Sheffield food bank's Christmas appeal to make sure no child goes hungry

A Sheffield foodbank has launched a Christmas appeal to make sure that it can provide food for those in need over the festive season.
Sheffielders have donated Christmas treats to S6.Sheffielders have donated Christmas treats to S6.
Sheffielders have donated Christmas treats to S6.

S6 foodbank on Gilpin Street, Sheffield, has launched an appeal asking for reverse advent calendars to support its work to feed local families this Christmas.

The reverse advent calendar is the result of S6’s 12 days of Christmas Giving campaign, where individuals can collect 12 food and household essentials, as well as a few Christmas treats and donate them to S6 by December 14.

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Companies have also got involved by donating pallets of food and other items, enabling the foodbank to meet the demand of giving out on average 13 pallets of food each week through winter.

Chris Hardy is manager of S6 foodbank.Chris Hardy is manager of S6 foodbank.
Chris Hardy is manager of S6 foodbank.

Chris Hardy, manager of S6, said: “Everybody wants to give at Christmas and we depend on the rise in donations. Our busiest months are from December until March.

"We are trying to get as much in as possible as donations in January tend to decline. We need as much money and food in so that nobody goes hungry when bills start biting.

Between April to September this year, S6 provided 22,668 emergency parcels equating to hundreds of thousands of meals to local people, 805 of which were for children.

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Chris added: “We have just about given out one million meals this year. I am immensely proud of the people of Sheffield who donate to our food banks week in week out to make sure that no child is going hungry.

S6 foodbank is asking people to take part in a reverse advent calendar by donating essential food and household good as well as some Christmas treats.S6 foodbank is asking people to take part in a reverse advent calendar by donating essential food and household good as well as some Christmas treats.
S6 foodbank is asking people to take part in a reverse advent calendar by donating essential food and household good as well as some Christmas treats.

“With £20 cut from universal credit, and with gas prices spiraling, when weather starts plummeting to zero degrees people will have a definite choice between central heating, putting the lights on, or feeding their children.

“A lot of schools and families are getting on board with the reverse advent calendar. It has become a part of people’s Christmas to buy these items for us which is really humbling.”

The items recommended for the 12 Days campaign are: tinned meat or fish, tinned tomatoes, tinned vegetables, rice or pasta, rice pudding or custard, cereal, teabags or coffee, UHT milk, biscuits, shower gel, washing tablets, and toilet roll.

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Other ways to support S6’s campaign include donating supermarket gift cards for £50, to sponsor Christmas for a family, and donating cash via Just Giving, here: https://justgiving.com/campaign/forallsheffield.