Over 2,000 North East families to eat this Christmas thanks to unique charity
A NEW charity focused on matching families with individual food donors has beaten its own record and paired over 1,164 families so far this year, topping 2018’s total, with the number increasing around 50 each day.
The families will receive hampers from donors the week before Christmas, meaning they won’t go hungry during the festive season. As more families wait to be paired, organisers are well on track to match their goals of 2,000 families before Christmas is over.
An additional 1,000 hampers are expected to be made from other donations to the charity, which will be packed and donated to those in need during packing days throughout December.
Feeding Families founder Juliet Sanders, 60, began the initiative after donating a sofa to a family in need.
“A lady said she wanted the sofa so we [Mrs Sanders and her husband] said, great, just hire a van and come and get it. But she couldn’t afford a van. We ended up hiring it and taking it over,” Mrs Sanders explained.
“When we got there, there was nothing in the house. No furniture, even though she had five kids. Her husband has been injured and was in the hospital so she was wrapping up empty boxes for Christmas and making a game for the kids. You hear stories about things like that but you don’t see it yourself.”
Time passed, until October 2017 when a friend contacted Mrs Sanders and asked: “Do you know that woman you helped? Do you think I could help someone too?”
Mrs Sanders reached out on social media to see if anyone was in need.
“Within an hour 200 people had got in contact,” she said. “Not just because they need help but because they wanted to help people too. I think a lot of people want to help others but they don’t know how to. Really I’m just facilitating it; helping it to happen. But soon businesses started contacting us asking where they can donate.”
What makes Feeding Families unique
Feeding Families, which currently runs across the whole North East region, began as a Christmas Hamper initiative and is unique because families in need are matched directly with donors rather than the exchange happening through food banks.
“We have lost that human connection,” Mrs Sanders said. “People hardly know their neighbours anymore but Feeding Families is all about connecting people and showing that we care.
“For people donating it gives them a good feeling that they’re helping someone specific. They come away knowing they’ve done something good, which really gets back to the roots of Christmas. It’s about what you can give to other people, not yourself.
“And it comes full circle; donors this year could need a hamper next year and vice versa.”
An anonymous recipient from last year said: “I just wanted to send an email thanking you from the bottom of my heart for the lovely hamper I received today! As soon as I closed the door I broke down crying and haven’t stopped since. Honestly, I am so, so appreciative of your help in helping both me and my daughter this Christmas. I hope to be able to help people the same next year.”
“Poverty levels in the North East are ridiculously high”
While this is the charity’s third Christmas, it also delivered over 1,000 meals to families dealing with holiday hunger last summer, and will continue as an around-the-year charity going into 2020, due to Mrs Sanders quitting her job to run the charity full time.
“I don’t want to make it political but we are forgotten about in the North East. There are political actions that need to happen but that won’t be for a long time, and I don’t want to wait. I’m doing what I can, today. That’s something at least,” she said. “I left my job where I was stable and had a nice pension building up, but I’ve never felt more fulfilled and like I can make a difference.”
There were 42,294 emergency food parcels given to people in crisis by Trussell Trust foodbanks in the North East between April to September this year, while research by TUC found almost 110,000 children in working families in the region are living in poverty, a rise of more than 50% since 2010.
Newcastle-based Gemma Wilson was keen to donate a hamper last year but, due to money restraints, instead volunteered at a packing centre, where all additional donations are taken. This year, the 38-year-old has donated her first Christmas hamper to a matched family.
She said: “I wanted to donate directly to a family. I see and hear of so many people struggling when they really shouldn’t. Poverty levels in the North East are ridiculously high; this angers me, and helping out with Feeding Families is just one small way of making a little difference.
“Sharing love with those who don’t have what you have is the most fulfilling thing to do. My kids are getting involved this year too. It’s a great opportunity to show them compassion and kindness. I’ve also made some great friends from others who have joined our team of volunteers; that shared connection means so much.”
Why hampers shouldn’t just include basics
The list of items to donate includes Christmas dinner essentials like meat, fresh veg, Christmas pudding, as well as everyday essentials such as shower gel, shampoo and cupboard food.
Donors are encouraged to include items that are a little bit special after trial and error found families were likely to buy a loaf of bread or tin of beans if they had a spare pound, but never a “luxury” item like chocolate or coffee.
“You don’t know what that family goes without,” said Mrs Sanders. “Last year, upon opening her hamper, a lady cried when she saw there was coffee. She hadn’t drunk it in two years because it was a luxury.”
Ms Wilson said: “Feeding Families is a North East based charity and we are a proud, kind and compassionate bunch of people here. There are food banks and other community initiatives to help alleviate poverty and they all do incredible work for people on a daily basis, but Feeding Families gives the opportunity to provide something special, a Christmas lunch and other treats that they wouldn’t get from a food bank or be able to afford.”
With donors keen to give to families that match their own diets, such as vegetarian or halal, Feeding Families caters to dietary requirements where it can.
Food poverty across the country
Between April to September 2019, the number of emergency food parcels given to people in crisis by Trussell Trust foodbanks reached 823,145, the busiest on record. The top four reasons for referral to Trussell Trust foodbanks during this time frame were ‘low income’, ‘benefit delay’, ‘benefit change’ and ‘debt’, collectively making up 78.83%.
This is a 23% increase on the same period in 2018 — the sharpest rate of increase the charity has seen for the last five years. Over that five-year time frame, the number of emergency food parcels given to those in need has risen by 73%.
The Trussell Trust’s chief executive Emma Revie said in a press release: “We know this situation can be fixed — our benefits system could be the key to unlocking people from poverty.
“This General Election, all political parties must pledge to protect people from hunger by ensuring everyone has enough money for the basics.
“We want our next government to start working towards a future where no one needs a food bank by ending the five-week wait for Universal Credit; ensuring benefit payments cover the cost of living, and investing in local emergency support for people in crisis.”
While The Trussell Group cannot provide a whole picture of food poverty in the UK, its figures are supported by other research. The latest report from TUC found the number of children living below the breadline, despite being in a working family, has increased by 38% since the decade began.
TUC states “government policies account for the majority of the rise in child poverty”, with key contributing factors being:
- Weak wage growth
- The spread of insecure work
- Population growth
- The rise in the number of working households hasn’t been enough to lift families out of poverty
Getting involved with Feeding Families
But a food bank is not right for everyone. That’s why Feeding Families, unique with its matching, caters to a range of people; from those who have lost their job and can’t afford Christmas, to much more complicated situations.
The charity also partners with food banks in the region who can deliver food to those in need “where a stranger knocking on their door wouldn’t be appropriate”.
As a result, there will also be Feeding Families donation points around Cleveland, Tyne and Wear, Northumbria and Durham ahead of Christmas to allow smaller donations. Details will be announced at https://www.feedingfamilies.org.uk/ ahead of next month.
The charity is currently hoping to win funding through Venator Community to launch Wonderbox, a food and recipe box focused easing the decision between “eating and heating” through meals that take as little power as possible to cook and utilises residual heat.
