money will go towards a number of different things, from their social worker, to printing costs.
The foodbank also run low on certain items, such as long-life milk and juice, at certain points in the year.
Money in the bank can help buy the essential items they need to keep people fed.
