Feed a Family: Cost of living rises and foodbanks start to run low - this is how you can help

We normally ask for donations to help foodbanks at Christmas, when demand rises and stocks start to fall.

But many collection points today explain how they are already starting to struggle, even though we are still enjoying the August bank holiday.

It comes as the cost of living crisis deepens, with warnings of inflation in coming months rising to 18 per cent.

Foodbank volunteers says many people they speak to fear they will not cope with the winter months, when they face spiralling fuel bills.

At the A5 foodbank in Telford, the shelves are starting to empty already. Operations manager Simon Lellow said: “We are sending out more than twice the amount of food than we are getting in and that’s not sustainable. We are having to dig in hard to our reserves.”

Below is a list of foodbanks that need your help, and below that is a list of the sort of products they're after, so you can help if you want to.

WHERE TO DONATE:

• Bridgnorth

7, West Castle Street, Bridgnorth, WV16 4AB. Telephone: 07960 285520. Email: contactus@bridgnorthfoodbank.co.uk. Open every Monday 10.30am to 12.30pm.

Food can also be donated at the Co-op in Low Town, Bridgnorth Town Council offices, Charlie’s at the Old Mill, Aldi on Bridgnorth Road, Sainsbury’s and churches in the town.

• Church Stretton

Church Street, Church Stretton, SY6 6DQ. Telephone: 07561 693870. Open: Fridays 2.30pm to 4pm.

Donations can be taken to the Co-op in Lion Meadow or the Mayfair Community Centre, Easthope Rd, Church Stretton SY6 6BL

• Telford

Food Share Project: Save it Discount Foodstore, 23 Bridge Road, Wellington. Telephone: 07775 505434. Email: team@foodshareproject.org.uk. Open: Monday to Sunday 10am to 5pm.

Telford Crisis Support: Fruit of the Loom House, Unit G, Halesfield 10, Telford TF7 4QP- Monday to Friday 9am-5pm

Donations can also be taken to Wellington – Citizens Advice offices; Leegomery – Leegate Centre; Hadley – Elim community church; Ketley – Community centre Holyhead Road; Oakengates – The place theatre or Leek building society; Donnington – Community Hub, St Matthews Road; Muxton – Greenfields farm shop; Town centre – Sainsburys and Asda; Stirchley – Co-op store, Grange Avenue; Dawley Morgan, Payne & Knightly Estate Agents on Dawley High Street

• Newport

The Royal Navy Club, Bellmans Yard, TF10 7AJ. Open Friday morning 9.30am to 11.30am. Telephone: 01952 811655. Email: newportfoodbank@gmail.com.

Drop off points for donations are Waitrose, Audley Road; Nationwide, High Street; Samuels Dry Cleaners and HSBC.

• Market Drayton

The parish rooms, Church Street, Market Drayton, TF9 1AF. Telephone: 01630 654007. Open: Tuesdays and Fridays, 9am to 10.30am.

Food can also be donated at Asda in Stafford Street, Co-op in Loggerheads, Morrison’s in Maer Lane, Sainsbury’s in Shrewsbury Road, and Savers Health and Beauty in Oak Court.

• Oswestry and Borders

56 Beatrice Street, Oswestry, SY11 1QW. Telephone: 01691 671940. Email: referrals@oswestryandborders.foodbank.org. Open: Mondays and Thursdays 11am to 2pm.

Donations can also be taken to Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and One Stop Shoop in Oswestry, St Oswald’s vicarage, and Stan’s Supermarket in St Martin’s. Many churches in the town also accept donations.

• Whitchurch

Bargates Hall, Church Street, Whitchurch, SY13 1LR. Telephone: 01948 663943. Email: info@whitchurch.foodbank.org.uk. Open: Tuesdays and Fridays, 9.30am to 11.30am.

• Shrewsbury

Barnabas Community Projects, Longden Coleham, Shrewsbury, SY3 7DN Telephone: 01743 343336 or 07421745857. Open for donations: Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays, 9.30am to 12pm., Wednesdays 5-7pm.

Donations can also be taken to the town’s branches of Asda, Co-op, Morrison’s and Sainsbury’s.

In north Shrewsbury, The Lantern, Meadow Farm Drive, Shrewsbury, SY1 4NG. It is open on Monday 10.30am to noon

• Welshpool and District

Church Rd, Welshpool, SY21 7LN. Telephone: 01938 536379. Open: 8am to 8pm, please leave donations under arches at the entrance; donations can also be taken to Tesco, Morrison’s and Sainsbury’s in Welshpool, and Tesco in Newtown.

WHAT TO BUY:

For those unsure of what items are needed and suitable, here is an easy-to-follow list of the most useful products to donate to our very worthy causes:

CUPBOARD ESSENTIALS

• Breakfast cereal

• (preferably non-sugared)

• Milk (UHT or powder, preferably

• semi-skimmed)

• Jam, marmalade

• Fruit Juice (long-life)

• Small jars of coffee

• Hot chocolate

• Tinned meat

• (ham,corned beef, Spam)

• Tinned ready meals

• (chilli, meatballs, stew)

• Tinned vegetarian ready meals

• (curry, ratatouille, macaroni cheese) Packets of mashed potato/tinned potatoes

• Tinned vegetables Tinned fish

• (tuna, mackerel, salmon & sardines)

• Pasta

• Rice

• Pasta sauce/ cooking sauces

• Tinned fruit (in juice preferably)

• Tinned rice pudding/custard

• Healthy snacks

• (small boxes of raisins/apricots)

• Biscuits, crackers, crispbreads

TOILETRIES

• Deodorants

• Shampoo

• Shower Gel

• Soap

• Toothbrushes

• Toothpaste

• Sanitary towels